Jam Donuts
Name me one thing that is better than a fresh Jam Donut. Soft doughy balls, stuffed full of your favourite flavour of jam, in a generous coating of sweet sugar. I will wait.
Now we’ve established that Jam Donuts truly are top-tier sweet treats, let’s talk about why you should make a batch of your own…stat!
First of all, doughnuts are always great; we all know that. But once you taste a freshly made doughnut, there’s no going back. Still slightly warm and doughy without a hint of starting to dry out. I will be the first to admit that home-baked doughnuts are best enjoyed on the same day you make them; however, you’ll be lucky that they aren’t eaten within hours anyway.
Then there’s how versatile they can be. The eagle-eyed amongst you may notice that the ingredients are much the same as our O-G Donuts recipe; that’s because if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And whether you’re making ring donuts, or filled donuts, this recipe can do both.
With filled doughnuts in mind, the options for jam doughnuts are pretty much endless. Pictured are strawberry jam doughnuts, but in actual fact, raspberry jam doughnuts are my favourite. You can, however, use whatever jam you fancy. Apricot, blackberry, blackcurrant…
Why stop at jam? You can even use lemon curd, custard, Nutella… See what I mean about the options being endless?
Jam Donuts are also incredibly easy to make. Don’t let the in-depth recipe put you off! It looks lengthy, but that is only because it has a few stages to it. Nothing overly complex, just lots of tips to keep you right. And broken down to preparing the dough, shaping the donuts, then cooking them (with a couple of breaks between to let the dough prove and rise), it really is very simple.
Ingredients for homemade Jam Doughnuts:
Milk
As donuts use a rich dough, you will need a little milk, butter/margarine, sugar and egg. Full-fat milk is preferable but it’s entirely up to you what kind you use. Dairy and soya are both good choices that I have had success with.
Butter or Block Margarine
Butter will give the richest flavour to your doughnuts, but margarine is actually what is used in most store-bought doughnuts, purely due to it being a cheaper ingredient. If using margarine, just be sure to opt for a block margarine, as opposed to a soft spread.
Strong Plain Flour
Like many yeast-dough recipes, these jam donuts call for a strong flour. Strong flours give a slightly higher concentration of gluten, meaning they bake with a stronger structure, which is perfect for catching the gas bubbles created from the yeast. A little bit of science in baking!
A regular plain flour can be used in a pinch, but you will need to knead it a lot more to help make the most of the lesser amount of gluten.
Caster Sugar
Again, with a rich dough a little bit of sugar is a must. And donuts are a sweet treat, so let’s make that dough extra indulgent! Caster sugar is preferable, as it has a finer texture and mixes well with the other ingredients.
Instant Yeast
There was a time when you could buy various types of yeast, but nowadays, Instant Yeast is the most accessible. It also works brilliantly in many recipes, but especially in Jam Doughnuts, as no extra measuring or preparation is required to activate it.
Free-range Egg
An egg adds the final bit of richness you want in a squidgy little donut. The size of the egg is not crucial, just be sure to use free-range.
Strawberry Jam
Jam Donuts need a bit of jam! I’ve suggested using strawberry jam in this recipe, but really, any jam you choose should work well. However, seedless jam is generally best in terms of texture.
Tips for homemade Donuts:
• For evenly sized donuts, weigh your dough after knocking it back post-first-rise (step 5), then divide that number by twelve. Then weigh out each donut to that number, before rolling them into their balls.
• In the recipe, it suggests placing your dough-balls onto individual squares of greaseproof paper. This is a game-changer!! You will then be able to move your donuts from tray/board to fryer with ease, and without compromising the structure of the now-perfectly risen dough.
• If you don’t already have a sugar thermometer, I highly recommend investing in one. This will allow you to closely monitor your oil temperature and ensure success whilst frying your donuts. Plus, you can then use it to make our Scottish Tablet too!
• You can, of course, use a deep-fat fryer if you have one.
• Using chopsticks to flip your doughnuts during frying is by far the easiest technique I have found.
• Warm your jam a little before spooning it into your piping bag – this will make it easier to work with.
• I cannot stress this enough… When working with hot oil, please please please be extremely careful. It is also worth having an awareness of how to deal with an oil fire before you start.
Jam Donuts
INGREDIENTS
- 120 ml Milk
- 60 g Butter or Block Margarine
- 275 g Strong Plain Flour (Bread Flour)
- 40 g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
- 7 g Easy Bake Yeast (usually 1 sachet)
- 1 Free-range Egg (at room temperature, beaten)
- 1 litre Oil (vegetable, sunflower, rapeseed…)
- 100 g Strawberry Jam (Strawberry Jelly)
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small saucepan, add the milk and butter/margarine. Warm over a low heat until the butter/margarine starts to melt. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little – you don't want it to be too hot before adding to the other ingredients.
- In a large bowl, sift in the flour and sugar. Add the yeast and gently mix to combine. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, then add the milk mixture and egg. Mix together to create a soft, slightly sticky dough – you may need to use your hands!
- Once the dough has come together, tip it onto a well-floured surface and begin to knead with floured hands, adding more flour as needed. Knead for around 10 minutes, until you have a smooth, stretchy dough.
- Place the dough into a oiled bowl (to prevent it from sticking) and cover with an oiled piece of cling film, or a damp tea towel. Leave to rise in a draught-free location for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, knock it back and briefly knead it on a lightly floured surface. Divide your dough into 12 even sized balls, rolling them between your hands to shape them. Place your dough balls onto individual squares of greaseproof paper (approx. 10cm² in size) with a bit of space between them – preferably on a tray or board – and cover again with a piece of oiled cling film or a damp tea towel. Leave in a draught-free place for about an hour, until they have puffed up to about double their size.
- In a large pan, heat your oil to 180°c/350°F (use a thermometer for accuracy). You want your oil to be deep enough for your doughnuts to comfortably fry, without sticking to the bottom. Depending on your pan size, you may need to use more/less oil.
- Using the greaseproof paper square, lift your doughnut to the oil, and gently drop it in, exercising extreme caution. Allow the donut to fry for about 90 seconds before flipping it over, allowing the underside to fry for about 90 seconds. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to fry the donuts in small batches; just be careful not to overcrowd your pan, or you risk the doughnuts sticking together and the oil dropping in temperature too quickly.
- Once your doughnuts are golden brown on both sides, use a slotted spoon to remove them, holding them above the oil for about 10 seconds (to allow the oil to drip sufficiently) before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Continue until all your doughnuts are cooked, whilst continuing to monitor your oil temperature and adjusting the heat as needed.
- Spoon your jam into a piping bag with a large circular nozzle. Once your doughnuts are cool enough to touch, poke a little hole with the end of a wooden spoon to the side of each doughnut, before piping your jam into the hole. It can be a bit of trial and error (and personal preference) getting the right amount of jam in each donut, but around a teaspoonful amount is usually ideal.
- Roll the doughnuts in some extra caster sugar to finish.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won’t always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
RECIPE NOTES:
Free-from & Vegan:
Dairy-free: These donuts can easily be made dairy free by using a dairy-free margarine and a dairy-free milk of your choice; my preference is sweetened soya milk.
Nut-free: This donut recipe doesn’t use any nut ingredients but be sure to double check the allergens on each of your individual ingredients.
N.B. Any advice or suggestions to make recipes “free-from” or vegan are purely that – suggestions. Please be careful to double-check all ingredients individually, taking extra caution when serving to those with allergies & intolerances.
For more info on common food allergies, please see food.gov.uk | For more info on coeliac disease, please see coeliac.org.uk | For more info on a vegan diet, please see vegansociety.com
“Name me one thing that is better than a fresh Jam Donut. Soft doughy balls, stuffed full of your favourite flavour of jam, in a generous coating of sweet sugar. I will wait.”
Perfectly made Tablet.
OK, fair point!