Serves: 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons lukewarm water
1 tablespoon (11 grams) yeast
1/2 cup (120 grams) superfine sugar, divided, plus additional for dusting
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter or vegetable shortening, melted
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 cups (480 to 640 grams) bread flour
Vegetable oil for frying
Directions
Place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle with the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Stir and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs until thick. Add the yeast mixture, butter, remaining sugar, milk, half-and-half, and salt. Mix until just combined.
Switch to the dough hook attachment and add the flour ½ cup at a time, until the mixture forms a soft dough that pulls away from the edges of the bowl. The dough will be moist, but not too sticky.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour. Flip the dough over, cover, and let rise for another hour until it doubles again.
Heat a heavy-bottomed pot with at least 2 inches of oil until a deep-fat thermometer registers 350˚F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to ½ inch thick, then with a knife cut it into 1-inch squares. For more rustic-looking malasadas, you can just pinch off small balls of the dough and press them flat between your palms.
With a metal spatula, carefully place in the oil. Fry until golden, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon. Drain briefly on a paper towel. Shake in a brown bag filled with superfine sugar. Serve immediately.
The Dutch Oven Cookbook
