ADVERTISEMENT
## **Chapter 3: How to Make Another Donut Shape at Home**
Now that we’ve explored some creative donut shapes, let’s talk about how you can make them at home. Whether you’re a beginner baker or a seasoned pro, making donuts in unconventional shapes can be a fun and rewarding challenge.
### **1. The Dough: Starting Point for Any Donut Shape**
The first step to making donuts, regardless of shape, is preparing the dough. The dough serves as the foundation for your donut, so it’s important to get it right. You can either make your dough from scratch or use a pre-made dough, depending on your preference and time constraints.
#### **Basic Donut Dough Recipe**
Here’s a simple recipe for traditional yeast-based donut dough that can be adapted to any shape:
**Ingredients:**
– 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
– 1 cup warm milk
– 1/4 cup sugar
– 2 tablespoons butter, softened
– 2 large eggs
– 4 cups all-purpose flour
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– Vegetable oil (for frying)
**Instructions:**
1. In a bowl, mix the yeast, warm milk, and sugar. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes frothy.
2. Add the butter, eggs, flour, and salt to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
3. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes on a floured surface until it becomes smooth and elastic.
4. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size.
5. Roll out the dough to your desired thickness, depending on the shape you want to achieve.
### **2. Shaping the Donuts**
Once your dough is prepared, you can begin shaping it into non-traditional forms. Here’s how to shape your donuts into a few of the designs mentioned earlier:
#### **Heart-Shaped Donuts**
To make heart-shaped donuts, roll the dough out as you would for traditional round donuts. Instead of using a round cutter, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter or shape the dough by hand into a heart shape. You may need to gently pull and pinch the dough to get a well-defined heart.
#### **Square Donuts**
For square-shaped donuts, roll the dough into a rectangular shape, then use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut squares. You can make the squares as large or as small as you prefer, depending on the occasion.
#### **Flower-Shaped Donuts**
To create flower-shaped donuts, roll the dough out into a large rectangle and then cut it into smaller sections that resemble petals. You can use a round cutter to form the center of the flower, then arrange the petal sections around it. Twist the edges of each petal for a more intricate design.
#### **Star-Shaped Donuts**
For star-shaped donuts, use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the dough. You may need to carefully shape the edges to ensure they are crisp and defined.
#### **Donut Cakes**
If you want to create a donut cake, stack several donuts on top of each other to form layers. You can use icing or frosting to hold the layers together, and decorate with additional toppings.
### **3. Frying or Baking the Donuts**
Once your donuts are shaped, it’s time to cook them. Donuts can be either fried or baked, depending on your preference. Frying will give you that classic crispy texture, while baking results in a slightly healthier alternative.
#### **Frying Donuts:**
– Heat oil in a deep fryer or large pot to 350°F (175°C).
– Carefully drop the donuts into the hot oil, being mindful not to overcrowd them.
– Fry the donuts for about 1-2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
– Use a slotted spoon to remove the donuts from the oil and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil.
#### **Baking Donuts:**
– Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
– Place the shaped donuts on a greased baking sheet.
–
