Raised Apple Cider Doughnuts

Fall just wouldn't be Fall without a trip to the local cider mill. For my family and I, it's Lattin's Country Cider Mill in my hometown of Olympia. They have theee best apple cider you've ever tasted. The original is my favorite, but they also make Raspberry, Strawberry, and Blackberry. What they're really known for are the doughnuts, though. Their apple fritters are INSANE and their cider doughnuts are pretty darn delicious, too. They only make them on the weekends too so if you want one, you gotta get there early. They have all sorts of animals you can walk through and pet and feed too. The goats are my favorite.

I was inspired by this year's trip to make my own cider doughnuts. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw that my first attempt did not go too well. I used a traditional cake doughnut recipe but my batter ended up falling apart in the fryer. So, I tried again. This time around I went the raised doughnut route and I was pretty happy with the outcome. The exterior is a little crispy and the inside is pillowy soft. I couldn't decide whether to opt for the traditional cinnamon sugar topping or glazed so I did both!

adapted from Chow
makes about 12 doughnuts

2 1/2 c all purpose flour + more for kneading and rolling
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t sea salt
1/4 t nutmeg
pinch of cloves
1 packet (2 1/4 t) active dry yeast
1/4 c + 1 t granulated sugar
3/4 c fresh apple cider
2 egg yolks
1 T coconut oil, melted
2 T apple butter
1 t vanilla extract
1 T butter, room temperature
Neutral oil for frying, such as coconut or canola

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 T cinnamon
pinch of salt
pinch of cloves

Glaze topping:
2 c powdered sugar
2 T heavy cream
pinch of salt
3 T apple cider

Whisk together the flour, spices and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
In another bowl, combine the yeast and 1 t of sugar. Warm a 1/2 cup of the cider to 105-115 degrees and whisk to combine with the yeast and sugar. Set aside for about 5 minutes to let the yeast do its thing. Combine the remaining 1/4 c of cider, the egg yolks, coconut oil, apple butter, vanilla extract, and 1/4 c sugar. Add the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Gently add the wet mixture to the dry and stir to combine and a ball forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead the butter in. Knead the dough for 5-8 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky and it springs back when you poke it. Place in an a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Place in a warm place for about 2 hours until it's doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and roll out to about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 3 inch and1 inch biscuit cutter, cut out the doughnuts. Re-roll the scraps and repeat. I wouldn't recommend re-rolling the scraps more than once as it will make the dough too tough. Place the doughnuts and holes about 1/2 inch apart on a parchment-lined sheet and let rise again until about 1/2 in thick, about 30 minutes to an hour.
While the doughnuts are rising, heat up your oil. Add enough oil to a cast iron or heavy-bottomed pot so that it's 2 inches deep. Using a candy thermometer, heat to 360 degrees on medium heat. Prepare the cinnamon sugar and glaze while you're waiting for the oil to come up to temp by combining ingredients for each in two separate bowls.
Start frying! Carefully add about three doughnuts to the oil at a time using a spider or large slotted spoon and flip after 30 seconds. Let them cook about another 30-40 seconds on the other side, until golden brown. If using cinnamon sugar, add the doughnuts directly to the mixture and toss with a spoon to coat. If using glaze, let the doughnuts cool slightly on a wire rack before dipping in glaze then return them to the rack and let them drip dry.