St Joseph's Doughnuts (Apulia)

Desserts

Ingredients

All purpose flour - 8 cups

Compressed yeast - 2 cakes

Lukewarm milk - 2 1/2 cups

Eggs - 3

Granulted sugar - 3/4 cup

Grated rind of 1 lemon

Salt - pinch

Butter - 6 tbsps

Oil for lard for frying

Confectioners sugar

Sift the flour into a large, warmed bowl and make a well in the center. Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of the lukewarm milk and pour it into the well. Work it with the flour gradually adding more of the milk, until the dough it workable but fairly stiff. Knead until smooth and elastic, then cover the bowl and leave the dough in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down the risen dough and work in the eggs, beaten with the sugar, lemon rind and salt. Knead until thoroughly blended and smooth again. Then melt the butter over a low heat in about 7 tbsps milk, cool to lukewarm, and gradually add to the dough, kneading vigorously all the time. The dough will now be fairly soft and sticky. Continue to knead it until it comes away cleanly from the fingers.

Sprinkle a pastry board lightly with flour and roll the doughnut about 1/4 inch thick with a floured rolling pin. Cut it into circles about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Spread the circles out on a lightly floured cloth and leave them to rise again until doubled in bulk. 

When ready to fry the doughnuts, heat plenty of oil in  deep pan. Test the temperature to make sure that it is not too high (350-360): a cube of bread should brown in 1 minute. Fry the doughnuts, two or three at a time, until puffed and golden brown on both sides. Drain on absorbant paper and dust generously with sifted confectioners sugar.