Doughnuts, I don’t do doughnuts.

My father’s first job at 17 was working in a bakery in Mexico, Missouri.  He always told us that the low man got the worst job in the bakery and that was frying the doughnuts.  It’s super dangerous with all that hot fat and it’s super hot work of course.

But for some reason, he would make doughnuts while I was growing up and seemed to enjoy it.  He didn’t do it all that often so it was always great fun and a real treat.  I really loved daddy’s doughnuts.  I loved them so much I think it ruined all other doughnuts for me.  And even Dad’s doughnuts are good for only a very short time.  Doughnuts fresh out of hot fat are divine.  Stale doughnuts get thrown out at our house except for the ones that go into turkey dressing.

When our two boys were growing up, they always looked forward to Granddaddy Bill coming for a visit. 

“Do you think he’ll make doughnuts mom?” 

“He’ll make doughnuts if you both ask him enough.”

And he did most every time to the delight of both boys and all who happened by or were invited.

Boys grow up but little boys hide out in those grown up men and so one day, a Christmas I believe, Jason got on his Granddaddy Bill to teach him how to make doughnuts. 

It seemed like it took days to get this done or organized.  First, they had to find a doughnut shop to get flour.  The only good daddy doughnut had to be commercial potato doughnut flour.  That involved driving all over looking for a doughnut shop and baker who would sell you their mix not their doughnuts.  That’s not what doughnut shops are into selling. 

They finally made doughnuts together.  There were several more Christmas’s and Thanksgivings and they made doughnuts together and gradually Jason became a master as well.

Me.  I don’t do doughnuts.  Peabody, Helen, I don’t do doughnuts.  Heck, I don’t do that many events.  I’m not that together.  I don’t do doughnuts.  Get it:  I don’t do doughnuts.

But they were relentless.  Maybe if it had been just one without the other but no, they ganged up.

So I did do doughnuts.

There was no doughnut recipe in Dorie’s book.  The next book I picked up was Sherry Yard’s The Secrets of Baking. 

Brioche Doughnuts: while they sounded over the top with eggs and a stick of butter, it was the part about freezing the cut out dough that sold me.  I didn’t have to fry up all 24 at once.  Two people 24 doughnuts make for very sick tummies.

So I made doughnuts just for Helen & Peabody.  We’ll be having doughnuts all week.  But they’ll be fresh each time.

Since I really just followed the recipe here, I’m not putting it up.  I can send it if you’re really interested.

Happy now you two doughnut freaks!!  I did doughnuts.