Salted Caramel Filled Donuts

Ingredients:

For the donut dough:

500g flour

50g sugar

10g fresh baker's yeast (or 5g dry yeast)

250ml warm milk

2 eggs

80g softened butter

1 teaspoon salt

Frying oil

For the salted caramel:

200g sugar

100g salted butter

150ml full-fat liquid cream

1 pinch of fleur de sel

For the finish:

Powdered sugar (to coat the donuts after cooking)

Instruction:

Prepare the donut dough:

In a bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture foams slightly.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor, mix the flour, sugar and salt.

Add the eggs and yeast mixture. Knead for about 5 minutes until you obtain a smooth dough.

Add the softened butter cut into small pieces, then continue to knead for 10 minutes until the dough becomes soft and elastic.

Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let the dough rise for 1h30 to 2h in a warm place, until it doubles in volume.

Preparation of the salted butter caramel:

In a saucepan, melt the sugar over medium heat until you obtain an amber caramel.

Off the heat, gradually add the liquid cream, mixing well. Be careful not to splash.

Add the salted butter and stir until it is well incorporated.

Return to low heat and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes to obtain a smooth caramel.

Remove from the heat, add a pinch of fleur de sel, then leave to cool to room temperature.

Shaping the donuts:

After the first rise, degas the dough by gently pressing on it to expel the air.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to about 1 cm thick.

Cut out circles using a cookie cutter or a glass (about 7-8 cm in diameter).

Place the dough circles on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and let them rise again for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Cooking the donuts:

Heat the frying oil in a deep saucepan or deep fryer to 170-180°C.

Fry the donuts in small batches, 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

Drain the donuts on absorbent paper, then immediately roll them in powdered sugar.

Filling the donuts:

Once the donuts have cooled, pierce a small hole in the side of each donut using a piping bag or a small knife.

Transfer the cooled salted caramel to a piping bag.

Insert the nozzle into the holes and fill the donuts with caramel.

Tasting:

Let stand for a few minutes so that the caramel is well distributed inside the donuts, then taste them while they are still slightly warm to enjoy the contrast between the soft dough and the melted caramel.

History of Salted Caramel Filled Donuts:

Salted caramel has become a ubiquitous flavour in the culinary world, appearing in everything from ice cream to coffee to cocktails. But where did this flavour come from, and how did it become so popular? In this blog post, we will explore the history of salted caramel, from its origins as a classic confection to its contemporary status as a culinary craze.

The first known recipe for salted caramel appeared in a French cookbook in 1902, called “La Bonne Cuisine de Madame E. Saint-Ange.”

Caramel is a sweet confection made from sugar that has been heated until it melts and browns, creating a rich, buttery flavor. The addition of salt to caramel was not a new concept, as salt has been used for centuries to enhance the flavor of sweet treats. However, the specific combination of salt and caramel as a flavor was not popularized until the early 2000s.

One story suggests that salted caramel was created by accident in France in the 1970s. A chocolatier named Henri Le Roux was making caramel when he accidentally added some fleur de sel, a type of French sea salt, to the mixture. Instead of throwing the batch away, he tasted it and was pleasantly surprised by the combination of sweet and salty flavours. He went on to create a salted caramel confection, which he called “caramels au beurre salé” or “salted butter caramels.”