Creme Brulee Donuts
Soft and fluffy brioche donuts filled with a silky smooth and delicious custard and topped with a crisp sugar shell. It's a match made in dessert heaven!
Equipment
- Stand mixer with whisk and dough attachment optional, but recommended
- Hand whisk
- Rolling Pin
- 7cm round cookie cutter or any cookie cutter of your choice
- Baking paper
- Saucepan for deep frying
- piping bags
Ingredients
Brioche Donuts
- 1 eggs
- 25 grams caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 grams instant yeast
- 120 ml warm milk
- 85 grams melted butter
- 280 grams all-purpose flour
- 300 ml vegetable oil for frying
Custard
- 60 grams egg yolks approximately 4
- 70 grams granulated white sugar
- 30 grams cornflour
- 300 ml full-fat milk
- 2 tsp vanilla essence or 1 vanilla bean
- 30 grams unsalted butter
Caramel
- 200 grams granulated white sugar
- 65 ml water
Instructions
Brioche Donuts
- Add the eggs, sugar, and salt in a bowl. If using stand mixer, use the whisk attachment and whisk until combined, or use a hand whisk.1 eggs, 25 grams caster sugar, 1 tsp salt
- In a separate bowl, mix the warm milk with instant yeast. Make sure the milk isn’t too hot as that will kill the yeast. Add the milk mixture into the eggs and whisk until combined.5 grams instant yeast, 120 ml warm milk
- Add the melted butter and whisk again, then add half the flour and mix until you have a thick batter-like consistency.85 grams melted butter, 280 grams all-purpose flour
- Add the remaining flour and switch to the dough attachment (if using a stand mixer) and knead on medium speed for 5-10 mins until the dough forms a soft ball and starts climbing the dough hook. If not using a stand mixer, start kneading by hand and knead for 10-15 minutes until the dough forms a smooth ball.
- Transfer the dough ball to an oiled bowl, cover with cling wrap and let it rest and rise in the fridge for three hours. The dough should double in size during this time. You can also let it rest overnight, for 12-16 hours.
- Transfer the dough ball to a floured surface, knead it for 2-3 minutes until smooth, then roll it to 1.5 cm thickness. Make sure that the thickness in even throughout the dough.
- Dust the cookie cutter with flour, cut circles out of the dough, and place them on baking paper.
- Cover the donuts loosely with a towel or cling film and let them rise in a warm place for 15-20 minutes, until they puff up slightly. Meanwhile, heat the oil to 170 degrees Celsius.
- Once the donuts have risen and the oil is hot, cook them for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.300 ml vegetable oil
- Transfer the donuts onto a paper towel to absorb the excess oil and let them cool before filling.
Cut the baking paper into small square pieces and place each donut on a piece. This makes it easier to pick up and transfer the donut to the frying pan without disturbing the rise.
To make sure they are cooked through, poke one donut with a toothpick or small knife – it should come out clean.
Custard Filling
- Bring the milk and vanilla to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. While it boils, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour in a separate bowl until they're pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.60 grams egg yolks, 70 grams granulated white sugar, 300 ml full-fat milk, 2 tsp vanilla essence, 30 grams cornflour
- Once the milk starts boiling, temper the egg mixture by adding half of it to the egg yolk mix and whisking it continuously. This introduces the eggs to some heat before they are transferred to the saucepan, reducing the chances of them scrambling over the heat.
- Transfer the egg yolk and milk mixture back to the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture on medium heat. Keep whisking continuously until the custard starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Once the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, remove it from the heat and transfer it to a bowl to stop the cooking process.30 grams unsalted butter
- Let the custard cool slightly for 10 minutes, then add the softened butter and whisk until properly combined. Cover it with cling film, making sure that it directly touches the surface to stop a milk film from forming on top. Let it chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour and whisk before using.
- Transfer the set cream to a piping bag and use a small knife to create a hole in the middle of the donut. Place the piping bag inside the donut hole and pipe the cream until the donut feels full and heavy.
Caramel Shell
- In a saucepan, add the sugar and water and gently swirl it around to cover all the sugar with water.200 grams granulated white sugar, 65 ml water
- Cook the mixture on medium heat until it starts turning golden, swirling every few minutes. Cook until the caramel is amber, keeping a close eye not to burn it.
- Once it's ready, immediately place the donuts in the pan and swirl them around, covering the entire top side of the donut. Pick it up and gently flick it to get rid of any excess.
- If the sugar starts setting, place it back on medium low heat until It softens again. You can melt it a few times throughout the process so that the caramel layer does not become too thick.
- Let the donuts rest at room temperature until the caramel is completely set, then crack through and enjoy.
Do not use a spoon to mix at any step, or the sugar may crystallize.
Keep the donuts filled and ready to be topped before the caramel is ready.
Try not to create multiple layers of the caramel or it will result in a thick sugar shell that will be hard to break.
The caramel shell softens over time, so cover the donuts as close to the serving time as possible.
Notes
Tips & Tricks
- Make sure the milk is not hot when mixing it with yeast, as that will kill the yeast and your dough will not rise. The milk should be lukewarm, around 30-35 degrees Celsius.
- Knead the dough until it forms a completely smooth ball with just a little stickiness.
- When rolling the dough, make sure to properly flour the surface and the rolling pin to avoid it sticking.
- Do not roll out the dough thicker than 1.5- 2 cm or the donuts will become too big and misshapen after rising.
- The dough should have even thickness all across, or your donuts will have uneven thickness.
- Cut baking paper into small squares and place each donut on it. This makes it easy to pick the donut and transfer it to the frying pan without disturbing the rise of the dough.
- Make sure the oil is at the right temperature before adding the donuts to it. If you don’t have a thermometer, heat it until it’s very hot, the way you would for deep-frying potato fries.
- You will have to reduce and increase the heat throughout the cooking process; make sure to keep it balanced so that the donuts get cooked from the inside and not just browned on the outside.
- Keep an eye on the donuts and don’t let them get too dark.
- If your dough does not rise, it means that your yeast is dead. In this case, buy new yeast and make sure the milk isn’t too hot.
- If the donuts come out dry, it means you have overcooked them.
- Make sure the donuts have completely cooled down before filling, or the heat will melt the custard.
- Make the caramel when the donuts are filled and ready, as the sugar sets very quickly.
- If the caramel begins to thicken, place it on the heat for a minute until it softens again. You can melt the caramel a few times through the process to avoid the caramel from thickening, as that would lead to a thicker sugar shell on the donuts.
- For the best experience, serve the donuts immediately after the sugar shell is set, as the caramel will soften over time.