I have never been a big fan of jelly or cream filled doughnuts. Call me a purist, but I prefer my doughnuts either dusted in sugar or covered in chocolate ganache.
Stuffing a doughnut with jelly and or cream took away from the soft dough in the center of the doughnut which helped balanced the sweetness found outside of the doughnut.
All of that changed when I ate an artisan doughnut from a small cafe and discovered cream filled doughnuts can be amazing when made correctly. Rather than stuffing a doughnut with super sugary cream that could be a dessert all on its own.
The cream was more of a compliment and that changed my stance on the matter.
This brioche doughnut with salted caramel cream recipe shares a similar idea. Make an amazing doughnut, (this one happens to be made out of brioche) and pair it with a cream that does not take away from the doughnut.
If you are not a fan of cream-filled doughnuts either, you just might change your mind after this recipe.
Ingredients
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60g strong white bread flour
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pinch of salt
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25g fine granulated sugar
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7g instant yeast
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70ml warm milk
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3 medium eggs
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125g unsalted butter, room temperature
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vegetable oil for frying
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extra granulated sugar for rolling the doughnuts
Salted Caramel Diplomat (cream)
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110g granulated sugar
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40ml water
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large pinch of salt
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250ml milk
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3 egg yolks
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35g soft dark brown sugar
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20g starch
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20g unsalted butter
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300ml double cream
Instructions
For the Brioche Doughnuts:
- Place the bread flour, salt, and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Combine these before adding in the instant yeast. With the mixer on low, add in the warmed milk (make sure the milk isn’t too hot or it will kill the yeast.) Next, add in the eggs. Turn the mixer to medium speed and leave the dough to knead for 5 minutes. Begin to add in the softened butter in small chunks, waiting for the previous chunk to be incorporated before the next. Once all the butter has been added, knead on medium speed for another 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place the brioche dough into a bowl greased with butter, making sure that the dough has room to double in size. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in the fridge overnight to prove.
For the Caramel pastry cream:
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Place the fine granulated sugar and water into a small saucepan over high heat.
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While the sugar is bubbling away for the caramel, place the milk into another saucepan and begin to warm.
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Watch the sugar syrup as it bubbles, swirling the pan every now and again to make sure that it cooks evenly. After a few minutes, the sugar should have become caramel. The color should be golden brown.
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Make sure that the milk is nearly boiling and pour a small amount into the caramel off the heat. Be careful as the caramel will bubble violently. Once the bubbles die down, continue to add the rest of the milk. Stir the caramel milk over low heat, making sure that all the caramel pieces have dissolved.
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In a small bowl, mix together the egg yolks, dark brown sugar and cornstarch. Pour a small amount of the hot caramel milk and whisk into the egg yolks. Add the rest of the milk, stir and pour everything back into the pan to make your caramel pastry cream.
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Place the pan over medium heat and begin to cook the pastry cream. Slowly whisk the mixture until it starts to thicken. As soon as the pastry cream has thickened and begins to bubble, whisk very quickly on the heat to continue to cook out the cornstarch; making sure it doesn’t burn. Once the pastry cream starts to bubble; cook it out for 2-3 minutes. Take off of the heat and whisk in the butter.
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Spoon into a bowl. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate overnight.
See the rest of the recipe for these incredible doughnuts on the next page. The recipe was divided because the first part which you have seen on this page could be made one day prior to frying and filling the doughnuts.
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