Baked Doughnuts

While I was waiting in the doctor's office this past week, they had the TV set to PBS create, and there was none other than the one and only Bob Ross painting with that glorious, glowing afro of his.  It never ceases to amaze me how he can turn a canvas of emptiness into the most amazing picture you've ever seen in 30 minutes!  My daughter came with me, and she kept looking up from her coloring book.  First she said, "How does he make it look so real?"  Then she said, "Uh, mom... he has really weird hair."  Yes, he does.  However, that guy could turn a pile of mud and a t-shirt into a glorious work of art.  One of my co-workers and I were talking about Bob Ross, and he found the website bobrossquotes.com.  Oh, man.  I was laughing so hard.  Here are some:

• And just go straight in like your going to stab it. And barely touch it...barely touch it
• I can't go over 30 minutes, because we have a mean ol' director with no sense of humor.
• When I was teaching my son Steve to paint, I used to tell him, just pretend he was a whisper, and he floated right across the mountain, that easy, gentle, make love to it, caress it.
• We tell people sometimes: we're like drug dealers, come into town and get everybody absolutely addicted to painting. It doesn't take much to get you addicted
• Water's like me. It's laaazy... Boy, it always looks for the easiest way to do things
• That's a crooked tree. We'll send him to Washington
• Oh, that would make a nice place to fish. I like fishing, but I'm not a very good fisherman. I always throw the fish back into the water, just put a band-aid on his mouth, tap 'im on the patootie and let him on his way. And maybe some day, if I'm lucky, I'll get to catch him again

I could go on and one.  This guy was a crack-up.  I love good ol' Bob Ross.  Well, as for these doughnuts, as Bob Ross would say... They are happy little clouds of sugary wonder.  When I took them into the office, one lady seriously took about ten doughnuts holes and was popping them in her mouth like they were popcorn.  I love that these doughnuts are baked- although I'm still slightly partial to the fried ones.  These are wonderful, and everyone that tried them absolutely loved them.  They are worth the effort!  Grub 'em up and while you're eating them, catch an episode of "The Joy of Painting" for a real mind-blowing experience.

 Baked Doughnuts
source: Melskitchencafe.com

Doughnuts:1 1/3 c warm milk, 95 to 105 degrees
2 t active dry yeast
2 T butter
2/3 c granulated sugar
2 large eggs
5 c all-purpose flour
A pinch or two of nutmeg, freshly grated
1 t salt

Topping:

1/2 c butter, melted
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
1 T cinnamon

Add the yeast to 1/3 c warm milk.  Once it is foamy, add it into your bread maker.  Add the remaining milk, sugar, and melted or softened butter.  Add in the eggs and the dry ingredients.  Put the bread maker on the dough setting and let it work its magic.  

Once the dough is finished and double in size, remove the dough to a floured countertop or a pastry cloth dusted with flour.  Roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thickness.  Use a doughnut cutter (or a round cookie cutter for the outside ring and a smaller one for the inside) and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  With this recipe, I was able to make 8 doughnuts and about 70 doughnut holes.   

Place the doughnuts in a warm spot and let them rise until doubled in size.  I always put my bread in the microwave with a small bowl of boiling water.  They rise perfectly and quickly every time!

Bake them in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.  You want them to be cooked through but not browned on top.  I think I baked mine for the full ten minutes.  If they start to get brown but you think they are not cooked through, you can tent them with foil.  

Let them cool for two minutes on the cookie sheet.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Melt some butter in a small bowl.  Put a couple doughnuts in a larger bowl, put a couple spoonfuls of butter in there and toss the doughnuts to coat them with butter.  Add them into the large bowl with the cinnamon-sugar mixture and toss to coat.