Malasadas Dois

A raised, deep fried, Portuguese donut. Very popular as fund raisers in Southeastern Massachusetts where I grew up.

Step: 1

Dissolve 1 teaspoon of sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 5 minutes to dissolve.

Step: 2

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and 1 cup of sugar until sugar has completely dissolved. Stir in the salt and flour. Mix in the yeast mixture, milk and melted butter. A wooden spoon works well for this. Cover and set in a warm place to rise until doubled.

Step: 3

Once the dough has doubled, punch down and knead a bit - a lot if you want. The dough should be elastic. Cover and allow to rise again. If you like, you may refrigerate overnight. My grandmother would let it rise overnight, and hers were amazing. When the dough has doubled, it is ready to use.

Step: 4

Heat oil in a deep fryer or large deep skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Set a small dish of water to the side for wetting your hands slightly before touching the dough. This will help it keep from sticking. Only wet your hands a little, excess water dripping in the hot oil is very dangerous.

Step: 5

With slightly wet hands, gather a small ball of dough about the size of a golf ball. Stretch the dough out a little bit while turning around until you have a disc about 4 inches wide. If you mess up, just throw it back in with the other dough, and start over. Tiny holes are fine.

Step: 6

Carefully place the stretched dough into the hot oil. The doughnuts should puff up a bit as they hit the oil. Cook for about 3 minutes per side. They are done when they are golden brown. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Coat with white sugar while still hot. Serve warm.

Per Serving: 121 calories; protein 1.9g; carbohydrates 16.6g; fat 5.3g; cholesterol 23.5mg; sodium 77.1mg.

The best flavour of the flour can make a real deal to your bread. Different makers do vary. Extra-strong or Canadian flours, which are bet higher in gluten, may give you a better rise than standard bread flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal dough , which doesn’t always rise as well as clear bread.

To make this in a breadmaker , add all the menus to your breadmaker and follow the makers instructions.

A dough’s first rising can be make in the fridge 24 hours . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great timesaver , as you can work it night before , then finish it off the next day.