Lara’s Gluten Free Maple Glazed Doughnuts

If you follow this blog, you know we love doughnuts in our house. Pumpkin hazelnut, cherry blossom and coconut are just some of the doughnuts that I have documented here and there are many more that have not made it to these pages.

So you can imagine how anxiously I have been waiting for my friend Lara’s new doughnut book. I’m not exaggerating if I say it sat in my pre-order Amazon shopping cart for almost a year. Yes, that excited.

Lara needs little introduction as she is one of the veterans in the food blogging community. Cook & Eat, Still Life With, Spare Room… All blogs that have really influenced me since the beginning. I met Lara last year in Boston and we have stayed in touch all these months. I visited her amazing studio in Seattle over the summer and just caught up with her in San Francisco once again.

I can never rave enough about her as she is, not only one of my favorite photographers, but also a pool of endless information, ready to share and help out anytime I have a question.

This is a fun book filled with beautiful photographs (of course!), a ton of recipes for all kinds of doughnuts, glazes and fillings. Chocolate peanut butter, strawberry shortcake, red velvet, chai, cocoa nib… Is your mouth watering yet? There are even vegan and gluten free recipes, which is what I baked for this post. Gluten-free raised doughnuts with maple and toasted hazelnut glaze. Amazing.

I had J’s best friend over for a play date yesterday and this is what she thought of the doughnuts. Happy face. Just like Lara’s video.

Please visit other fellow bloggers in this doughnut blog tour to see their creations. We are having fun for sure!

Oct 12—CakeSpy
Oct 13—Wasabi Prime
Oct 17—The Sophisticated Gourmet
Oct 22—Use Real Butter
Oct 25—Cream Puffs in Venice

Thanks Lara for letting us share these recipes!

Gluten Free Raised Doughnuts

from Lara Ferroni’s “Doughnuts” cookbook

reprinted with permission from Lara Ferroni

makes 8 to 14 doughnuts
1/3 cup (50 grams) chia flour or brown rice flour
1 1/2 to 2 cups (215 to 290 grams) Gluten Free baking Mix for Doughnuts
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp guar gum
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 Tbs (11 grams) active dry yeast, divided
1/4 cup whole milk, heated to 110F
1/4 cup lukewarm water
3 Tbs (45 grams) superfine sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs ( 1 oz) unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
vegetable oil for frying

1. Whisk together the flour, gluten free baking mix, xanthan gum, guar gum and baking powder and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, dissolve 1 Tbs of yeast with the milk. Add 1/4 cup of the flour mixture and stir to create a paste. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the remaining yeast and the water. Add the flour paste with sugar and salt. Mix until smooth. Beat in the eggs, egg white, vanilla and vinegar. Turn off the mixer and add 1/2 cup of the flour mixture. Mix completely and knead on medium for 30 seconds. Add the butter and mix to combine. Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl. It will be soft and moist, but not so sticky that you can’t roll it out. You may have flour left over.

4. Cover the bowl and let it rest in warm spot for 20 minutes. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. With a doughnut or cookie cutter, cut out 3 inch diameter rounds with a 1 inch diameter hole.

5. Line a baking sheet with a lightly floured non-terry dish towel. Place the doughnuts at least 1 inch apart and cover with plastic wrap. let it sit in a warm spot for 20 to 30 minutes until nicely rounded on top.

6. While doughnuts are proofing, heat a heavy-bottomed pot with at least 2 inches of oil until a deep-fat thermometer registers 340F. With a metal spatula, carefully place th doughnuts in the oil. Don’t overfill the pot. Fry for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon. Place on a wire rack and let cool slightly before glazing.

Gluten Free Baking Mix for Doughnuts

1 cup (175 grams) potato starch
1/4 cup (100 grams) potato flour or sweet sorghum
1/2 cup (60 grams) tapioca flour
1/2 cup (60 grams) sweet rice flour

Maple Glaze

1 1/2 cups (150 grams) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
2 Tbs maple syrup
2 Tbs milk or water

Mix all ingredients to make a pourable glaze.