My love for doughnuts and everything doughnut-shaped has been going on for over 35 years, and there is no end in sight. And for a good reason, as well.
The first doughnut I met was deep-fried and abundantly rolled in granulated sugar. Whether it was filled with plum jam or not, I cannot tell you, but the warmth of the wood stove, the crunch of the sugar, and the general atmosphere of safety and care are something I could write volumes about.
Because, you see, there was something special in those pastries made in decades-old cooking pots, in dough made by hand, with no fancy mixers, and in just being around your grandparents. Seeing your grandfather await doughnuts equally eagerly as you did.
Those days are gone, but the love remains.
One final technical piece of advice I can offer is, if your pumpkin purée has a bit more liquid in it, you might have to add just a bit more flour, but you will be the judge of that as you knead the dough. It is important for the dough to be able to hold its shape at least lightly, so the vegan block butter could be incorporated properly.
All that is left is to serve them with your favourite hot beverage and enjoy.
Ingredients
For the soft pumpkin dough
240 grams plain flour120 grams strong bread flour
120 millilitres warm water
50 grams granulated sugar
20 grams fresh yeast
100 grams roasted pumpkin purée
25 millilitres sunflower oil
10 grams salt
50 grams vegan block butter, cold
For the chocolate truffle filling
200 millilitres plant double cream80 grams extra dark chocolate (80% cocoa solids)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Preparation
Start by making the chocolate truffle filling, as it needs to be chilled before whipping. Melt the dark chocolate, vanilla and the plant double cream over low heat or in the microwave, making sure it is smooth and combined. Set it aside until it is cool to the touch, cover and transfer to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
For the dough, start by adding sugar to a small saucepan and placing it over medium heat. Let the sugar melt slowly, and without disturbing it too much, let it lightly caramelise, until it gets a lightly amber colour. Once fragrant, very carefully pour the hot water into it. Let the caramel completely dissolve in the water, remove from heat, and let it cool down until lukewarm.
It will caramelise very quickly, so do not walk away, it needs your full attention.
Once lukewarm, crumble in the fresh yeast, and give it about 10 minutes to bubble and activate. As soon as it is ready, add in the pumpkin purée, along with the oil and salt. Whisk very well, and add in both types of flour. Mix vigorously with a wooden spoon until a very soft dough forms. It should not be overly sticky, but if it is, add another tablespoon of plain flour and mix it in well.
Once a dough forms, add in the vegan block butter, and knead it into the dough. It will seem a tad too sticky at first, but be persistent, and the dough will absorb it. Place it into a large bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise, at room temperature, for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
Once the dough is ready, turn the oven on to preheat to 200°C. Transfer the dough to a nicely floured surface and gently knead it. Divide it into 16 equal pieces, and shape each one into a ball. Arrange them on a large baking sheet lined with baking parchment and let them rest and rise for another 30 minutes, while the oven preheats.
Just before baking, mist them generously with cold water, and bake in a nicely preheated oven, at 200°C, for about 10-12 minutes. Watch them carefully so they bake through, but stay as soft as possible. As soon as they are done, remove from the oven, take them off the baking sheet, and mist them with cold water once again. Let them cool.
While they are cooling, move onto the filling. Take out the chilled ganache out of the refrigerator, and start mixing with an electric mixer on medium, for about 30 seconds. It will start resembling softly whipped cream at this point. Turn up the mixer speed to high, and whip until firm peaks form.
Transfer it into a piping bag, and as soon as the doughnuts are cool enough to be comfortably handled, generously fill them with the truffle filling, abundantly dust them with either unsweetened cocoa powder or icing sugar, and serve immediately. Yields 16 medium doughnuts.
