Gravy Ring Doughnuts
Crisp, golden yeast-raised ring doughnuts tossed in fine caster sugar, a classic Belfast bakery counter favourite.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 295 kcal
Equipment
- •Deep heavy-based pot
- •Slotted spoon
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Rolling pin
- •Round pastry cutters
- •Wire cooling rack
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 295 kcal
- fat
- 12 g
- carbs
- 42 g
- fibre
- 1.5 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 295 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Whisk the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and nutmeg together in a large mixing bowl.
- 2
Add the warm milk, beaten egg, and softened butter to the dry ingredients.
- 3
Mix into a soft dough, then knead on a lightly floured worktop for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
- 4
Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and leave to rise in a warm spot for one hour.
- 5
Roll the risen dough out on a floured surface to roughly one-and-a-half centimetres thickness.
- 6
Cut rounds with an eight-centimetre cutter, then stamp out the centre holes with a three-centimetre cutter.
- 7
Place the dough rings onto greaseproof paper, cover loosely, and leave to prove for thirty minutes until puffy.
- 8
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep heavy-based pot to one hundred and seventy-five degrees Celsius.
- 9
Fry the rings in batches of two or three for two minutes per side until golden brown.
- 10
Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain briefly on kitchen paper, and immediately roll generously in caster sugar.
Chef's tips
Maintain a steady oil temperature of 175°C to avoid heavy, greasy doughnuts. Toss the gravy rings in sugar while they are still piping hot so the crystals adhere properly.
Ingredient substitutions
- vegetable oil → refined lard or beef dripping for the traditional historic Ulster flavour
- ground nutmeg → ground cinnamon or ground mace
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day, though they are best eaten on the day of frying.
Reheating
Warm in an oven heated to 150°C for three to four minutes to restore their crisp exterior.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Frying in oil that is too hot, which burns the exterior while leaving the inside raw and doughy.
- •Waiting until the doughnuts cool before coating, which prevents the sugar from sticking.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Gravy Ring Doughnuts?
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