STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CUSTARD BRIOCHE DONUT RECIPE adapted from hintofvanillabeanblog.com
makes 8 donuts
INGREDIENTS
For the brioche donuts
- 518 g all-purpose flour
- 10 g instant dried yeast
- 74 g sugar
- 9 g salt
- 212 g whole milk (warm)
- 111 g eggs
- 3 g vanilla extract
- 55 g unsalted butter (room temp)
- 2 L of canola oil
- 200 g granulated sugar
For the strawberry rhubarb compote
- 250 g rhubarb (diced)
- 125 g strawberries (diced)
- 37 g granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean pod
For the custard
- 1 vanilla bean pod
- 500ml milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 125g caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp (separate)
- 80g plain flour
- 200ml heavy cream
DIRECTIONS
For the brioche donuts
- Butter a large bowl and set aside.
- Place the flour and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix for about 15 seconds to distribute the yeast evenly.
- Add all of the remaining dough ingredients except for the butter and mix on low speed for 4 minutes.
- Add the butter a few pieces at a time, incorporating after each addition before adding the next.
- Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and push the dough off the hook. Mix for a total of 30 minutes on low speed.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
- Fold the left side over to the right, the right over to the left, then the top to the bottom and the bottom to the top so you have a "package" with the seam at the top.
- Place the dough seam-side down in the prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it ferment for 1 hour.
- Repeat the folding process, place it back in the bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough to an 11 inch wide circle.
- Using a 3.5 inch circle cutter, cut out 8 rounds of dough and carefully transfer them to a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.
- Use a 1 inch wide circle cutter to get as many min doughnuts as you can out of the scraps. Of those scraps, gently knead together and roll out to get additional mini doughnuts.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap loosely over the doughnuts and place in a warm, humid place to proof for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Near the end of proofing, pour the canola oil into a heavy bottomed saucepan or pot, making sure there is at least 3 inches of oil in the pot & heat the oil to 175°C.
- Once the donuts are proofed, remove the plastic wrap and place them near your pot of oil. Have a cooling rack on a sheet pan next to your oil and the bowl of sugar.
- Gently pick up one doughnut and carefully place it in the oil, making sure not to splash oil on yourself. Fry the dough for 2 minutes, then flip it and fry on the other side for 1 minute, until the doughnut is a golden brown color.
- Remove from the oil and place on the cooling rack. Let it cool for 5 minutes or so, then transfer it to the bowl of sugar. Coat the doughnut in sugar, then place back on the cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts and mini doughnuts.
- Once cooled, slice a small slit on the side of the donuts & pipe in the filling.
For the strawberry rhubarb compote
- Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, and sugar into a medium saucepan.
- Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds & pods to the mixture.
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the fruit starts to break down and bubble.
- Reduce it slightly to form a thick compote. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
For the custard
- Cut the vanilla pod open lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds & pods into a saucepan with the milk and bring to the boil, slowly.
- Meanwhile put the egg yolks and 125g of sugar in a bowl and mix together for a few secs, then add in the flour and mix again.
- Pour the just-boiling milk over the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling, then return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly until very thick.
- Pass the custard through a fine sieve, getting rid of lumps & vanilla pods. Place a sheet of cling film on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin forming. Leave to cool, then chill in the fridge.
- Once chilled, whip the cream & 2tbsp of sugar together until fluffy, then fold into the chilled custard.
- Add the strawberry rhubarb compote into the custard and mix it just a tad to swirl it together, then fill a piping bag and pipe into the donut with a small round tip. Fill up as much of the donut as you can.
