Skip to main content

Toffee Apple Doughnuts from 'The Great British Baking Show'

Daniel Hautzinger
Toffee Apple Doughnuts on The Great British Baking Show.

Today is National Doughnut Day! The holiday comes from a tradition during the First World War in which the Salvation Army would give doughnuts and coffee to service members in the trenches. In America, doughnuts were used to help raise funds and awareness of the Salvation Army's battlefield activities. To celebrate the holiday, try a recipe for Toffee Apple Doughnuts from The Great British Baking Show. It comes from the "Advanced Dough" episode of Season 1 (which can be streamed by Passport members here), and is one of Richard's showstopper recipes. "I like that a lot," Mary says. "I think you've cracked it!"

Season 4 of The Great British Baking Show airs on PBS beginning June 16.

Ingredients

For the dough:

6 tbsp full-fat milk
1 tsp dried yeast
1 tbsp caster sugar
9 oz strong white flour
½ tsp salt
1¾ oz unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
1 large free-range egg
vegetable oil, for deep frying

For the apple filling:

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped
1½ oz caster sugar
½ tbsp cornflour
1 oz unsalted butter
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the salted caramel:

3½ oz caster sugar
1¼ oz unsalted butter
2 fl oz double cream
½ tsp salt

To assemble the doughnuts:

1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1¾ oz caster sugar

Directions

1. For the dough, warm the milk and put 1¾ fl oz of it into a small bowl with the yeast and half a teaspoon of sugar. Set aside for 15 minutes to allow the yeast to reconstitute.

2. Mix the flour, salt, and two tablespoons of sugar in a freestanding mixer with a dough hook attachment. Add the yeast mixture, the remaining warmed milk, 3½ oz water, the butter, and eggs.

3. Mix with a dough hook for 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Then cover and set aside to prove for 45 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the apple filling. Put all the filling ingredients in a saucepan set over medium heat. Add four tablespoons water and cook until the apples are mushy. Set aside to cool.

5. For the salted caramel, melt the sugar in a pan until it reaches a deep-brown color. Then remove it from the heat and immediately whisk in the butter.

6. Add the cream slowly, whisking until combined. Mix in the salt and then pour the caramel into a bowl and set aside.

7. For the dough, briefly knead the risen dough on a floured work surface to knock it back.

8. Divide the dough into 12 equally-sized balls, then roll into neat spheres.

9. Grease a large baking tray with a little butter. Place the dough balls on the tray, cover with a floured tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size (about an hour).

10. To cook the doughnuts, preheat a deep-fat fryer to 375 degrees, or alternatively heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan until a piece of bread sizzles and turns golden-brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)

11. Fry the dough balls in batches (do not crowd the pan), turning occasionally to ensure they are an even color. Cook for around 3–5 minutes, or until golden-brown.

12. Once cooked, carefully remove the doughnuts using a slotted spoon. Drain on kitchen roll and, when dry, set aside to cool on a wire rack.

13. To assemble the doughnuts, mix the cinnamon and caster sugar together in a bowl.

14. Blend the apple filling in a food processor, or using a hand-held blender, until you have a smooth purée.

15. Fill a large piping bag with the apple purée. Alternatively, spoon the purée into a piping syringe with an injector nozzle attached.

16. When the doughnuts are completely cool, use a small, sharp knife to make a cut into the side of each doughnut, reaching to the centre. Pipe, or syringe, the apple purée generously inside.

17. Dip one half of the filled doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar. Dip the other side into the cooled salted caramel. If the caramel is too hard, heat it very gently to loosen, but do not allow it to get so hot that it can’t be handled safely.

18. Set the doughnuts aside to allow the caramel to settle before serving.