The Berliner (Bismark)

My favorite doughnut is the bismark...especially the ones with the maple frosting, so I thought it would be fun to learn how to make them. I found a recipe, but I altered it so I could just dump all the ingrediants into a bosch mixer and be done with it. I will leave a link to the original recipe at the bottom of this post.

Here's what you do: In the bosch, I put 3 cups of flour and 2 tbsp of yeast. Mix it up a little so the yeast doesn't clump up when you add 2 1/2 cups of hot water (120-130 degrees). After adding the water, mix well and then cover with towel and let set for 10 + minutes. It should start to look bubbly. Then add 4 eggs, 1 tbsp. of lemon juice, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of butter and mix. Slowly add 3 cups of flour while bosch is mixing. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl. ( the dough is going to be very soft and gooey-like, but don't add anymore flour. This is normal) After the flour is mixed in, transfer dough into a well buttered bowl. (it's easier if your hands are buttered too) Turn the dough in the bowl to butter all sides and then cover and let rise till double in size (about an hour).

Next, on a floured surface, roll out dough and cut out 3" circles (or bigger if you like). (The first time I made these, I rolled the dough out too thick for my preference. So, roll the dough out very thin...about an 1/8" thick. After all the dough is cut out, cover and let rise again till double in size.

Heat vegetable oil in a pan to 360 degrees. Drop one dough circle in oil for about 30 seconds or till golden brown and then flip. Drain on paper towel and then dip bottom in sugar and cool on wire rack. (depending on the thickness of your donut, it will take longer to cook. Cut a slit in your first donut to check the center to make sure 30 seconds was long enough to cook each side. The thicker donuts are harder to cook the center without burning the outside. ( Don't worry if your dough doesn't look very thick, it will kind of blow up or expand in the hot oil.)

After donuts cool, use a small knife to poke in the side of the donut and make a little hole. Fill a piping bag with vanilla pudding ( I used SwissMiss Vanilla from Albertson's cold section) and pip the pudding in the donut. Frost with chocolate or Maple frosting. ( I took butter cream frosting and added 1 tsp. of maple flavoring to get maple frosting)

QUICK LIST OF INGREDIANTS

6 cups of flour

2 1/2 cups of water ( 120-130 degress)

2 tbsp. yeast

4 eggs

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup of butter, softened

Go here if you want original recipe : http://www.sheries-kitchen.com/recipes/german/berliners.htm