u003cstrongu003eu003cstrongu003eI don’t have a stand mixer. Can I make this by hand?u003c/strongu003eu003c/strongu003e

Yes, you can! Believe it or not, I used to make all yeast doughs by hand. You will just need to knead the dough by hand for up to 15 minutes. It can get quite sticky, but refrain from adding too much flour. I like to knead the dough with oiled hands and use a plastic bench scraper to help move the dough around. Don’t forget to perform the u003cstrongu003ewindow pane testu003c/strongu003e to know that it has been properly kneaded.

u003cstrongu003eu003cstrongu003eWhat is bread flour?u003c/strongu003eu003c/strongu003e

Bread flour (aka strong flour) has a higher protein percentage than all-purpose flour, making it ideal for yeasted bread recipes. The higher protein means that it has more gluten in it, which makes the dough more elastic and light, resulting in a chewy and airy texture.

u003cstrongu003eCan I use instant yeast?u003c/strongu003e

Yes! There is no need to activate or bloom instant yeast in warm milk. Just combine all of the brioche ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer and proceed with the recipe. Make sure your milk is warm though.

Gingerbread Cheesecake Donuts

Name: Gingerbread Cheesecake Donuts
Prep time: PT-481170H40M43S
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: PT-481170H40M43S
Ingredients: 1 Cup (227g) Whole Milk; 2 1/4 Tsp (7g) Active Dry Yeast; 1/4 Cup + 1 Tsp (50g + 4g) Granulated White Sugar, divided; 4 Tbsp (57g) Butter, melted; 2 Large Eggs + 1 Yolk, room temp; 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract; 1 Tbsp Rum (optional); 2 Cups (240g) Bread Flour; 2 Cups (240g) All-Purpose Flour; 2 Tbsp Dry Milk Powder (optional); 3/4 Tsp Salt; 1/2 Tsp Nutmeg; 8 Oz (227g) Full-Fat Cream Cheese, room temp; 1 Cup (113g) Powdered Sugar; 1/4 Cup (56g) Heavy Cream; 1 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon; 3/4 Tsp Ginger; 1/4 Tsp Nutmeg; 1/4 Tsp Clove; 1 Tsp Vanilla Paste or Extract; 1 Cup (200g) White Sugar; 1 Heaping Tbsp Cinnamon; Neutral Frying Oil such as Canola, Vegetable or Avocado. You can also use vegetable shortening like Cisco.

Description

Light and fluffy Gingerbread Cheesecake Donuts! Fried brioche donuts filled with a spiced gingerbread cheesecake cream and coated in cinnamon sugar!

Ingredients

Brioche Dough

1 Cup (227g) Whole Milk
2 1/4 Tsp (7g) Active Dry Yeast
1/4 Cup + 1 Tsp (50g + 4g) Granulated White Sugar, divided
4 Tbsp (57g) Butter, melted
2 Large Eggs + 1 Yolk, room temp
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp Rum (optional)
2 Cups (240g) Bread Flour
2 Cups (240g) All-Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp Dry Milk Powder (optional)
3/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg

Gingerbread Cheesecake Filling

8 Oz (227g) Full-Fat Cream Cheese, room temp
1 Cup (113g) Powdered Sugar
1/4 Cup (56g) Heavy Cream
1 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
3/4 Tsp Ginger
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1/4 Tsp Clove
1 Tsp Vanilla Paste or Extract

Coating

1 Cup (200g) White Sugar
1 Heaping Tbsp Cinnamon

Additional Ingredient

Neutral Frying Oil such as Canola, Vegetable or Avocado. You can also use vegetable shortening like Cisco.

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Instructions

On Day 1: Make your dough. In a small bowl, combine warm milk (105ºF/41ºC), 1 teaspoon sugar and active dry yeast. Allow to "bloom" for about 8 to 10 minutes. The yeast mixture should be frothy. *See note below for instant yeast.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, add yeast mixture, 1/4 cup sugar, eggs, yolk, melted butter, vanilla, rum, bread flour, all-purpose flour, dry milk powder and salt to the bowl. With a wooden spoon, mix the ingredients together until a rough ball of dough forms (will be shaggy).
Fit your stand mixer with a hook attachment and knead the dough on medium speed for 20 minutes. The dough should be elastic and is ready when it passes the window pane test (**see note below). If your dough is a bit wet, you can add up to 2 tablespoons of flour.
Coat your hands with oil and lift the dough out of the bowl and form it into a ball. Then generously oil your bowl (I use the same one) and place the dough back in. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
On Day 2: Shaping your donuts. Remove the dough from the fridge and gently punch the dough down to release gas bubbles.
Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to about 1/2 inch (1.27 cm) thickness. With a 3 inch (7.6 cm) gingerbread cookie cutter, cut out as many donuts as you can. You can combine the scraps and cut out more donuts. Keep in mind that they will not be as pretty.
Place donuts on 4x4 inch (10x10 cm) parchment paper squares and then transfer to baking trays. Make sure to place them 2 inches apart to give them enough space to proof.
Loosely cover the trays with plastic wrap and allow to proof for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until they have doubled in size. The best way to know if your donuts are fully proofed is to lightly press them with your finger. If the indentation holds and does not bounce back right away, they are ready! (***see note below)
While the donuts are proofing, make your gingerbread cheesecake filling! In a medium sized bowl, add your cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy cream, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove and vanilla. With a hand-held mixer, whisk until light and fluffy. About 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip or ziploc bag and set aside until needed.
Next, make the coating by combining white sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
Frying and finishing your donuts. Next, get your oil ready so that you can start frying right away. Fill a medium to large sized pot with at least 2 to 3 inches of vegetable shortening or neutral oil such as canola, vegetable, or avocado oil. Once the oil reaches 360ºF to 375ºF (183ºC to 190ºC), fry 2 to 3 donuts at a time for 1 minute and 30 seconds on each side (set a timer). Try not to overcrowd the pot as it will bring the temperature down. I HIGHLY recommend using a thermometer to monitor the oil.
Transfer fried donuts onto a paper towel-lined cooling rack and allow to cool for a minute, then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Using a chopstick or small paring knife, create a small hole in the center of the donut and then fill with the gingerbread cheesecake filling. Devour right away and enjoy!!

Notes

*For Instant Yeast; Combine instant yeast with all the dough ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer and proceed to step 3. Just make sure the salt and yeast are not touching and that your milk is warm.

**To perform the Window Pane Test, take a small (2 tbsp) ball of dough and stretch it into a small square. It should be stretched thin enough to let light pass through without tearing it. If it tears, knead for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.

***How to know when your rolls are done proofing - Perform a "Poke" test! Gently press your pointer finger into the dough and if it springs back slowly and leaves an indentation, it's ready for the oven. If the dough bounces back immediately, then it’s not ready.

Prep Time: 1 Hr + 15 Mins
Cook Time: 15 Minutes