Why are my donuts always flat?!
Answers: Weather i use a box mix, or make them from scratch, they are ALWAYS little and flat, i use good yeast..I don't know why there like that! How do the donut shops make them so big and fluffy??
I used to make donuts for a job...
if your yeast is good, sounds like you are over mixing the batter. It should only be mixed the bare minimum needed to get all the ingredients blended, some lumps of flour are okay. We would mix it in multi gallon batches, real quick-then store it in buckets over night. Next morning-it would be fairly stiff and 'lumpy' but somewhat raised-and we'd roll it out fast with a little hand kneading and then cut the donuts. For the 'raised' light donuts, that would be mixed up with warm liquids, not cold-and again, only enough mixing to get everything moist- Over mixing kills the yeast and makes it flat. Don't let the raised type mix sit out in the open, it should be covered with a towel or cloth and in a WARM place-not hot. Yeast needs sugar, water, and heat to work-and it has to work fast. Beat it to death and it won't rise. If you are using an electric mixer, it should be with the 'hook', not the paddle-or just do it by hand with wooden spoon. Electric mixers can beat it to death in a few seconds.
Watch your cooking temperature...if it is too hot-the donut will crisp on one side and be raw on the other-flip them and it won't continue to raise-it will look like a doormat.
Too cold-and it gets heavy-absorbs the oil.
Turn them often when frying. I watched Paula Deen making them yesterday and she flipped them over a lot. She said that if they get too brown on one side, they will be too heavy and won't puff up. Maybe that's your answer.
Tips on making doughnut
1. Yeast starter - using lukewarm milk (cold and too much heat are death to the yeast bacteria. Leave the yeast starter to rise for 30minutes, before you started add into the dry ingredients.
2. For light, crumbly doughnut, use only the Yolk.
3. Knead the dough until you got smooth dough, leave to rise for 30 minutes, cover with tea-towel
4. Knead through once more, before shape into doughnut. Do your doughnut then cover again and leave to rise for 1 hour.
5. Deep fry the doughnut in open pan.
I think this is a health question.