how-to: gluten-free doughnuts!

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, then you may have spotted the delicious doughnuts I was raving about this past Sunday. It was truly hard to miss them!

Since so many of you asked about the recipe, I figured I would share a bit more about our process here. The best part is that we actually just followed a recipe from Epicurious and subbed in Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour when it called for bread flour (all other ingredients were kept the same with the exception of the milk –– we used 2%). The results were perfection! It was my first time trying the Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 blend and I was very pleased. Relying on one already-made flour blend made the process easier, especially since the rest of the it was time consuming!

And on that note, that is something I will mention from the get-go: YOU MUST be patient with this process. We meticulously followed each of the steps which first meant making the dough on Saturday night and allowing it to chill overnight. Sunday morning’s process took us another 2 hours-ish by the time we sat down to enjoy each and every bite (along with delicious coffee).

All of that being said: Every single minute of time was worth it. Even Dan, who does not need to strictly adhere to a gluten-free lifestyle, couldn’t get enough of these babies. There is truly something to be said for committing to the process of creating beautiful homemade baked goods.

OK. Here are the details!

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After letting the dough chill overnight, it was time to roll out and cut the doughnuts. (NOTE: The recipe calls for 2-2.5 cups of flour for the dough. We ended up using 2 cups of the gluten-free flour blend based on the recommended desired texture of the dough.)

We used the lid of a Mason jar to achieve perfect circles and then the bottom of a pastry tip (we like to get creative in this house!) to achieve the center circles.

After that step was complete, we had to let them rise for another 30-40 minutes. When there were about 10 minutes left in the rising process, we prepared the frying oil. Dan took care of that step, while I measured the powdered sugar and cocoa for the chocolate and sugar glazes (we had to try both!) into two separate bowls. **NOTE: I waited to add the milk and vanilla to the glazes, so they would not sit for too long and begin to harden. Having them both halfway prepared, however, helped cut down on prep time!

Once the doughnuts had finished rising, it was time to fry them! (Take note of the step in the recipe instructions about cold vs. warm kitchens. Our space was a little chilly that morning, so we decided to heat the oven to 250 degrees F and place the trays on top of –– not in! –– the oven in order to help the rising process.) We had prepared a few little doughnut holes with the leftover dough, so we tested those out first:

When those looked good-to-go, it was time for the real thing! (If you’re curious, then here’s a quick video of the doughnuts frying!)

Time for them to cool …

Am I the only one who thinks food can be absolutely gorgeous?!

While the doughnuts were cooling, I finished up the glazes. Once they were completely cooled, it was time for the final step –– glazing!

And then, the main event –– eating! Let me tell you: I was one happy gluten-free girl (who may have eaten two full-sized doughnuts and one mini one).

Gleefully full, we decided to bundle up and head out for a snowy walk. It was the perfect Sunday! ♥