Yeast Doughnuts

 Yeast doughnuts

3 to 3½ cups flour

2 packages active dry yeast

¾ cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

¼ cup shortening

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

Cooking oil or shortening for deep-fat frying

Glaze or sugar

Combine 1½ cup of the flour and the yeast. Heat together milk, sugar, shortening, and salt just till warm (115 to 120 degrees), stirring constantly. Add to the flour mixture; add eggs. Beat at low speed of electric mixer for ½ minute, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. 

Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can mix in with a spoon. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make moderately soft dough. Continue kneading till smooth and elastic (3 to 6 minutes). Shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl, turning once. Cover: let rise till double (45 to 60 minutes). Punch dough down; turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half, let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll each half of dough to ½ inch thickness. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter into doughnuts. Cover and let rise till very light. (30 to 45 minutes). Heat cooking oil or shortening to 375 degrees. Add doughnuts, a few at a time. Fry for about 1 minute. Turn and fry about1 minute more or till golden. Drain on paper towels. For glaze, blend 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar, ¼ cup milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Dip warm doughnuts in glaze. Or shake in a bag of granulated sugar. Makes 18 to 20