Rich Refrigerator Doughnuts
In 1963, Sunset could assume that readers knew a lot about both yeasted dough and frying. There are far fewer bread bakers and deep-fat fry cooks roaming Western kitchens today, so we've rewritten the original recipe from 1963 with modern kitchens in mind. Letting the dough rise overnight in the refrigerator gives these doughnuts a rich and slightly tangy flavor. Prep and Cook Time: 1 hour, plus at least 4 hours of chilling and rising time. Notes: Experienced cooks know that the best frying results from watching the food and paying attention to how it looks and sounds. That's why this recipe contains guidelines for how the doughnuts should behave while frying. A candy or deep-fry thermometer is a great backup to measure the temperature of the oil. Alternatively, if you dip the wooden handle of a kitchen spoon or spatula into the hot oil, it should take 2 seconds for 350° oil to bubble vigorously around the wood; more time and the oil is too cool, less time and it's too hot. But the most important thing to watch is how the doughnuts cook.
