Let us start by explaining that this process is executed with a great deal of love, affection and dedication. Every doughnut is made by hand with local fresh, ingredients every day. In order to do this, our days starts long before most of you wake up and, for some, before you even go to sleep. Following this 7-step process, it takes between 6 to 12 hours for us to make and present a fresh, hand-made doughnut to delight your taste buds.
Mixing
The base for our raised doughnuts is yeast. If you have worked with breads before, you will know that yeast can be tricky, so we take our time and monitor the temperature throughout the process to ensure a good yield. If the core temperature is too cold, the doughnuts will not proof properly. Timing is crucial as it contributes to the density and consistency of the doughnut.
First proof
After mixing, we wrap the dough in plastic to prevent a crust forming during the 1st proof. We proof the dough for 30 to 90 minutes, all the while monitoring the temperature.
Punch, Roll and Cut
After proofing, we punch down the dough to deflate and rid it of bubbles. Next, we ball the dough using a smooth surface to ensure there are no seams. Then, using the high tech equipment of a rolling pin and our steely arm muscles, we roll the dough out. Using hand cutters, we individually cut out each doughnut. This process takes roughly 45-60 minutes depending on the size of each batch.
Second proof
We tray up and wrap the cut doughnuts and set them aside for a second proof. The second proof takes between 15-30 minutes depending on that tricky yeast and the weather. When the tray of cut doughnuts is perfectly proofed, we remove the plastic so the doughnuts can air dry for several minutes before being moved to the fryer. This creates a smooth surface and allows the dough to rest slightly.
Frying
Frying can take hours depending on the day. We use the best 100% vegetable oil and fry at high temperatures to ensure a fluffy, delicious doughnut.
Toppings
The second to last stage of doughnut creation is the toppings. If we are doing a glaze, we do this right away when removed from the fryer. Our filled doughnuts have to be cooled first so the filling doesn’t melt. Our toppings range from glazes with sprinkles to maple and bacon or chocolate, caramel, pretzels, and MORE!
Consumption
The consumption process is the least time-consuming and most fun. We have top eaters (those who eat the glazing off the doughnut before eating the rest), filling suckers (those who create a hole at the end of their doughnut to suck out the filling), bottom eaters (those who eat the bottom to reserve the topping for last) and ring eaters (those who put the doughnut over a finger and eat the doughnut in an inward moving circle. Regardless of your doughnut consumption method, we hope you taste the love and devotion put into each and every hand-made Cranky’s doughnut.