# Newcomer making donuts - kneading and shortening



## carbonator (Dec 8, 2009)

Hey Guys,

First off let me thank all of you guys for making this site the great resource that it is.

I'm making yeast donuts for the first time, using Alton Brown's recipe from Good Eats episode 'Circle of Life.' Alton apparently is not much of a fan of hand-kneading, so he uses his dough hook for the job. I, however, do how own a dough hook for my very below mediocre stand mixer, so using the machine is not an option for me. As a result, I'd like to know how much to knead by hand. On the show he mentions that one should use the machine until the dough comes clear of the sides of the bowl, so I'm guessing that I wouldn't want to build up too much gluten as if I were to make pizza dough.

_*To what consistency (or how long) should I knead my donut dough?*_
(I am quite aware of how basic this seems, but I was unable to find any information on the subject, and as a newcomer to the baking scene, I have no experience to draw on. Sorry)

By the way, in this part of the world (Scandinavia) there is no such thing as vegetable shortening. I've found some solid fat made from coconut oil--will this do?

Thanks a lot guys. I hope to spend a lot of hours of fun with you guys, and I hope to one day be able to contribute as much as I've learned from reading the forums.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Flour your hands before kneading.  Knead the dough in a bowl until it no longer clings to the bowl or your hands.

Coconut shortening is fine.  So is high quality (fresh, pure white, no or very litle aroma) lard. 

Hope this helps,
BDL


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## carbonator (Dec 8, 2009)

Thanks so much. I'll give it a try. So simple /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif


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