Kefir Fermented Doughnuts, Fried in Lard
Ben Hewitt and his family raise and forage most of their food. They produce their own lumber and firewood and practice traditional land skills.
- Servings Makes about 1 dozen doughnuts, plus holes
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 85 grams (¼ cup) honey
- 245 grams (1 cup) kefir or yogurt
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 423 grams (3 cups plus 6 tablespoons) fresh-ground flour or 375 grams (3 cups) if not fresh-ground
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- Melted lard or tallow, as needed for frying
- Maple sugar, for dipping, optional
Preparation
1. Beat the eggs until light in color. Beat in the honey, kefir, and melted butter. Sift in the remaining dry ingredients and blend gently. Cover and let sit overnight.
2. In the morning, fill a pot 3 inches deep with melted lard or tallow, and heat. While the fat is heating, roll out the dough to about half an inch thick. It will be very sticky, so use flour on the surface and on your rolling pin. We cut out the doughnuts with a wide-mouthed jar ring and then cut out the centers with a small jar lid an inch or so in diameter.
3. Once the lard or tallow is approaching 190º C (375º F), begin cooking the doughnuts a few at a time. Cook until golden on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes total. This recipe makes about a dozen doughnuts plus holes. As an option, dip the tops of the doughnuts in maple sugar when they first come out.
Ben Hewitt
Ben Hewitt lives in Cabot, Vermont with his wife, Penny, and sons Fin and Rye. Utilizing a combination of permaculture design, wildcrafting, and small-scale regenerative agriculture they call “practiculture,” the Hewitt family raises and forages better than 90% of their calories, with a focus on pastured meats, healthy fats, and fermented vegetables. They also produce all of their lumber and firewood, and practice traditional land skills such as hide tanning and basket making. The Hewitts consult frequently on homestead-scale production and processing of nutrient dense foods, as well as homestead planning, design, and implementation. They also run Lazy Mill Living Arts, which offers workshops in a wide variety of traditional land skills. Ben blogs at www.benhewitt.net.
Photo credit: Jesse Burke
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