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Twisted Tuesday, Wine Wednesday, Thirsty Thursday…whichever day of the week you celebrate, buy a bottle of wine along with a bag of Finger Lakes Wine Flour. This insanely cool novelty ingredient reuses leftover grape skin and seeds from wine production for your culinary pleasure. For example, how do Red Wine Donut Holes sound? Deep purple and filled with oozy dark chocolate, these bit-sized breakfast treats are just the beginning of what wine flour can do. It not only flavors doughs and batters with fermented fruit, but also contains tons of nutrients like protein and fiber.
If you enjoy the occasional weekend baking project, then this recipe is for you. If not, add wine flour to your favorite pancake or waffle mix. I used a stand mixer to prepare the dough, but kneading by hand is just as easy if not safer (you don’t want to overwork it!). Fried donuts are best eaten immediately and don’t keep well, that’s why this recipe only makes 14.
And as a bonus (because I can’t stop experimenting with wine flour), I’ve included a pizza bomb variation below for those of you who prefer something easier and not as sweet.
T <3
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~*~ RED WINE DONUT HOLES ~*~
SERVES: about 14 DONUT HOLES ⎪ DIFFICULTY: ADVANCED | FUNK: MODERATELY
mise en place
1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 small egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
2 tablespoons red wine flour
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or squares from a bar
2 cups quart neutral oil, for frying, plus more for the bowl
wine glaze:
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons wine flour
3 tablespoons warm milk or water
Playlist—DJ Cam Quartet
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1. BLOOM THE YEAST
In a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, warm the milk in the microwave until about 90-120 degrees.* Stir in the yeast and 1/4 teaspoon sugar. Set aside until foamy, about 5-10 minutes.
TIP: No thermometer? Use the finger test; the milk should be warm not hot.
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2. MAKE THE DOUGH
In a large bowl beat the egg, melted butter, sugar, and salt, then stir in the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl whisk together all-purpose flour and wine flour. Add half of the flour mixture, and mix until combined. Add the rest of the flour and mix until a dough forms; it will be very sticky.
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3. PROOF #1
Grease a bowl with 1 tablespoon of oil. Gather the dough into a ball and transfer to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature in a warm place* until doubled in size, about 1 hour. For advanced preparation, once the dough is risen, you can punch it down, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. You can proceed to Step 4 with the dough taken directly from the refrigerator.
TIP: For example, by the heater or a sunny window. I use my ovens bread proof function; it warms the dough at 100F.
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4. ROLL & SHAPE THE DOUGH
Tip the dough out onto a floured work surface. Roll it to 1/2-inch thickness.* Using a pizza cuter, knife, or bench scraper, divide the dough into 14 pieces. Add 1 teaspoons worth of chocolate to the center of each piece, then wrap and pinch the dough to enclose the chocolate. Roll them into balls and transfer to a floured baking sheet; do not overcrowd.
TIP: Use a ruler or measuring tape for accurately…or not, if you like to live life on the edge.
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5. PROOF #2
Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 more hour. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with paper towels and a cooling rack. About 15 minutes before the doughnuts are done rising, heat the oil in a pot over medium heat until 375F (the oil will start to shimmer).
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6. FRY THE DOUGHNUTS
Carefully drop the donuts into the oil, a few at a time so they don’t over crowd. When the bottoms are golden, about 30-40 seconds, use chopsticks or forks to flip them. Cook until golden on both sides. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer the donuts to prepared racks. Repeat with the reaming dough, adjusting the heat as need to maintain 375 degrees.
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7. SERVE
In a bowl, stir together powdered sugar, wine flour, and milk until smooth. Once cooled, dip the tops of each donut hole into the glaze. Place on a serving dish and eat immediately.
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~*~ WHITE WINE VARIATION ~*~
Replace Red Wine Flour with White Wine Flour. Fill with your favorite fruit jam.
~*~ PIZZA BOMB VARIATION ~*~
For the pizza dough: Pour 1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons lukewarm water in a mixing bowl (use a stand mixer or food processor if you prefer). Stir in 1 teaspoon active dry yeast over water and let dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups, plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup wine flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mix until a dough forms. Flour your work surface and knead the dough lightly until it looks smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Cut dough into 8 pieces, or more depending on preferred pizza bomb size. Flatten out each piece and spoon about 1-2 tablespoons pizza sauce in the center. Add any other fill-ins like cheese and pepperoni. Pinch the dough together to encase the sauce, then roll pinch-side down into a ball. Follow Step 6 for frying.
Sources & Inspirations
How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
What would you bake with Wine Flour?