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Bear Sign
The cookshacks and chuckwagons of the Old West often did not have doughnut-cutters, which may not have existed that long ago. For a moderately crisp outside and completely done inside, the dough had to be no more than about half an inch thick — so the trick was to pinch-off or slice-off a piece and roll it into a long, narrow strip, then curl the strips into rings before dropping them into the deep lard to fry. The lard in those days was the superior “leaf” lard from around a hog’s kidneys — or better yet, bear lard. Today, peanut oil is the tastiest oil, and Crisco makes the least-greasy doughnuts.
Probably the very first batch ever made reminded some cowboy of bear droppings — and bear “sign” is very likely not the original cookshack name for this classic treat that became more politely known as “doughnuts” and more recently and vulgarly written as “donuts.”
3½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
¾ cup buttermilk
4 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1½ tsp grated nutmeg
2 lg eggs + 1 yolk
6 cups or more peanut oil or Crisco
Preheat the oil or the shortening to 375°, preferably in a cast-iron pot or Dutch oven.
Mix 1 cup of the flour, the sugar, the baking soda, the salt, and the nutmeg in the mixer bowl.
Mix the buttermilk, the eggs, and the extra yolk.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry.
With the mixer on “medium,” beat until smooth (about 30 seconds).
With the mixer on “low,” gradually add 2½ cups of the flour and mix well (about 30 seconds). Stir well to ensure that all liquid is absorbed into the dough.
Roll the dough out to ½ inch thick on a floured surface.
Cut dough rings with a heavily floured doughnut-cutter — or cut into narrow strips and roll between floury hands, into long cigar-like strips, and form circles of these strips.
Drop the dough rings 4-5 at a time into hot oil or Crisco.
As the rings surface, turn them over. Fry for about 50 seconds per side.
Remove and drain.
Roll the warm dough rings in a deep bed of sugar or powdered sugar, or serve without dusting.
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Bear Sign (raised)
3 to 3¼ cups unbleached flour (all-purpose flour makes 'em lighter, bread flour makes 'em chewier)
1 pkg instant yeast
6 Tbs sugar + 1 cup for rolling
6 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into 6 pcs
2/3 cup whole milk (at room temperature)
½ tsp salt
2 lg eggs, lightly beaten
6 cups or more peanut oil or Crisco
Preheat the oil or the shortening to 375°, preferably in a cast-iron pot or Dutch oven.
Whisk the flour, the yeast, the sugar, and the salt together.
To the milk and eggs (in the mixer bowl at low speed), slowly add the flour mix and mix the dough for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the softened butter, piece by piece, at 15-second intervals.
Mix for 3 minutes, slowly adding more flour (if needed) to form a ball of soft dough.
Cover the dough, in a lightly oiled bowl, with plastic wrap and let the dough rise (about 2 to 2½ hr).
Roll the dough out to ½ inch thick on a floured surface.
Cut the dough rings with a heavily floured doughnut-cutter — or cut it into narrow strips and roll them between floury hands, into long cigar-like strips, and curl these strips into rings.
Let the dough rings rise for about 30 to 45 minutes.
Drop the dough rings 3-4 at a time into the hot oil or Crisco.
Fry for about 45 to 60 seconds.
Remove and drain the hot dougnuts.
Let the hot doughnuts cool until they’re not too hot to handle (about 10 minutes.)
Roll the warm doughnuts in a deep bed of sugar or powdered sugar, or serve without dusting.
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Bear Sign (doughnuts)
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