Magwinya: Doughnut Bites from Botswana

Ingredients

Check items off as you gather them. Confirm every packaged ingredient is labeled gluten-free.

• 300g All purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Warm Water
• 2 tablespoons Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp Yeast
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 cup Ground Sugar
• 2 cups Vegetable Oil

Directions

1. Mix the dough
2. In a stand mixer bowl. add the water, sugar, and yeast. Leave to get foamy, about 5 minutes.
3. Add in the flour, salt, and vegetable oil.
4. Knead with a dough hook until a smooth dough forms, about 5 minutes.
5. Leave the dough to rise
6. Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and form into a ball. Lightly mist the bowl with oil and replace the ball of dough into it. Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place, 1 to 1½ hours, until doubled.
7. Shape and fry the doughnuts
8. Preheat about 5cm (2") of vegetable oil in a pot to 180℃ / 350℉ – you can use a smaller pot needing less oil to fill but cooking less doughnuts at a time, or a larger one and cook more each batch. I also like to set up a drying rack set over a paper-towel-lined sheet pan to drain the doughnuts on, so they stay crispy. You can also prep a plate with paper towels if you don't want to bother.
9. When the oil is at temperature, use a cookie scoop or two regular tablespoons to form a piece of dough into a rough ball shape and place in the oil. Repeat for as many doughnuts as will fit in your pot without overcrowding.
10. Fry each doughnut for about a minute on each side, turning halfway through. Drain on prepared rack or paper towels.
11. When the doughnuts have cooled slightly, sprinkle with powdered sugar.