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Go Fednuts! Federal Donuts' Salted Tehina Donuts

SaltedtehinaGlaze
Michael Solomonov•

Let's talk about Philadelphia's Federal Donuts, the fried chicken and donut eatery by the man behind modern Israeli restaurant Zahav restaurant to Philadelphia. Michael Solomonov's latest collection of recipes chronicles the story behind this culinary game-changer, from different styles of spiced fried bird to the shop's most popular glazes and toppings. Check out our donut-centric interview with Solomonov on our daily podcast, and fry up a batch of your own salted tehina donuts at home. 

Presenting the sesame bagel in donut form. The savory quality of tehina (or tahini, pure sesame paste) enhanced with a bit of salt is a great foil for the donuts' sweetness. Use the best-quality tehina — we use Soom, an artisanal producer and our neighbor in the City of Brotherly Love.

Three Steps to Glazing Perfection

Just remember: Cool Donuts, Warm Glaze

  • Improvise a double boiler by adding about 2 inches of water to a saucepan and setting it over medium heat. Bring the water to a simmer.
  • Place a bowl of glaze over the saucepan and heat through. Use your fingertips to glaze each cooled donut (see below).
  • Cool the glazed donuts on a rack set over a paper towel–lined baking sheet until the glaze is dry, about 10 minutes.

    • Glazing 101: It's All In The Wrist

    Glazing donuts is all about attitude and confidence. A Fednuts artisan can glaze a dozen donuts without breaking eye contact with the customer. Follow these steps and now you can, too!

  • Hold the bottom of the donut with your fingertips and submerge the top in warm glaze a little more than halfway up the sides.
  • Remove the donut from the glaze and, with a twist of the wrist, turn it right side up, allowing the excess glaze to wrap around the sides and bottom of the donut.
  • Transfer the glazed donut to a wire rack and let the glaze set for about 10 minutes.

    • Reprinted with permission from Federal Donuts

    Go Fednuts! Federal Donuts' Salted Tehina Donuts
    No Ratings
    Fill 202 Print
    Prep Time
    1
    hour
    Cook Time
    20
    minutes
    Servings
    12
    to 18 donuts plus donut holes
    SaltedtehinaGlaze
    Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
    Ingredients
    • 12 large egg yolks
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 5 tablespoons butter
    • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
    • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon baharat (kalustyans.com)
    • canola or peanut oil
    • 3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
    • 1/2 cup tehina (tehini)
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 1 tablespoon salt
    • 1/2 cup sesame seeds
    Directions
    1. :::donuts:::
    2. Combine the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can certainly use a hand mixer, or even a sturdy whisk, instead.
    3. Mix on low speed until ribbons start to form in the mixture and the color lightens, about 3 minutes. Slowly stream in the melted butter until just incorporated, about 30 seconds.
    4. Add the buttermilk all at once. Mix again just to combine, about 5 seconds.
    5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the 3 1/2 cups flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and baharat. Add to the mixer all at once and mix on low speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again on medium-low until the dough looks smooth and starts to pull away from sides of the bowl, 20 to 30 seconds.
    6. Prepare a counter work space by fastening a large piece of parchment paper with tape at the corners. Have the 1 cup of flour nearby to use as needed. Generously flour the work surface.
    7. Scrape down the paddle attachment and turn all the batter out onto the floured surface. Dust the top of the dough with more flour, sprinkling the edges as well. Flour your hands well, too.
    8. With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle, about 10 by 14 1/2 inches. Add more flour to prevent sticking. Brush the excess flour off the dough and parchment paper with a pastry brush. Transfer the dough on the paper to the back of a baking sheet and slide it into the freezer for up to 30 minutes.
    9. We use two sizes of ring cutters to make our donut shapes: the larger about 2 3/4 inches in diameter, and a 1-inch cutter for the holes. (Feel free to use a drinking glass and a shot glass.) Flour the cutters well and often to prevent sticking. Begin with the large cutter, then cut out the smaller holes. Return the baking sheet with the dough rings to the freezer until ready to fry. (At this point, the frozen rings can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the freezer for up to 2 days. Let thaw slightly before frying.)
    10. The dough scraps can be gathered together and rerolled, or cut into small, irregular shapes and fried as they are.
    11. Clip a candy or deep-frying thermometer onto one side of a big enameled cast-iron pot and add 2 to 3 inches canola or peanut oil. Heat over medium-low until the oil reaches 375°F.
    12. Carefully lift the dough rights with a spatula and slide them into the oil, about 4 at a time, depending on the size of your pot. After about 90 seconds, the edges will begin to brown; flip the donuts with a slotted spoon. Fry for another 90 seconds until golden brown and delightfully puffy. (Donut holes take 60 to 90 seconds and tend to flip themselves.) With a slotted spoon, transfer the donuts on a rack set over a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Reheat the oil to 375°F before cooking the next batch.
    13. Let the donuts cool, and glaze.
    14. :::glaze:::
    15. Whisk all the ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.
     
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