Gordon Ramsay’s doughnuts are made with fresh yeast, milk, butter and egg yolks, filled with chocolate ganache and rolled in malt powder mixed with sugar. The recipe comes from Ultimate Cookery Course, makes 12 and takes about 2 hours including the rise.
He has three completely different doughnut recipes across three cookbooks, each using a different raising method. They range from a two-hour yeast rise to a ten-minute ricotta batter, which is the widest gap in any of his recipe comparisons.
The hardest part is knowing when they’re done, because the outside can look perfect while the inside is still raw dough. Ramsay’s trick from the video is a simple tap test that tells you instantly, and it works for all three versions.
Gordon Ramsay’s Malt Chocolate Doughnuts
Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Medium12
30
minutes15
minutes340
kcal2 hr (including rising)
From Ultimate Cookery Course, Ramsay’s malt and chocolate version that he says he ‘couldn’t leave out even though doughnuts don’t strictly count as baking.’ About 30p per doughnut at Tesco prices.
Ingredients
- For the dough:
50g caster sugar, plus 2-3 heaped tbsp for dusting
150ml whole milk
15g fresh yeast
50g unsalted butter
320g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of sea salt
2 egg yolks
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
2-3 heaped tbsp malt powder such as Ovaltine, for dusting
- For the filling:
250ml double cream
2-4 tbsp runny honey, to taste
250g dark chocolate, chopped
60g unsalted cold butter, cubed
Directions
- Warm the milk: Heat the sugar and milk in a pan for about 5 minutes until warm and the sugar dissolves. Crumble the yeast into a bowl, pour in half the warm milk, mix and set aside.
- Add the butter: Place the remaining milk back on the heat and add the butter. Heat gently for 3 minutes without letting it boil.
- Make the dough: Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the egg yolks, yeasted milk and hot buttered milk. Mix together to make a dough.
- Knead and rise: Tip onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a floured bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise for 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled in size.
- Shape: Knock back the dough and roll out to 2cm thick. Cut into 12 rectangular pillows. Place on lined baking paper and leave to rise again for 30-40 minutes.
- Make the ganache: Heat the cream with honey until almost boiling. Pour over the chopped chocolate and butter in a bowl. Stir until smooth and glossy.
- Fry: Heat oil to 170°C. Fry the doughnuts in batches for 3-4 minutes until evenly golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and roll in malt sugar to coat.
- Fill and serve: Spoon warm ganache into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Insert into each doughnut and gently squeeze in the filling. Serve straight away.
FAQs
What is the difference between Ramsay’s three doughnut recipes?
The UCC version uses fresh yeast and makes 12 rectangular pillows filled with chocolate ganache, coated in malt powder and sugar. The BSK version uses a poolish pre-ferment, which Ramsay says produces a “lighter texture and richer taste.” The flour ferments for 15 minutes before the main dough, giving the yeast a head start.
The Ramsay in 10 version is completely different since it uses ricotta and baking powder instead of yeast, so there’s no rising time at all. He shapes them into walnut-sized balls and fries for just 2-3 minutes, so you go from bowl to plate in under 10 minutes, and his sweetcorn fritters use a similar quick batter-and-fry approach.
How do you know when doughnuts are cooked inside?
Ramsay’s test is simple: tap the top of the doughnut and it should sound hollow, the same way you’d check bread. If it sounds dense or dull, it needs longer in the oil, so drop the temperature slightly and give it another minute.
The other clue is that doughnuts rise in the oil as they cook. The Ramsay in 10 video says “the minute it starts to rise it’s cooked,” and if they brown before rising, your oil is too hot. He keeps cold oil nearby and adds a splash to bring the temperature down.
What is the chipotle chocolate dipping sauce?
The Ramsay in 10 version pairs ricotta doughnuts with a dipping sauce made from dark chocolate, cream, honey, butter, salt and chipotle paste. The chipotle adds a smoky warmth rather than sharp heat, so it doesn’t overpower the chocolate.
Ramsay says the secret is never boiling the sauce because high heat makes the chocolate seize into a “granular mess.” He melts everything on low, moving the pan on and off the heat, until it comes together into a smooth glossy dip. His chocolate brownies use the same gentle melting technique for the chocolate.
Why does the BSK recipe use a poolish?
A poolish is a thin pre-ferment made from equal parts flour and water with yeast and sugar. You let it bubble for 15 minutes before adding to the main dough, which Ramsay says makes the doughnuts “lighter and the taste richer.”
The practical benefit is that poolish doughnuts last a bit longer too, since the pre-fermented flour holds moisture better. Standard yeast doughnuts go stale within hours, so the BSK poolish method buys you extra time if you’re making them for a party.
Can you make doughnut dough the night before?
The Ramsay in 10 ricotta dough can be made a day ahead because it relaxes overnight and fries even better the next morning. Since it doesn’t use yeast, there’s no risk of over-proving while it sits in the fridge.
The yeast-based doughs are trickier because the yeast keeps working overnight and can over-prove. Shape after the first rise and freeze instead, then fry straight from frozen. Pair them fresh with his hot chocolate on the side, or try his panna cotta if you need a dessert that keeps.
