Timing is everything
Just like an oven should be at the right baking
temperature when the batter is complete, your oil
should be ready to fry when the dough is proofed
to perfection. An overproofed doughnut will absorb
too much oil when fried.

Heat slowly!
Repeat: heat slowly!
Don’t be tempted to heat the oil on high. It will
rush past your target temperature and become a
very scary smoky (or even fire) situation. Go slow
and keep it steady. Check the temperature often
with a thermometer. If the oil is ge tting too hot,
cool it down by moving the pot off the heat, or
pour a cup of cold oil in to regulate, then return
to the heat.

Regulate
Without a thermostat, you have to regulate the
oil manually – turn the he at up a notch when
it cools, drop it if it starts to climb past the
target temperature. The oil will alw ays drop
in temperature when adding your raw dough
treats but it should come back to the ideal fry
temperature within 1–2 minutes. You can always
add a notch more heat – like + 10°C (50°F) – just
before frying to minimise the initial drop. If the
oil gets too hot, the crust of your dough will
darken too much while the centre remains raw
and doughy. Conversely, if you fry at too low
a temperature the dough items will be greasy,
soaking up the oil rather than the oil sealing the
crust. Stay near the oil while you fry and keep
distractions to a minimum. Toggle the temperature
up or down 5–10°C (41–50°F) as needed to get
the perfect fry.

Burst your bubbles
Sometimes an air bubble will form in the dough
during the fry, causing the doughnut to keep
rolling onto the same side. You can manually
submerge them, or pierce any dough blisters
with the tip of a sharp knife.