If you’re Canadian you have probably had thousands of Timbits in your life. If you’re not Canadian you probably have no idea what we’re talking about. Timbits, known as donut holes in the US, were made famous by Canadian favourite Tim Hortons. I honestly didn’t know that they weren’t called Timbits everywhere for a heck of a long time. As far as I’m concerned they should be called Timbits everywhere, because they’re the best.
It’s Canada Day and Canada Day means all the Canadian things. If there is anything more Canadian than donuts, it’s probably poutine and we put that in a recipe today too (check out the Ultimate Canadian Caesar), we don’t know what it is.
We’ve made a lot of donuts for the blog over the past year and a half, but we have yet to make really delicious deep fried yeast donuts. That’s right these donuts will take a little rise time, but we promise it is so worth it. They are perfectly crispy on the outside and pillowy on the inside. Tossed in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, these little guys are seriously addictive. Me and my boyfriend may have eaten an entire batch in one night while we were testing them.
Disclaimer: Deep frying at home can be dangerous, be sure to take all the precautions necessary. It’s always best to purchase a proper deep fryer to be safe. We have heard great things about the T-Fal Deep Fryer. It’s also wise to have a deep frying thermometer and wire ladle.
CLASSIC VEGAN TIMBITS (aka DONUT HOLES)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup lukewarm almond milk
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 3 tbsp vegan butter, melted
- 1 tbsp ground flax seed
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten, heaping
- 1 tbsp nutmeg
- vegetable oil, for deep frying
- 1/2 cup white sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Add your yeast and white sugar to your warm almond milk and whisk until dissolved. Set aside for about ten minutes to foam. If it doesn't foam your yeast may be expired or milk too warm.
- Add your ground flax seeds and vanilla to your melted butter and set aside.
- Add your butter mixture to your yeast mixture and whisk to combine.
- To a large bowl add your flour, vital wheat gluten, and nutmeg. Mix until combined. Add your wet mixture to your dry and either with a wooden spoon mix it in, but preferably if you have a stand mixer with a dough hook mix that until just combined.
- If your dough is looking a little try add about 1 tablespoon of water and mix. Knead until you have a smooth dough.
- To a large greased bowl add your dough and cover with clear wrap. Place in a dark warm place to rise for at least one hour or double in size. We put ours in our oven (OFF).
- Once it has doubled in size, roll your dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 1 inch round cookie cutter cut out your donuts until you no longer have any dough left. Place them on a lined baking sheet and cover with a dish cloth and set aside in a warm dark place to rise for another 20-30 minutes.
- Once they are done rising, heat your oil to about 325F and deep fry your donuts for about 30-45 seconds on each side. Only fry about 3-5 donuts at a time to avoid burning.
- Place fried donuts on a paper towel lined plate and after about 30 seconds of cooling down roll them in a sugar dusting. Repeat until all your donuts are fried and dusted.
