Bacon Cheeseburger Doughnuts

I’m sure I’m not the only one who binge-watched the entire Nadiya Bakes series on Netflix as soon as it premiered. I watched it all in a day and now I regret not spacing them out to enjoy them over time. I’m such a big fan of Great British Bake-Off and was so happy when she won. Her new show on Netflix is beautifully shot and features some great recipes. And I know this is all coming off rather like a sponsored post but I can assure you it’s more of a fan post rather than an ad. In one episode she made savory pulled chicken doughnuts and I knew instantly that I had to make them at home because I’m a huge fan of savory doughnuts. But then I got to thinking that Bacon Cheeseburger Doughnuts would be even better. So here we are. It might sound like the craziest idea in the world, but I can’t stress enough just how delicious these are. They really do taste *just* like a bacon cheeseburger, which is something I say all the time whenever I make a mash-up recipe but this time I truly mean it. I’m obsessed with them and I know you will be too.

To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour and the butter and rub it in until there are no big butter chunks remaining. It should look like coarse sand. 

**Note: Nadiya used strong bread flour, but I’ve made them both with bread flour and with all-purpose and both times they were delicious. Of course, the dough was a bit better textured with the bread flour but all is good.**

Add the sugar and salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other side. Give it a stir with a wooden spoon and then make a well in the center.

**Tip: Make sure that the salt and yeast don’t touch at this point because salt will kill the yeast and your dough will not rise properly. That’s why they’re added on opposite sides.**

Add in the eggs and water and mix until the dough roughly comes together. Attach to the mixer with the dough hook and knead on medium speed until smooth, stretchy and shiny, about 6 minutes. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel and allow to double in size, in a warm spot, for about 2 hours.

To make the filling, heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Once hot, add in the bacon and cook, stirring often, until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels.

**Tip: If you want to add even more flavor, I highly recommend using black pepper bacon for this (the thick cut kind) because it adds another level. My store didn’t have any so I just used regular.**

Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the grease and add in the ground beef. Use a wooden spoon to break it up and cook until fully browned and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add in the onions and cook until softened, another 2 to 3 minutes. Season with granulated onion, granulated garlic, chili powder, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. 

Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, stir in the bacon, mayo, ketchup, mustard, pickles and cheese until well combined. 

**Note: I know it might sound weird to add in mayo and pickled to this since they’ll be fried later on, but honestly they’re what give these doughnuts that classic and distinctive cheeseburger taste.**

Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer to a floured work surface. Roll the dough into a log and cut into 12 equal portions of around 90g each.

**Note: Make sure they’re all the same size, since that’ll ensure they fry evenly. A scale really helps this all out. But even in other recipes I highly recommend having a digital scale like this one that I use.**

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease lightly with cooking spray. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll out to about 5 to 6 inches. Add a tablespoon of filling into the center. Gently lift up the edges of the dough from all around the sides and seal, pinching firmly in the center. Place it on the prepared tray, pinched side down.

Don’t be afraid to really pinch those seams together because you want to ensure that they’re super sealed and don’t open up during frying. Continue with the rest of the doughnuts. Cover loosely and allow to prove in the fridge for 1 hour. 

Meanwhile, make the topping seasoning by combining the sesame seeds, garlic, onion, salt, sugar, parsley and chili powder until well-combined. Set aside until ready to use.

Just before the hour is up, add the oil to a pot with high sides. Make sure the oil is not higher than halfway up the sides. Heat the oil on a medium heat – if you are using a thermometer you want the oil to reach 300°F.

**Tip: If you don’t have a thermometer, you can drop a piece of bread into the oil and if it sizzles and rises to the top, the oil is ready.**

Gently place a doughnut into the oil, pinched side up. Don’t overcrowd the pan, just do three at a time so as to not drop the oil temperature. Cook the doughnuts gently for 6 minutes until golden brown all over. You don’t need to turn them, just occasionally push them down into the oil using a slotted spoon. When ready, take out and pop onto the prepared baking sheet.

Once all are fried, remove the paper towels and pop the baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking through. While still hot, sprinkle with the seasoning topping. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

I served them with a quick little burger sauce or sometimes referred to as fry sauce. You can buy some at the store (Sir Kensington’s has a great one) or you can make it from scratch. I have a simple recipe in this smash burger post. It’s not essential but it does add to that classic burger taste.

As with any doughnut these are best when eaten the day they’re made. If you don’t plan on eating them all, you can allow them to cool completely and then freeze in a freezer-storage bag. Then just rewarm in a preheat 325°F oven for about 15 minutes. I’ve done this and while they’re not like that first day they’re still just as delicious!

Savory doughnuts might sound like a crazy idea and what’s more, bacon cheeseburger doughnuts probably sound even crazier but I promise these are amazing! They kind of remind me of those Eastern European Piroshkis. Fried meat hand pies. They’re soo good. And these are just as good. So I have to thank Nadiya Hussain for inspiring me. I hope you give these a try. Don’t be afraid. Let me know if you have any questions or comments below. Stay safe out there my friends.

Bacon Cheeseburger Doughnuts

These savory Bacon Cheeseburger Doughnuts are adapted from Nadiya Hussain’s Pulled Chicken Doughnuts and they taste just like a burger!

Servings 12 doughnuts

Prep Time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

Doughnuts:

• 550 grams bread flour or all-purpose flour
• 174 grams unsalted butter softened
• 60 grams granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 14 grams instant yeast
• 4 large eggs lightly beaten
• 100 ml water
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Hamburger or fry sauce for serving optional

Filling:

• 4 slices bacon chopped
• 3/4 pound ground sirloin
• 1/2 small yellow onion finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped pickles
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Topping:

• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or paprika

Instructions

• To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour and the butter and rub it in until there are no big butter chunks remaining. It should look like coarse sand.
• Add the sugar and salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other side. Give it a stir with a wooden spoon and then make a well in the center. Add in the eggs and water and mix until the dough roughly comes together. Attach to the mixer with the dough hook and knead on medium speed until smooth, stretchy and shiny, about 6 minutes. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel and allow to double in size, in a warm spot, for about 2 hours.
• To make the filling, heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Once hot, add in the bacon and cook, stirring often, until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the grease and add in the ground beef. Use a wooden spoon to break it up and cook until fully browned and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add in the onions and cook until softened, another 2 to 3 minutes. Season with granulated onion, granulated garlic, chili powder, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, stir in the bacon, mayo, ketchup, mustard, pickles and cheese until well combined.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer to a floured work surface. Roll the dough into a log and cut into 12 equal portions of around 90g each. Make sure they’re the same size, since that’ll ensure they fry evenly.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease lightly with cooking spray. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll out to about 5 to 6 inches. Add a tablespoon of filling into the center. Gently lift up the edges of the dough from all around the sides and seal, pinching firmly in the center. Place it on the prepared tray, pinched side down. Continue with the rest of the doughnuts. Cover loosely and allow to prove in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the topping seasoning by combining the sesame seeds, garlic, onion, salt, sugar, parsley and chili powder until well-combined. Set aside until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
• Just before the hour is up, add the oil to a pot with high sides. Make sure the oil is not higher than halfway up the sides. Heat the oil on a medium heat – if you are using a thermometer you want the oil to reach 300°F. But if not, you can drop a piece of bread into the oil and if it sizzles and rises to the top, the oil is ready.
• Gently place a doughnut into the oil, pinched side up. Don’t overcrowd the pan, just do three at a time so as to not drop the oil temperature.
• Cook the doughnuts gently for 6 minutes until golden brown all over. You don’t need to turn them, just occasionally push them down into the oil using a slotted spoon. When ready, take out and pop onto the paper to drain. Once all are fried, remove the paper towels and pop the baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking through. While still hot, sprinkle with the seasoning topping. Allow to cool slightly before serving either with or without hamburger sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

Adapted from Nadiya Hussain

Author: The Candid Appetite