Doughnuts, Fritters, Pancakes, and Waffles

Unlike the products we have discussed so far, those included in this chapter are cooked not by baking in ovens but by deep-frying, by cooking in greased fry pans or on griddles, or, in the case of waffles, by cooking in specially designed griddles that heat the product from both sides at once.

Several types of doughs or batters are used for these products. To produce the two most popular types of doughnuts, you must understand the principles of yeast dough production and the creaming method used for mixing some quick breads. French doughnuts are a fried version of the same pastry used to make cream puffs and éclairs. American pancakes are made from chemically leavened batters mixed by the muffin method, while French pancakes or crêpes are made from thin, unleavened batters made of milk, eggs, and flour.