Doughnuts

A cake doughnut of the plain, sweet, nutmeg-scented sort that filled American cookbooks around 1900. The measurements are by volume and the flour quantity is deliberately open-ended, so the dough needs judgment rather than a scale.

• Fat temperature"Smoking-hot" was one of the few gauges available before frying thermometers, alongside dropping in a scrap of dough or a cube of bread. Smoke points vary: lard begins to smoke around 370F and refined oils higher, and at that heat the doughnuts will brown before the centres set. Hold the fat at 365-370F and let it recover between batches.
• Volume measuresA quart of flour is 4 cups, somewhere between a pound and a pound and two ounces depending on how it is measured, and a pint of milk is 2 cups. The instruction to "add more flour" means you will likely use 5 to 6 cups in total.
• How soft is softThe dough should be just firm enough to roll on a well-floured board and no firmer. Extra flour beyond that point gives heavy, bready doughnuts that soak up fat.
• NutmegA whole grated nutmeg is about 2 to 3 teaspoons of fresh gratings, which is assertive by modern standards. Pre-ground jarred nutmeg is milder and staler; use a whole one if you want the flavour the recipe intends.
• Chill before cuttingThe recipe does not say so, but half an hour in the refrigerator makes this slack dough far easier to roll and cut, and the cold rings hold their shape when they hit the fat.
• Thickness and cuttingHalf an inch is correct for cake doughnuts; thinner rings dry out, thicker ones stay raw at the centre. Balls will need a lower fat temperature, nearer 360F, and longer cooking to reach the middle.
• Draining and finishingLift onto a rack rather than paper so steam escapes and the undersides do not go soggy. Roll in granulated or cinnamon sugar while still warm if you want them coated.
• YieldExpect about three dozen doughnuts and a similar number of holes. They are at their best within a few hours of frying.