Hi! I am super excited to be finally sharing this recipe I worked on a while back with a fave brand of mine. It’s been a hot minute since I posted a doughnut recipe around here, so today we are going for a classic - a yeast raised brioche doughnut, loaded up with orange zest to give it an amazing flavour, and finished off with an Orange CBD glaze. And sprinkles. Because, always sprinkles.
The glaze is flavoured with an ingredient I’ve talked about a bit on Instagram, but not yet over here - Populum’s full spectrum hemp oil. CBD oil is essentially an oil extracted from the buds of the hemp plant (you can read more about it on Populum’s page). I first started taking the oil about six months ago, and have noticed a huge difference. I take it for anxiety management, but know of others who use it for pain relief and alleviating other symptoms - there is also a pet version I use for my foster cats to help calm them down a little during the socialisation process! Populum is an amazing company and I am super proud to work with them - their oil is super high quality, tastes great, and they are transparent about their business practices. Everything comes in beautiful packaging, along with a lab report of the latest breakdown of what is in your product.
I don’t talk about it too much around here, but, since moving to New York, I’ve become a bit of an anxious wee thing. It started off as what I thought was homesickness (not going to lie, but the first two years I lived here kind of sucked and I didn’t have a great time), but as I have gotten to know my body a bit better and am able to pick up a bit more on what’s going on, I have realised that it is anxiety rearing it’s ugly little head. I read a whole lot about CBD oil and anxiety and so decided to give it a go - and while it definitely hasn’t made my anxiety go away, I have found that the CBD oil makes it a whole lot more manageable for me, by taking the edge off, which helps me manage my symptoms. I think talking about mental health is super, super important, and not something to be ashamed of, or to keep to yourself - I truly believe that there is strength in numbers, and by sharing what works for us, and talking about things, it helps to reduce some of the stigma, and normalise what some people may see as something to be ashamed of. With that being said, I am a huge believer of ‘you do you’ - please make sure that you do your own research before trying different things - I totally understand that not all methods work for everyone, no body or brain is the same.
Another thing that I love about Populum is the taste - it contains a cold pressed Orange oil, which makes it super easy to take - I usually just drop it straight into my mouth, but have been meaning to try it in baking for a long while now. I incorporated it into the glaze of these doughnuts - I was originally going to use an orange juice to provide the liquid and then add the CBD oil alongside, but after a few tests, we found that the oil alone was enough to provide a beautiful, subtle orange flavour to the doughnuts, which complimented the zest in the dough. The doughnuts themselves are super easy to make - I just went with my very favourite brioche dough, which I made the night before, cutting down on the rising time needed the day of, and making rolling out the dough a breeze (cold brioche dough is super, super easy to work with!). You can absolutely mix up the glaze of this if you wanted to try a different variation, but I love that it is a super delicious, fun way to take your CBD if you are looking to switch it up a little!
A few wee tips:
- I used the 1000mg oil in these because it is what I usually take - but you can use whatever you like in here. When I first started taking populum I started with the 250mg oil and worked my way up.
- If you don’t have any access to the CBD oil, a little orange extract to taste in the glaze will be delicious, or you can replace some of the heavy cream in the recipe with a little freshly squeezed orange juice.
- I made the dough the night before - the great thing about this brioche recipe is that it can be done both ways, making the dough the day of, or the night before and doing the first rise in the fridge overnight.
- Some people use a doughnut cutter, but I don’t have one, so just used two circle cutters. If you don’t want to make doughnuts with holes in the middle, just skip the middle hole. The doughnut holes are great for testing the oil temp, and for a sneaky wee snack while you are frying!
- A thermometer is a must for frying - if the oil is too hot, the doughnuts won’t cook properly in the middle, and if it is too cold, they will absorb too much and will be greasy, so a thermometer is needed to help you get the right temperature. Make sure you check the temp of the oil and adjust before you fry each batch. I use a cast iron dutch oven to fry in, which helps to regulate the temperature too.
- I have added a general guideline of the cream to add in the glaze - I find it varies a little every time, so start adding the cream a tablespoon at a time, until you have a glaze consistency you are happy with. I like to use the doughnut holes as a test!
Thank you so much to Populum for Sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.
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Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Orange Brioche Doughnuts with Orange CBD Glaze
- Yield: Makes about 12 doughnuts 1x
Description
Orange Brioche Doughnuts with Orange CBD Glaze
Ingredients
Orange Brioche Dough
- 1 envelope (2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast
- 240g whole milk, lukewarm
- 4 Tbsp (50g) sugar, divided
- 1 ½ Tbsp freshly grated orange zest
- 565g (3 ¾ cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 90g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Neutral oil, for frying
Orange CBD Glaze
- 200g Powdered sugar, Sifted
- 2-3 Tbsp heavy cream (see notes)
- 1-2 droppers of Populum Full Spectrum Hemp Oil, to taste (see notes)
- Orange gel food colouring (optional)
- Sprinkles to finish (Optional)
Instructions
BRIOCHE DOUGH
- In a small bowl, combine the yeast, milk and 2 Tbsp of the sugar. Mix well, and leave to sit for 10-15 minutes, or until foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the sugar and orange zest, rubbing with your fingers to incorporate the zest into the sugar. Add the flour and salt. Mix briefly to combine. Add the eggs, vanilla, and foamy yeast mixture to the bowl. Mix on low for 2-3 minutes, until the dough is starting to come together. It may look slightly dry but do not worry - it will mix together nicely in the next steps. Increase the mixer speed to medium, and mix for another 10 minutes, until the dough is soft and smooth.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the butter a little at a time, waiting until it is fully incorporated into the dough before adding the next piece. This process should take 3-4 minutes. Once the butter is fully incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium, and mix for a further 10 minutes, until the dough is very soft and smooth.
- Transfer to an oiled bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot until doubled in size, approximately 1 - 1 ½ hours. You can also place the dough into the fridge, and do the first rise overnight.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Roll the dough out to about ½” (1.2cm) thick. Using a circle cutter (I used a 3 ¼” circle), cut out circles of dough and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving room between. Cut holes from the middles of the circles using a 1” circle cutter. Place the doughnut holes on the sheet to proof alongside the doughnuts.
- Lightly cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap, and leave the doughnuts to proof for a further 30 minutes (you may need to increase this time if you have done the first rise overnight). They should rise and become a little puffy - when you poke them lightly with your finger, it should leave a small indentation that springs back.
- In the last 20 minutes of the doughnuts proofing, heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot (cast iron works great). Heat the oil to 350°f / 180°c.
- Once the oil has come to temperature, test it with a few scraps of dough. Gently lower the doughnuts, two at a time, into the hot oil. Cook for 2 ½ to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown, flipping every 30 seconds. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and place on a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet. Allow to cool while you repeat the frying process with the rest of the doughnuts.
GLAZE
- Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Add the cream a Tbsp at a time, until you have a thick glaze - you want something that just runs off your spoon. Add the Populum CBD oil, and orange food colour, if using, and stir to combine. Dip the doughnuts in the glaze, allowing any excess to drip off, before placing on a wire rack. Sprinkle with sprinkles if using, and leave to allow the glaze to set.
- Best eaten on the day they are made.