Paola Velez is the pastry chef at Maydan and Compass Rose in Washington, D.C., the founder of La Bodega, and the cofounder of the activist group Bakers Against Racism. Her creations merge cultures and bring childhood memories to life. These Como La Flor doughnuts are made the “old-fashioned” way, but they have a fresh hibiscus-lemon glaze. They’re named for a Selena song, “Como La Flor,” which means “like the flower,” and the use of the hibiscus flowers is a gentle tie-in to a song that was the flower of the Latinx community.

Ingredients

Makes about 12 doughnuts.
  • 1 ¼ c. (240g) granulated sugar
  • 4 ¼ c. (600g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp (5g) ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp (15g) baking powder
  • 2 tsp (12g) kosher salt
  • 7 1/2 tsp (36g) slightly warm brown butter
  • 3 large whole eggs
  • 2/3 c. (380g) labneh
  • 2 qt vegetable oil for frying
  • 2 c. powdered sugar
  • ¼ c. lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers
Cookware Used
Saucy
8.5-Inch Stainless Steel Sauce Pan
$120$80
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Stir Crazy
3-Piece Nested Mixing Bowl Set
$95$60
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Holy Sheet
Nonstick Half-Sheet Pan
$40$30
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Start the glaze:

  1. My favorite thing about this dough is that it’s a one-bowl wonder! But, before we get to that, it’s time to start your glaze!
  2. Place your hibiscus flower in your lemon juice — leave it out at room temperature to “cold brew” your tea in your lemon juice.


Make the dough:

  1. Now it’s time to make your dough. Place your dry ingredients in a bowl and mix with a rubber spatula, or the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer.
  2. Add your eggs, labneh, and brown butter and mix until incorporated. The dough will be slightly damp, but don’t fret! A lot of the moisture will be lost when you flour your surface when rolling out the dough.

 

Fry the doughnuts:

  1. Heat your oil to 350°F in Saucy.
  2. While doing so, roll out your dough and cut it into your preferred shapes.
  3. Once at temperature, add your doughnuts one by one so the temperature of the oil does not drop.
  4. Fry until golden brown and leave the fried doughnuts on Holy Sheet or a rack to cool to room temperature.


Make the glaze:

  1. Place your powdered sugar in a bowl and slowly drizzle the lemon-hibiscus mix into it, whisking in between each pour.
  2. The less liquid you add, the more opaque your glaze will be. The more liquid you add, the thinner the glaze will be. Dealer’s choice!
  3. Dunk, drizzle, or dip. Then eat and enjoy! 

Photos by Farrah Skeiky

 

Photos by Farrah Skeiky.