Galaxy Doughnuts

Place the warm water in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the water and allow it to soften, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar and set aside for 10 minutes or until it is foamy.

Add the melted shortening, milk, 1/4 cup more of the sugar, the salt, vanilla, eggs, wheat germ, soy flour, oat bran, and 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour. Mix until all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.

Stir in the remaining all-purpose flour and mix until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free location until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and punch the dough down. Pat it out to 1/2-inch thick.

Cut the dough using a star cookie cutter. Re-roll the dough as needed and cut, using up all the dough. Place the donuts 2-inches apart on greased baking sheets. Let rise for 30 minutes, uncovered, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the donuts in the oven and bake at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Combine the cinnamon and remaining sugar in a shallow dish. Remove the baked donuts from the oven and quickly dip them into the melted butter and then dredge in the cinnamon sugar. Alternately, you can sprinkle them with powdered sugar. Let cool on a wire rack. Store the donuts in an airtight container at room temperature.