These yeast doughnuts are fluffy, they are fried and then covered in a really sweet glaze. You will start by heating one cup of milk to around 100 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, if you don’t have a thermometer, your milk should be warm but not hot. Once your milk is warmed up, you will stir in active or instant dry yeast. Let it sit for about five minutes until it all gets bubbly and that is called proofing your yeast.

While your yeast is proofing, in a large mixing bowl, add melted butter along with granulated sugar then lightly mix it. Next, you will stir in two eggs and mix until well combined with a teaspoon of salt. Once your yeast is proofed, go ahead and stir the milk yeast mixture into the ingredients in the bowl. Sift in all-purpose flour into the mixture and use a spatula to combine until well mixed. Flour your work surface and bring the dough to the surface then use your hand to knead the dough well made.

Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer to combine everything and make your dough but if you don’t have one, kneading with your hands will also form a perfect dough. To knead the dough by hand, fold it in half then use the heels of your hands to push it away from you, give the dough a 90-degree turn and repeat the folding and pushing motion. Continue the process over and over until the dough becomes soft and elastic. Try to be patient and avoid adding a ton of flour as that will make your dough to be hard.

You will knead your dough for about 5 to 7 minutes and you will know your dough is perfectly made when it’s sticky and will still stand up tall on its own when you roll it in a ball. When you press down into it it’s going to spring back up. Place it in a bowl and allow it to rise for about 45 to one hour. Once doubled in size, roll it out and cut the doughnuts, you can use a doughnut cutter to stamp out the doughnuts or use a sturdy glass to cut out the dough.

Place the cut doughnuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover them to let them proof for about an hour. Pour cooking oil into a pan and you can use a frying thermometer so you can monitor the temperature of your oil. Turn the heat to medium and let the oil heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, Once your oil is ready, gently lower the doughnuts into the out and let them fry evenly for about one minute on each side or until golden brown.

Keep your eye on the heat and adjust your heat up or down when your oil is getting too hot or cold. Set the doughnuts on a cooling rack and make your glaze. Once your glaze is ready, place the doughnuts by dunking them in the glaze and then turning to coat them. Transfer them to a cooling rack to allow them to sit for a few minutes before serving. If you like chocolate doughnuts, you can dunk them in a thick chocolate glaze and enjoy.

Ingredients;

For the Donuts;

  • 1 cup (237 ml) whole milk (lower-fat milk can be substituted)
  • 1 package (7 gr, or 2 1/2 tsp) active dry or quick-rise yeast
  • 1/4 cup (50 gr) granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup (73 gr) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 tsp (6 gr) Morton kosher salt or table salt (use 2 1/2 tsp if using Diamond kosher)
  • 4 cups (480 gr) all-purpose flour + more flour for kneading
  • frying oil (canola, peanut, vegetable)

For the Glaze;

  • 3 1/2 (420 gr) cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
  • 1/2 TBSP vanilla extract
  • 7 TBSP (103 ml) milk

Instructions;

For the Donuts;

  1. Warm the milk to about 110-115 F (43-46 C). This can be done on the stovetop or in the microwave. It should take about 30-45 seconds in the microwave.
  2. If you do not have a thermometer to check, make sure the milk is warm but not hot or you risk killing the yeast. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and stir it together.
  3. Combine the Fat & Sugar: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the cooled butter, sugar, and salt with a spoon or a rubber spatula.
  4. Stir in the eggs into the mixing bowl with the other ingredients until fully incorporated then stir in the milk/yeast mixture.
  5. Stir in the flour until it is all hydrated. The dough will be shaggy and sticky at this point.
  6. This dough can be kneaded by hand or with the dough hook of a stand mixer.
  7. If kneading by hand, lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough for about 6-7 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.
  8. If kneading in the stand mixer, knead at medium/high speed for about 5 minutes, stopping about halfway through to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
  9. If kneading by hand, place the dough back in the mixing bowl and cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap.
  10. Let it ferment at room temperature until doubles in size. This would take about 30-45 minutes if you used quick-rise yeast and 1 hour-90 minutes if active dry yeast was used.
  11. On a lightly floured clean work surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/2″ thickness.
  12. Use a doughnut cutter or a large and small circular cookie cutter to cut out doughnut shapes. Be careful not to twist the cutter when cutting out the doughnuts, or it will seal the edges and not rise as high.
  13. Place the doughnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to rise. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise.
  14. The doughnut holes need about 20 minutes and the doughnuts will need about 45 minutes for quick rise yeast and 1 hour for active dry yeast.
  15. Heat about 2″ of frying oil in a shallow pot to about 350ºF (177 C). A frying thermometer or candy thermometer is very helpful here. Set up a cooling rack over a baking sheet.
  16. Gently slide the doughnuts into the oil and fry for 1- 1 1/2 minutes, until lightly browned, before flipping once and cooking for another 1- 1 1/2 minutes.
  17. Remove from the oil and let it cool slightly on the cooling racks before glazing. Use either a slotted spoon, tongs, or chopsticks to flip and remove from the oil.

For the Glaze;

  1. Sift the powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl and whisk in the milk and vanilla extract. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, stopping and whisking after the first 30 seconds.
  2. Dip the slightly cooled doughnuts into the glaze, turning to coat both sides. Return the glazed doughnut onto the cooling rack set up over the baking sheet.
  3. Allow the glaze to set for about 5 minutes before serving.