Thank you KitchenAid for providing me with the appliances required for this post.
A doughnut recipe and troubleshooting guide for tips on how to make (deep-fried) Perfect Doughnuts with a Vanilla Glaze!
(PIN IT FOR LATER)
Let’s talk perfect doughnuts! 🙂
Deliciously fluffy and airy (on the inside), and tender (on the outside) fried pieces of dough coated with a sweet glaze? What’s not to love about that? Doughnuts (or donuts, I’ll be using both spellings interchangeably in this post) have been around for centuries – and glazes, fillings and other little twists aside – there’s a reason why this little treat is still so popular in essentially the same way it was first conceived. Yes, there are baked, raw “donuts” out there now, but a deep-fried donut is where it all started, and there’s nothing like it in terms of flavour and texture.
I made doughnuts for the blog for the first time when I made these Simpsons doughnuts, a while back. I went through a few versions before I arrived at this recipe, and have loved making doughnuts since then!
My beautiful girl Madeleine, from KitchenAid certainly makes the job of making perfect donuts at home a lot easier! She’s my prized possession in the kitchen right now, and I absolutely love how smoothly it works.
Speaking of mixers, have you guys seen the KitchenAid mini mixers? A Madeleine junior might just be even more adorable, don’t you think?
PERFECT DOUGHNUTS TROUBLESHOOTING TUTORIAL
Flavour
These doughnuts (donuts) are made with 1 tbsp of active dry yeast. This may seem like a lot, but it ensures that the dough rises well, especially when it’s resting in the refrigerator, and it gives the donuts that characteristic flavour that we all love.
The overnight rise is preferable for developing flavour. Much like my favourite pizza dough, the cold rise of any yeasted dough lends characteristic flavour and texture to the doughnut, which a “warm place rise” simply cannot replicate. Why? A cold rise slows down the process of yeast growth, allowing the yeast to develop a deeper flavour as they grow and multiply. Plus, a chilled dough is easier to handle as well.
Butter plays an important part in this recipe too. Butter or oil, softens the gluten structure that you develop during the kneading process. This makes the dough soft and shiny and adds flavour too. It’s important to incorporate the butter properly. You could possibly melt the butter and add it in a stream while kneading, but the method I’ve described in this recipe is what works best for me to get perfect donuts. I add the butter at the end, so that the flour has had a chance to completely hydrate with the milk and water that were added before. Kneading while adding butter one table spoon at a time helps distribute the butter evenly throughout the dough. If you need to, you could increase the speed of your mixer to help the butter incorporate into the dough better.
Preparing the dough
You can roll out the dough and cut out circles (or any donut shape you like). For regular doughnuts, I use round cutters (as you can see in the photos and video) to get the shapes and sizes I want. You could use a custom doughnut cutter too, but I prefer using 2 cookie/biscuit cutters, since I find them sharper and they cut through the dough cleanly.
When you cut out circles, or regular doughnut shapes, you’re going to end up with scraps. These scraps can be re-rolled (after a one hour resting time in the fridge) and then cut again, once. Remember, you want to cut out as many as you can from the first roll, because the 2nd re-rolled dough is harder to handle and can end up being thicker than your first batch (due to over handling of the dough and not enough resting). So re-rolling the scraps a second time isn’t really ideal if you’re looking for PERFECT donuts. To avoid that, I try to use up as much of the dough scraps to make donut holes instead! 🙂
If you want filled donuts, then you can simply cut/divide the dough in to portions more or less equally, and roll them into smooth balls.
Knowing when the doughnuts are ready to be fried
The second proofing usually only takes 1 hour at a room temperature of around 72°F- 75°F (22°C- 25°C) – a little less in the summer if it’s warmer, and a little longer in the winter if it’s cooler.
After I leave the doughnuts (covered with plastic wrap) for this second rise, I check on them after 30 minutes and then every 10-15 minutes. Check the first doughnut you cut out/rolled up and lightly press/prod it.
If the indentation you make with your finger immediately disappears, the dough is not done yet (underproofed).
If the indentation stays (see the video) – it’s ready! Remove the plastic wrap, and it’s time to heat up that oil.
However, if the cut dough starts to deflate, then it has been overproofed (which is why you should keep an eye on them after the first 30 minutes of your second proofing step), and will need to be re-kneaded, and re-chilled in the fridge for at least one hour (to rest).
Here’s another important tip that works for me – once the doughnuts have been perfectly proofed, take off that plastic wrap cover and let the dough “dry” for about 10-15 minutes. This will form a crust on the surface of the doughnuts and will make it easier to handle them and protects the donuts while they are being fried.
This step is not required, but I’ve found that it makes it easier for me to pick up the donuts, and it also helps them keep their shape better during frying.
What happens if the doughnuts haven’t been proofed properly?
Overproofed – leads to oily, collapsed, flat donuts.
Underproofed – leads to stiffer (denser) donuts that don’t puff up well when fried.
Cracked donuts – this may have happened if you used a cutter and it wasn’t sharp enough to cut through the dough cleanly. Or the dough is underproofed or too cold.
Balled up donuts – if the dough has not had enough time to rest (especially donuts cut from the second re-roll), they tend to shrink (in width, not in height) and ball up when fried.
If your donuts were rested and proofed correctly, frying is the next step.
Frying doughnuts
The optimum temperature for the oil/shortening should be 370°-375°F (188-191°C).
If your oil is at this optimum temperature, then the oil does its job, and when you drain your fried doughnuts, any excess oil gets drained out cleanly so that you don’t end up with any oily residue on your doughnuts.
But if the oil temperature is too low (lower than around 360ºF/183°C), you will end up with very oily doughnuts, since the oil gets trapped and absorbed by the dough.
Conversely, if the oil/shortening is too hot, this results in your doughnuts browning too fast and leaving a raw center, or burnt doughnuts, or both!
Another tip for frying doughnuts – you want your doughnuts to float in the oil/shortening. Since only half of the doughnut gets fried at a time (only half is submerged in the oil due to buoyancy resulting from that light, airy inside), you might be tempted to shallow fry it with less oil. DO NOT do that! Please make sure there’s a good amount of oil, allowing the doughnuts to freely float while being fried.
Plus, it’s easier to maintain the temperature of the oil when there’s a sufficient volume of it too. The oil heats more evenly resulting in evenly browned/fried perfect donuts.
Glazing doughnuts
If you’re only glazing doughnuts (for classic glazed doughnuts), then wait till the doughnuts are cool enough to handle, but still warm. Warmer doughnuts are easier to glaze than cold doughnuts and it results in a thinner, more even glaze. However, I have glazed doughnuts that were at room temperature as well without an issue. But if I’m planning on filling my doughnuts, then I prefer to let them cool first, then fill and finally glaze them, especially because I work alone. If you have someone lending you a helping hand – you can have them glaze the doughnuts while they’re still warm.
Doughnuts are best eaten on the same day they are made! Really. Unglazed doughnuts really don’t taste that great the next day – unless they were stored in an air-tight container. Glazed doughnuts withstand time and drying slightly better because they are protected by that glaze which prevents them from going stale rapidly. These taste pretty good even the next day. But so-so by the third day, by which time, you could probably consider making bread pudding out of those doughnuts! 🙂 That’s what I do if we have leftovers and that tastes pretty amazing as well!
We have stored glazed doughnuts in the freezer as well, which helps keep them fresh for longer (up to a week). Each doughnut was stored separately in a ziploc bag. They thaw out fairly quickly at room temperature when you’re ready to snack!
RECIPE VIDEO
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How to make perfect glazed doughnuts + doughnut troubleshooting (Perfect Donuts)
Ingredients:
Dough for the Doughnuts
- 500 g AP flour approximately 4 cups, spoon and leveled
- 120 mL lukewarm water ½ cup
- 120 mL lukewarm milk ½ cup
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 large egg
- 1 large yolk
- 50 g sugar ¼ cup
- 115 g butter 1 stick / ½ cup. Softened
- ½ tsp sea salt
- Oil or shortening for deep frying
Glaze
- 226 g icing sugar or confectioner's sugar approximately 2 cups, spooned and leveled
- 80 - 100 ml whole milk about ⅓ cup
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions:
Doughnut Dough
- Dissolve about 1 tsp of sugar in lukewarm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir to combine. Set aside for 10 - 15 minutes to activate the yeast. The yeast should become frothy when activated.120 mL lukewarm water, 1 tbsp active dry yeast, 50 g sugar
- Add the activated yeast into the mixing bowl, along with the rest of the sugar, milk, egg and yolk.120 mL lukewarm milk, 1 large egg, 1 large yolk, 50 g sugar
- Set aside about ¼ cup of the flour and place the rest in the mixing bowl with the other ingredients. Finally add the salt.500 g AP flour, ½ tsp sea salt
- Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment or kneading hook on your mixer, until the mix comes together. You can also use a spatula for this as well.
- If you used the paddle mix, switch to the dough hook and start kneading the dough for about 5 minutes.
- Add the softened butter (½ - 1 tbsp at a time) until it's all incorporated. Add some flour, if you need to get the dough off the sides of the bowl. Add the rest of the flour if needed, to form a soft dough ball. The dough should be tacky and soft.115 g butter
- Knead the dough for about 5 - 7 minutes until you have a soft, shiny, slightly tacky dough. Check if the dough is kneaded well with the window pane test.
- Knead the dough for a couple of minutes in your hands till you have a smooth dough ball.
- Place this ball of dough in a lightly oiled bowl (with enough room to rise) and cover with plastic wrap. (remember to place the dough with the seam side down).
- Let the dough rise at room temperature (70-75°F) until it is has doubled in size - this should take about an hour, maybe less depending on how warm the ambient temp. is. (If you are pressed for time, you can let it proof in the fridge - for at least hours upto 24 hours, and continue from step 10).
- If you allowed the dough to rise at room temperature - gently release the air in the dough.
- OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED - Reshape the dough, and place it in the bowl again for an overnight proof in the fridge. This helps develop the flavors of the dough better and the dough is also easier to handle when chilled. The nxt morning you can remove the dough from the bowl and proceed with the recipe. If you want to skip the overnight proof, then skip this step.
- Place the dough out on to a floured surface and roll it out to a ½ inch thickness.
- With a 3 to 3.5 inch diameter cookie cutter / donut cutter, cut out the donuts from the dough. Use a smaller cookie cutter to punch out the center whole.
- Place the donuts and donut holes on a parchment paper lined baking tray and cover with plastic wrap or towel.
- Knead the left over dough lightly and let it rest for about 30 minutes, and repeat rolling and cutting once more.
- Cover the cut donuts and donut holes with plastic wrap and let them rise for about 1 hour or until proofed properly. (see tips in the post to check if the doughnuts are proofed properly).
- Heat a good amount of oil or shortening (the donut needs to float at least 2 inches above the bottom of the pan) in a heavy bottomed pan.Oil or shortening
- When the oil is heated to 375°F/190°C, carefully drop in a doughnut. After 30 - 45 seconds, check to see if the donut has turned a golden brown. If it has, flip it over. If it hasn't, leave it for a few seconds longer and then flip it over (the doughnut will darken as they cool down, so be careful not to let it darken too much while frying). If the donuts brown too quickly, lower the heat of your stove.
- Transfer the donut to a wire rack to let it cool.
- To glaze, place a donut in the prepared glaze and turn to coat it completely. Then keep it on a wire rack to let the excess glaze drip. Sprinkle with funfetti or sprinkles if you like, before the glaze sets.
For the Glaze
- Sift the icing sugar, add vanilla and whisk in the milk or water - 1 tbsp at a time, until you get a pourable consistency. Add colouring if you like.226 g icing sugar or confectioner's sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 80 - 100 ml whole milk
- Make more as needed.
Tips & Tricks
If you have too many doughnuts, freeze them individually, then thaw them out later when ready to eat. Activating Yeast - If I know my active dry yeast is fresh, I add it directly to the dough. However, if you are unsure whether your active dry yeast is fresh, you can activate it first.
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
You can use this dough to make your favorite doughnuts. Like these Simpsons donuts, or blueberry cardamom doughnuts, or coffee doughnuts filled with white chocolate creme patisserie!
I have other favorite ways to prepare doughnuts too! Maple bacon bars (with bacon and maple glaze, lemon meringue dougnuts, chocolate truffle doughnuts (with Lindt truffles inside), Nutella stuffed caramel doughnuts (Nutella inside, caramel outside!), and so many more flavors. SO STAY TUNED TO GET ALL THESE RECIPES! 🙂
If you liked this tutorial on how to make perfect doughnuts with vanilla glaze (perfect donuts) and this comprehensive troubleshooting tutorial, don’t forget to subscribe for new (and free) recipes by entering your email address on the side bar (and get all these recipes delivered straight to your inbox), so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find me on FACEBOOK, TWITTER,INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, YOU TUBE and GOOGLE-PLUS too.
Tonia Milazzo says
Excellent recipe, the proofing overnight elevated the flavor. Funny thing though, I kept the middle and made donut holes so as not to waste the dough, my holes were airy, light morsels of pure perfection but the donuts themselves didn’t rise. Same procedure for both, same second rise time, same oil, same temp. for frying etc. I’m stumped….what could I have done wrong? It’s like having half your bread loaf done perfectly and the other half dense and hard! Any ideas???
Dini says
Hi Tonia
The donut holes will proof much faster than the donuts, because they are smaller.
So the donuts would have needed to be proofed longer before frying.
I hope that helps!
Angie says
These turned out so amazingly delicious. The extra trouble shooting details really helped. I tried some of the dough same day and proofed some of the dough in fridge overnight.
the difference in flavour was significant…well worth doing. I like to add a little good vanilla to the dough as well.
Salima S says
Thanks for the recipe! I followed it exactly and the donuts were pillowy and delicious. The only thing is that most of them got a big blister and they were a bit oily. They also fried really fast at about 1 min a side but they were perfectly cooked on the inside.
Areej Ismaeel says
i have loved donuts my whole life but ever since i moved im on a quest to make the best donuts and every recipe i have tried has just failed for some reason so im going to try this and follow steps very carefully wish me luck
Esther Hardman says
To prevent over-proofing I suggest a square container (I got mine at an Asian grocery store) that has measurements on the side. I press the dough to fill the bottom and note the amount.When the dough reaches double the original amount, I’m ready! BTW 90 degree angles helps the dough grip the sides better. Oh, this recipe is my go-to for delicious plain donuts, I think I’ll make filled today with pastry filling!
Kehinde folorunsho says
I liked this so much
Kayla says
I mis read the directions and after I kneaded the dough I covered and put into fridge. After an hour I punched some of the air out and put it back seam side down in fridge. Did I mess up the recipe completely?? Or is it ok?
Simran Sekhri says
Hello! My doughnuts did rise and form a white ring, but they spread too much, resulting in less height of the fried donut. They also had blistering and were as a result uneven in color. Could you please share your views on how this could have happened?
Jessica says
After trying two other recipes, this was perfect. I followed your exact instructions on YouTube. Yummy Yummy Yummy. This will be my number one donut recipe. My only suggestion is high altitude cooking. 370 degrees cooked way too fast. We are above 7500 feet and the perfect oil temp for me was 345-350. Thank you so much
Sarah H. says
Great recipe, and an EXTREMELY helpful tutorial! This is my go-to when I want to make donuts! Doing the second proof overnight is key for enjoying donuts the next day WITHOUT waking up at 4am.
Roks says
I don’t know what Im doing wrong. Lately, when I fry my doughnuts some of them puff up on one side. This happens when I flip it to do the second side. It looks like a bull frog. What am I doing wrong?
Dini says
Hi Roks
It isn’t very clear what problem you seem to be having? I am assuming that the donuts are puffing more on one side than the other? Unfortunately I can’t pin point the reason why this is happening. It could be uneven proofing, or the heat of the oil.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help!
Beth says
My donuts become very oily and soggy on the next day., i have already stored in the airtight bag. Are there any tips when you drain the exceed oil or do you have any idea that cause this problem. Thanks!
Dini says
Hi Beth
The donuts do not stay crispy the next day. Once the donuts are exposed to air, they will start to become softer. However, the reason why the donuts are oily is because they absorbed too much while frying.
If the oil temperature was too low, this will cause the donuts to absorb too much oil. You can also drain excess oil in freshly fried donuts by placing them on paper towels.
Hope that helps
Dan says
I make them, but they become buns instead of donuts
I eliminated the bread improver and reduced the yeast, they became too hard on the coat
Any help? Thanks
Dini says
Hi Dan
This recipe doesn’t use bread improver, so I’m not sure which recipe you used to make doughnuts. Also do you fry them? or are they baked?
Dan says
Honestly, am a young hustler with no income at all. I came here to look for knowledge so that I can make African doughnuts economically to earn a living. I have tried doing this, people in the field have rejected them for being too soft, failure to rise, and being too hard but I won’t give up. I will appreciate any help rendered to me .
Is there any way of making them with; baking flour, yeast, sugar, salt, baking powder, calcium bicarbonate only or less? (That is the economical way).
NB: African doughnuts especially here in Uganda, they are a whole mass without the hole in the middle. It is globe-shaped. Relatively hard but easy to bite. That’s what people want!
Thanks alot
Dan says
Hi, I forgot to answer your question;
I fry them, I don’t bake them.
Also, I used my own “concocted” recipe, not yours.
Dini says
Hi Dan
Unfortunately I am not familiar with the type of doughnuts you are trying to make, so I can’t really offer any advice. Hopefully you will be able to figure out how to make it work. Good luck!
Dan says
Thank you
Maha says
Thanks its perfect
Dan says
Hi, I love all the insight. However with my glaze it goes hard and then soft/wet again witching a few hours. How do I keep it thin and also hard without it going soft? I tried agar like Krispy Kreme does but it just turns out sticky
Thank you.
Dini says
Hi Dan
Because of the moisture from the donuts, the icing will get soft and sticky. I haven’t used a glaze on donuts that become hard because of this.
Hope that helps!
Nancy says
Thanks for all the tips.
Katie G says
We followed this recipe and it resulted in fantastic donuts for us beginners! I really appreciate all of the details and explanations about the process, so you can easily troubleshoot issues rather than blindly following a recipe. This meant I could adjust the oil temp or proof the dough properly. Really appreciative that they turned out well even when (and because) they were refrigerated overnight. I would just add that you should activate the yeast under the written recipe (I know it’s in the video!) I almost forgot to let it sit. Thanks for the great and thorough recipe!
Kat B says
Hi Dini, thank you so much for this recipe! We are trying it for the first time today. I was wondering if it is possible for my refrigerator to be too cold for the overnight proof – when I brought them out this morning, they dough was very solid and very hard. I think our donuts seem a bit underproofed as well – some of them have an indent that doesn’t spring back at all. Thank you!
Dini says
Hi Kat
I’m a little confused by the question. Would you be able to clarify it for me?
The dough was refrigerated overnight, but you were able to roll it out and cut it into shapes? When you say it was solid and hard, did it remain that way, or did it soften after it was rolled out and cut?
As for being under-proofed, the proofing time can vary a lot if you have a cold kitchen. Even if the indent springs back slightly, it should still be ready to be fried.
I hope to hear back from you and hope the information helps!
Kat B says
Thank you so much!
Yes, the dough was refrigerated overnight, and it was cold and hard but soft enough to roll and cut. After rolling it out and cutting it, it did continue to get softer, though still cold and a little bit heavy.
Dini says
Hi Kat
The reason why the dough is chilled is so that it develops flavor and is easier to handle because the dough firms up in the dough because it is cold.
If it’s winter and very cold where you live, the proofing times can change. During winter, proofing at room temperature can even take upto 2 – 3 hours.
If it never proofed properly or was dense even after frying, it’s possible the dough over proofed during the earlier stages, OR the yeast wasn’t as fresh and therefore not as active.
I hope that helps
Daisy Bell says
Hi, I’m trying this recipe out today and am excited to see how they compare to my usual recipe!
I was just wondering if, before the refrigerator, the dough should be knocked back or the air just released from the plastic wrap?
Thank you
Dini says
Hi Daisy
As mentioned in the recipe, you do knock out the air. I prefer to gently release the air in the dough (press it down with your palm) than to punch the dough down though.
Hope that helps.
Emily Persico says
Hi, I’m doing research about donuts but I can’t seem to find information about the rise. It seems like you know a lot about donuts, so I was hoping you could answer a few of my questions. How much volume would you say a donut gains while frying? Also, how much would you say the donut weighs before frying? I know these questions are weird, so no worries if you have no idea – it’s for a math project. Than
Emily Persico says
*Thanks
Dini says
Hi Emily
It would be very difficult to answer those questions.
The volume increase depends on too many factors to be predicted reliably. How much it proofs before frying. How much yeast is used in the recipe. How much moisture is in the dough. Size and shape of the donut. These are just some of the factors that can have an effect on the final volume of a donut.
Sorry I couldn’t help more.
Emily Persico says
That’s ok! It actually did help, as now I have more factors to analyze. Thanks for taking the time to respond.
Guillermo Tell says
Awesone!!! Absolutely great recipe and tips. I’m pleased. Thank U a lot.
I gotta be following U 4 the tutorials.
Halima Sani says
Hi, I followed this exact recipe save for the eggs, I used one instead of two( yolk). But my dough was too sticky too handle before I refrigerated it and after refrigerating over night it was still very sticky. I added flour before cutting but still. I had to fry them like dat to avoid going over the recipe. What could be the problem. Thank you
Dini says
Hi Halima
As noted in the recipe, this is a sticky dough. If the dough is kneaded properly, then the gluten will develop, making the dough shiny, satiny and tacky (So still sticky but not messy). This dough shouldn’t be sticky after refrigerating either. If it’s cold, it should just be slightly tacky, but shouldn’t stick to any surfaces (especially floured surfaces). I’ve made this many times and haven’t had it be sticky.
Do you mean tacky or sticky?
Hadizah says
Thanks for the guidelines and all, almost the same as mine except for the butter, I want to ask a question, why does ring doughnut taste entirely different from round doughnuts (bomboloni) ?
Dini says
Hi Hadizah
If the two types of donuts use different doughs, that can result in different flavors. A change in the ingredient amounts can lead to differences in texture and flavor.
If it’s made with the same dough, then there shouldn’t be a change in flavor.
Hope that helps
Hadiza says
Thank you but I can’t find your video on YouTube
Dini says
Hi Hadiza,
I have linked to the video in the post here as well. You can find it just above the recipe card. I hope that helps!
Naomi says
Is the sugar 4tbs of sugar or 1/4 c?? Thank you!
Dini says
Hi Naomi
4 tbsp is 1/4 cup in the US.
1/4 cup = 60 ml
1/4 cup of sugar = 50 g
I hope that helps
Chris says
Hey Dini
Any chance we can use an air fryer or bake it in the oven?
The thought of a whole wok of oil terrifies me.
Dini says
Hi Chris
These doughnuts are meant to be fried.
I unfortunately haven’t tried an air frier, but I anticipate it would be hard to move the proofed doughnuts into an air fryer without damaging them
If you prefer to bake them, I recommend following a baked doughnut recipe instead as it would be designed to work in the oven.
I hope that helps
Chris says
Thanks D!
Sheidu Favour says
The recipe was helpful,it gave me the directions I needed.
Amazing job Dini♥️
Sadi says
Thanks dear, when cut the doughnuts, where to put them to rise in the refrigerator or at the room temperature.
Dave0 says
Great recipe, thanks! My donuts ended up darker than yours. I kept the oil at 265-275 deg F and flipped them after 45 – 60 sec. The oil was reclaimed from previously making 2 or 3 batches of donuts. Could that be my problem?
Dini says
Hi Dave0
Thank you!
When using oil that has been used a few times it could have an impact on the donuts that are fried in them later.
I hope that helps!
Theresa says
Your written dough recipe calls for 1/2 cup milk and a 1/2 cup of water. The video only shows the milk being used. Could you clarify the amount of liquid to use. Seems like a lot of liquid.
Dini says
Hi Theresa
In the video I have mixed the water and milk together (it’s still 1 cup of liquid) to activate the yeast. This whole amount is sufficient to hydrate the dough and also keep it soft, so you end up with fluffy doughnuts.