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.
uriam ale says
Great ! I love this recipe so much and I am looking for more…!
Nats koa says
Hi Dini. I made my 1st ever doughnuts from another recipe. But it came dense and ever denser on the 2nd daym my problems let me to this very useful post of yours. Thanks so much. Why am i having hard time cutting them? I used the ones made out of plastic to make a hole. But it doesnt quite cut off perfectly. Always leaving an intact dough in between the lined cut.
Maybe i havnt knead for dough that much? Im using hands for kneading. Is that also fine? Thanks a bunch! I enjoy reading your posts. Stay healthy and safe!
Dini says
Hi Nats
If the cutter is not cutting through the dough, it’s usually because the cutter is dull.
I usually use a metal cutter because they don’t dull like plastic ones.
You could also try dipping the cutter in flour first, then cutting straight down the dough, and twisting the cutter a little to release the dough. If this still doesn’t work, I recommend getting a metal cutter.
I hope that helps!
Shela says
Hi Dini,
Sorry but I have one more question.
What can I make out of the rest of the dough. Am i able to make apple fritters?
Thanks
Shela says
Hi Dini,
This entire article was very useful! I am new to making doughnuts and I want to make perfect doughnuts. This recipe is the one that finally worked for me, so thank you!
I have a question,
I made one of my doughnuts without hole but the inside didn’t get cooked. Would this recipe still be good for no hole doughnuts or maybe I did something wrong somewhere in the frying ??
Thanks
Dini says
Hi Shela
Doughnuts without holes can be made. However they need to be fried longer because of the extra dough. For this reason, I prefer to make my doughnuts without holes slightly smaller, so they cook through easily.
If you are frying bigger doughnuts they need more time to fry and smaller doughnuts will need less time to fry.
With leftover dough, I usually cut it into scraps and fry them or I make more doughnut holes. Apple fritters use a much runnier batter, so this wouldn’t work the same way.
I hope that helps!
deepthi anand says
Hiiii Dini…
I read throu ur procedure…u have explained it so well… but I stil have one unanswered question. Before we cut out the dough,do I flour or oil the surface on which I’m gonna lay the dough, and also do I flour or oil the parchment paper on which I place the cut outs. Because when I try to handle the cut outs ,its sticking to the surface and also patchment paper ,so the shape is changing off when I try to remove them and also the dough Is so soft that my finger prints r falling on the dough.
I’m surprised no one has asked this question. Pls pls answer my question
Dini says
Hi Deepthi
When you roll out bread dough, it’s never on an oiled surface. This is because it becomes slippery and the dough becomes harder to handle.
So bread dough is usually always rolled out on a floured surface or if the dough isn’t sticky they don’t have to flour the surface at all.
deepthi anand says
Hii..I love the way u have explained. I made donuts from another recipe today. After reading ur procedure I realised may be I overpriced the dough.but I stil have my question unanswered.after the first proofing, the dough is so soft and slightly sticky, do I flour the surface on which I’m gonna do the cut outs, or butter the surface???? And also the parchment paper on which I’m gonna place these cut-outs on,do I flour or oil them?? Because when I try to remove them from the surface or the parchment paper,they r so soft that they have my finger Mark’s on them and they reshape or most probably stick to the surface. I dont know how to remove them from the surface easily. Il be really glad if I find an answer for this.
Dini says
Hi Deepthi
It’s hard for me to be 100% sure on the technique without knowing the recipe that you used, so my answers are based on my recipe.
I flour the surface that I will be rolling and cutting the dough. Using butter will make it stickier and harder to work with because the dough is already an enriched dough.
Since parchment paper is non stick, I don’t flour them when I place the doughnuts. However, if you feel like you would like the additional failsafe, you can lightly dust the parchment paper if you like.
If you find it hard to lift the doughnuts from the parchment paper, then you can cut the parchment paper around the doughnut, and lift the doughnut using the parchment paper underneath and place the doughnut in the oil WITH the parchment still attached. Once it starts to fry you can gently peel off the parchment paper from the doughnut.
I hope that helps
Nad says
Hello! I don’t have active dry yest at the moment…can i substitute with instant yeast? if yes, please provide me with the correct measures to do so 🙂
thank you!
Dini says
Hi Nad
I haven’t used instant yeast unfortunately. You can either substitute it 1:1 (some packages suggest that), but reduce the proofing times. Or use about 25% less, and hopefully not need to change proofing times.
Instant yeast is more active than active dry yeast, and therefore you will need to adjust proofing times accordingly.
I hope that helps!
Christy says
I noticed my donut was hard immediately I took it out of the frier (that’s while it was still hot) but when It was a bit cool, it got softer. Please Is that normal? Or is it supposed to be soft even while hot?
Dini says
Hi Christy
Do you mean they were hard on the surface? Since donuts are fried, the outer crust does feel more “crust-like” straight out of the frier. But the whole donut shouldn’t be hard. They should be soft even when hot (although it’s a little too hot to break apart at that stage).
The only thing I can think of is that maybe the dough had too much flour – if you used cup measurements, it’s possible that you may have measured more flour than intended.
Karen says
I don’t have a deep frier. What shall I do??
Dini says
Hi Karen
I didn’t use a deep fryer for these either. I fried them in my big pot, that I filled with enough oil to fry donuts.
I hope that helps!
Okoye Austin says
Was really helpful.
I want to know why my dough keeps coming back after rolling them out. This makes it difficult to cut out equal sized doughnut
Dini says
Hi Okoye
The reason why the dough keeps coming back is because the dough has been overworked. The gluten is springing back causing the dough to shrink.
I recommend covering the dough with plastic wrap and letting it rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to relax the gluten. I like to rest mine for about 30 – 60 minutes when it’s overworked. You also need to make sure the dough isn’t sticking to the work top as you roll and before you cut the doughnuts.
Hope that helps.
S says
I put in double the butter on accident. what should I do?
Dini says
Hi S
Adding extra butter should be ok! It would probably be a richer and more stickier dough. You could also add a little extra flour to counteract the extra butter, but the dough needs to remain a little sticky so that you can have soft doughnuts.
You may need to knead the dough a little longer until it becomes nice and smooth, and I would definitely recommend chilling the dough, otherwise it would be too soft to roll out and cut into shapes. But otherwise it should still come out ok!
Hope that helps!
rita says
heyy soo my dough is kept for rising …for about an hour and half ….i dont want it to rest in the fridge for 24 cuz i wanna eat em as soon as possible so is it okie if i just fry em after the 1st rise
Dini says
Hi Rita
Yes you can. However the dough will be very soft and will be a little harder to manage. Be careful not to flour it too much as you roll it out.
The final proof before frying them, may also be short. So keep an eye on the doughnuts to check for when it’s proofed properly. (You cannot skip the final proof)
Hope that helps!
Marion says
What can I do to remedy oily donuts? Will a quick refry help or should I just squeeze out the oil using paper towels?
Dini says
Hi Marion!
With oily donuts I would recommend just leaving them on paper towels to absorb the extra oil. If you squeeze them, it can change the shape and/or texture of the donuts.
Refrying in oil at a higher heat is a technique I use with fried chicken, but I don’t know if it will work the same way with donuts.
I hope that helps!
Chandrika says
My doughnuts were hard. Why?
Dini says
Hi Chandrika
There are a few reasons why doughnuts can be hard.
The yeast wasn’t active and so the bread didn’t proof.
The bread wasn’t proofed long enough (underproofed doughnuts)
Too much flour was added and the dough was too dry.
Hope that helps!
Cheers
Dini
Mae says
I’ve tried several yeasted fried doughnut recipe and they’re all the same- hard the next day. I still have to find one that is not.
Dini says
Hi Mae
Usually donuts go hard the next day if they were not proofed properly or if the yeast isn’t active at all.
It can also happen if you add too much flour to the dough as this would make it dry. Then the donut will harden as it cools.
Youstina Bassam says
Hey
Sometimes when I’m making donuts some donuts hole collapse or like become too narrow after proofing for the second time. How can I stop that from happening?
Adeola Oladapo says
I love it so helpful
Audreyboteilho says
Portuguese Malasadas dough is made during lent, what’s your recioe
Dini says
Hi Audrey
I’m sorry but I do not have a recipe for Portuguese Malasadas. I hope you will be able to find one.
Anna Zercoe says
I was just wondering if I could put them in the fridge for 7ish hours and then let it rise on the counter for another hour or 45 ish minutes?
Dini says
Hi Anna
Can you clarify why you wanted to let it rest on the counter for another hour or 45 minutes?
The reason why I refrigerate the dough is to develop flavor, and also to chill the dough so that it is easier to work with and roll out.
If you leave it out on the counter after chilling it, then it would come to room temperature and might be stickier to work with. I recommend working with the dough while it’s chilled as it needs to be proofed one last time before being fried anyway.
Hope that helps
Monica says
Your recipe is jjjjjjjust about the same as my Grandmothers…Every Monday she’d have bread rising and laundry agitating in the washer by the time we crawled out of bed. Every 4th or 5th week she’d add donuts to her agenda…Ooooooh my goodness!!! She used to tease us…saying she couldn’t fry them fast enough to keep up with the 3 of us kids.(lol)
At the end of summer break she ALWAYS added a supply of bread, buns, & donuts from the freezer. When we got back home…each morning we would put a couple frozen donuts into the hot oven for a few 5 minutes or more… The donuts were as tasty as ever. (Sometimes the microwave just isn’t the answer…lol)
Clong says
I made this tonight after 2 failed attempts from 2 different recipes. I separated the activation of my yeast, proofed it without refrigeration but 2nd proofed it only for 30 minutes. I followed your advises about putting flour on the parchment paper and oiling or buttering the top of the donuts in the 2nd proofing. Thank you for your advises. This came out perfectly.
Shelley says
Hi there…I am attempting donuts for the first time next weekend and your article is amazing for tips and troubleshooting since I know I will need all the help I can get. I have 2 questions if you don’t mind.
1. After the first rise and before the 2nd rise in the fridge, you state to gently remove the plastic wrap to release the air…but do I recover the dough with the plastic wrap for its remaining time in the fridge?
2. I’d like to make 6 regular and 6 filled donuts…can I just use a circle cutter for both kinds or should I form the dough into large balls for the filled? Could I roll the dough thicker for the filled ones and just use a cutter or is rolling the dough better?
Dini says
Hi Shelley!
1 . The post states to gently release the air from the dough. This means to push the dough down to release any air in the dough. You can cover the bowl and keep it back in the fridge afterwards. If you want to you can reshape the dough back into a smooth ball and place it in the bowl, or keep it as it is. It’s always important to keep the bowl covered when proofing dough because otherwise the dough will form a crust which isn’t good.
2 . I prefer to cut my dough whether I make filled or regular donuts. So I would recommend cutting the dough with a circle cutter for both, but also cutting a smaller hole inside the regular donuts (if you want donuts with a hole). Do not cut holes in the donuts you want to fill after frying.
I hope this answers your questions! Let me know if you have any more questions 🙂 I would be happy to help!
Cheers,
Dini
ASF says
The recipe calls for instant yeast but there is a note about using active dry yeast. Aren’t those two different types of yeast? Can you use a tablespoon of either in this recipe?
Dini says
Hi ASF
This recipe uses active dry yeast. Instant yeast is more active, and if you want to use instant yeast, you would have to use less.
Hope that helps.
Shante Richardson says
Hello! My 10 year old son loves to bake and we’re excited to try your donut recipe. We were wondering if there was a way we could make these into chocolate or pumpkin donuts?
Thank you!
Gina says
Hello,
This looks a fab recipe, can you tell me how long the raw dough will last in the fridge? I want to do a large batches cook off a few every day.
Thanks in advance
Dini says
Hi Gina
Thank you! 🙂
I wouldn’t recommend storing raw doughnut dough in the fridge for longer than 48 hours. THe dough will continue to ferment the longer you keep it in the fridge and this will have an impact on the flavor among other things.
You can fry the doughnut, and freeze it (thaw it out overnight in the fridge), but it still won’t be the same as a freshly fried doughnut though.
Natasha says
I let it rise overnight in the fridge 13hours but the top slightly sunk or more so had a huge air bubble that popped? Also when rolling the second time do you know why does it wrinkle and shrink back when rolled or cut?
Thanks so much!
Dini says
Hi Natasha
Sounds like the dough over-proofed slightly in the fridge, but that’s ok since it wasn’t the final proof.
The reason why the dough shrinks during the second roll is because the gluten was over-worked. You will need to wrap the dough and let it rest for a while in the fridge (30 min – 1 hour) to let the dough rest before rolling it out again.
Hope that helps! 🙂
Marilyn says
These are the best doughnut I have ever made 🙂 they taste amazing 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. This is my go to recipe now and forever. I wish I was able to upload the picture I took. I make chocolate covered doughnuts. Maple and chocolate, creamed filled sticks. My husband said ” that is the perfect doughnut” I said I know that’s what the recipe is call. Thank Dini. P.S. AMAZINGLY GOOD 🙂
SheilaLorenzo says
Hi, I wanted to know how is storage of it, i am sorry not a pro on dough..
Do u store it in the freezer after frying or can be after cutting and proofing?
will it last a week? Thanks a lot! I really love the this video 🙂
Dini says
Hi Sheila
I prefer to freeze the doughnuts AFTER frying them, because it makes it easier to just let them thaw out at room temperature. But remember to let the excess oil drain out first, and freeze the doughnuts in an airtight container, with freezer paper or parchment paper between layers. And do not frost them before freezing.
They should last a week in the freezer, but I can’t be sure. The doughnuts are usually over within a couple of days at our home. 🙂
I hope that helps!
Dan says
Steps 8 now nine confuse me, are you supposed to let it proof at room temp for an hour then proof again in the fridge overnight? Or are steps 8/9 interchangeable
Also do you wait for the dough to warm up before rolling it out? Thanks Dan
Dini says
Hi Dan
Thank you for the question, I have re-worded step 8. You can choose to either proof it twice (once at room temperature, and once in the fridge), or a longer proofing time in the fridge. It will be easier to roll out the dough while it’s cold, because warmer dough might be sticker to handle.
Hope that helps!
Floyd Cameron says
Can’t wait to try this recipe. my question is, what oil do you recommend for frying? I would think different oils would make differences in flavor. Thank You.
Dini says
Hi Floyd
I use vegetable shortening, or vegetable oil or peanut oil for frying doughnuts. Whichever one of these I have at hand. These oils don’t really add any flavor to the doughnut either.
I hope that helps!
Brenda Anderson says
Is the water and milk used to proof the yeast or is it used in addition to the yeast mixture? I’m a little confused. Trying these today, I will let you know the results. Thanks for the recipe.
Dini says
Hi Brenda,
I don’t activate the yeast separately, if I already know it’s fresh. I add it straight into the bowl with the flour and all the other ingredients, which is what’s instructed in this recipe. However, if you want to make sure your yeast is still active, or if you suspect your yeast maybe too old, then I recommend activating it first. You can do so by mixing the 1/2 cup of lukewarm water and half of the sugar in a bowl, and stirring in the yeast, and allowing it to stand for a few minutes.
Please refer to the recipe notes, as I have now included a note on activating the yeast. This is NOT in addition to the ingredients listed in the recipe.
I Hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck and I hope you like them! 🙂
Carrie says
Hi, if I put the dough straight away in the fridge, you wrote “at least” 8 hours, is there a maximum time so as not to get an over-proofed dough? Or is the risk of over proofing only in the second proofing (after cutting)?
Dini says
Hi Carrie!
I’ve kept the dough in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The chances of the dough over-proofing in that time in the fridge are very low, especially since all the air is going to be knocked out before cutting the dough into shapes. But as you said, there is a chance of the dough over-proofing during the second rise, so it’s important to keep an eye on them then. Hope that helps!
grace says
Hi, could you tell me how many cups is 500 g of flour is? Thank you.
Dini says
Hi Grace!
1 US Cup of flour is about 125g (using the spoon and level method). 500 g is about 4 US cups, measured with the spoon and level method.
sady says
hello, this recipe turned out really great. The donuts were poofy but they got a bit dense later on. Can you tell me why? because i cant figure out a reason everything went according to instructions and i was so happy to see them rise while the fried. But i dont know why they got a bit dense afterwards.
and also can you please tell me amount of eggs to be used if this recipe was taken in half.
thank you.
Dini says
Hi Sady,
That’s never happened to me, so I’m not sure what would have happened. Can you let me know how long after, that they felt dense? Was it dense or stale? Were the doughnuts glazed or plain?
Another option is to remove the egg yolk and replace it with 1 – 2 tbsp of water instead, but I’m not sure if it will make a difference, as I haven’t experienced this before.
As for halving the recipe, I haven’t halved the recipe to test the results. This recipe is the smallest batch that I usually make. I would recommend weighing the amount of eggs you would use for a full recipe (1 egg and yolk, OR 1 egg), and halving that amount by weight.
Hope that helps!
John says
Can this dough be frozen?
Dini says
Hi John,
I haven’t tried to freeze the doughnut dough before so I cannot be sure unfortunately. I prefer to freeze the fried doughnuts (without the glaze) instead, and allow them to thaw out before being glazed and eaten.
D says
Hi,
Is it ok for doughnuts to smell very alcoholy after taking out of the fridge? Also, the dough sank in the middle, like a cake would, not sure if it’s a problem or an indication that I did something wrong.
Thanks for the recipe!
Dini says
Hi D!
Usually the alcohol smell and the sunken middle indicate that the dough has over-proofed during the first rise, and too much air has accumulated in the overnight rise too. Were you able to release the air from the dough after the first rise?
This has happened to me too when my dough rises too much during the first rise (especially when the weather is really warm). I usually let it rise for about 30 – 40 minutes only when the weather is warm, and then I release the air in the dough and refrigerate overnight. You could still make doughnuts with over-proofed dough, but the yeast flavor would be more prominent.
I hope that helps!
D says
Yes, I guess it was over-proofed the first rise, I let it rise in the oven for an hour and didn’t check during and it was risen quite a lot when I took it to the fridge. But I thought that was good as it was doubled in size, not sure when to stop proofing at this point. I was not sure what it means releasing the air from the dough, does that mean only to move the dough or knead it? Also, how can I prevent too much air accumulating during overnight rise? Sorry, I have some experience with yeast but these things never happened before and thanks a lot for your answers 🙂
D says
And yes, taste was still good but would like to do it in the correct way next time, I am sure I can see the difference 🙂
Dini says
I’m so glad the taste was still ok! 🙂 If you use the oven to proof the dough, it usually will proof faster than at room temperature. To release the air, all you have to do is press the dough gently to remove the air in the dough. This will prevent too much air from accumulating overnight 🙂
Thank you so much for letting me know how they turned out D!
D says
Thanks a lot for your answers, will do another try soon 🙂
Jessie says
What can i use instead of yeast if I only have cornstarch, cream of tartara and how much amount?
And do i steel need to proof it?
Dini says
Hi Jessie
Unfortunately cornstarch and cream of tartar cannot replace yeast as they do completely different things.
If you do want fried “donuts”, I recommend trying churros or french cruller recipes because they don’t use yeast at all!
Hope that helps!
SD says
this recipe os one of a kind i tried it myself but left the dough to prove for an hr and after carefully following the method the result id say was worth it.ive been looking for a good donut recipe for long now and im glad ive found one.Thank you so much Dini for this
Dini says
Thanks so much for letting me know SD! I’m so glad you liked this recipe! 🙂
Tanya says
Sorry for the randomness, but are you Dinali from SHS?
This recipe looks promising, must try! I’ve been overworking myself in the kitchen the last two days so made a decision to undertake bonus baking activities only once a week from now on. Till next time!
Dini says
Hi Tanya, that’s totally fine, and no, I’m not 🙂 And thanks so much, do let me know if you give this recipe a try! 🙂
Maggie says
Anything that can be substituted for eggs?
Dini says
Hi Maggie!
I haven’t made these doughnuts without eggs before, so it’s hard for me to recommend a fool-proof substitute. I have used 1/4 cup of pureed apple instead of 1 egg for certain cake recipes with success, but I’m not sure if it will work for these doughnuts, as these are fried and not baked. You could use an egg replacement product like this, and hopefully it may work!
I hope that helps!
Kristina says
I don’t have a mixer. How long should you be kneeding by hand for?
Dini says
Hi Kristina
Usually the rule of thumb is to knead it for twice as long. But this can vary depending on how you knead the dough. What I recommend is to knead it until the dough is smooth, and shiny. This is a sticky dough, so it will be a little harder to knead. Don’t be tempted to add too much flour as this will make the doughnuts hard.
I hope that helps!
lydia says
looking forward to trying this.
One q tho, what effect would it have on the donuts if I substitute the sugar for brown sugar .Tnx
Dini says
Hi Lydia!
Since brown sugar has a higher moisture content than white sugar, you may have to reduce the amount of water you add to the dough. My advice would be to add half of the water first, and add the rest a tbsp at a time, IF the dough needs more liquid. You can still add all of the water too, but the dough might be stickier than usual then. There will of course be a difference in taste as well, because the brown sugar will add a slight molassy taste (depending on whether you use dark or light brown sugar) which will be really nice.
I hope that helps! 🙂 I would love to know how they came out too.
Cheers,
Dini
Khaela says
I absolutely love this recipe! I think it’s a genius idea to let the dough rise overnight in the fridge I found it very helpful. I have a Q about letting the donuts rise after they’ve been rolled and cut. I accidentally over proved them and found it difficult to peel them away from the pan to fry them. Is there any way to fix them if they’ve been over proved? (I managed to get them off of the pan and into the pot and they turned out really well in everything but the shape.) I don’t make donuts often but when I do, I find that frying them is the best way to go. If you’re going to eat sweet, I say go all out. Loved how straight forward you were for this recipe, most definitely subscribing! 😉
Dini says
Hi Khaela!
Thank you so much and I’m so glad that you did give this recipe a go.
Unfortunately, if the dough overproofs after it has been cut, there’s not much you can do.
You can leave the cut dough out for 5 -10 minutes, uncovered, so that the cut donuts form a “skin” as they dry out, which can make it slightly easier to pick up.
The other option is to re-knead the dough, let it rest, and cut it again.
And I absolutely agree with you. If I am going to have a donut, make it a classic fried one for me too! 😉
Ali says
Hi!
Recipe looks straightforward, and it’s the 4th one I’m about to try, so fingers crossed! Quick Q though, do you activate the yeast in milk and/or water first? I can’t see it in the written recipe (sorry if it’s there ) but it’s in the video, so wasn’t sure if was an oversight, or an unecessary step that you’ve eliminated from the process?
Thanks!
Dini says
Hi Ali!
If I know the yeast is fresh, I don’t always need to activate it. I do that as a precaution to make sure the yeast is still active 🙂 It’s a good idea to activate the yeast, if you’re not entirely sure. Thank you for pointing that out! I will add it as a note to the recipe!
SLing says
Hello. I can’t take fried food. Can these doughnuts be baked instead?
Dini says
Hi! Unfortunately I haven’t tried to bake these doughnuts. Usually if yeasted doughnuts are baked, the texture of the doughnuts change to a more bready texture. There are baked cake doughnut recipes that you could try as well like this one – http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/baked-doughnuts-three-ways-recipe
I hope that helps!
SLing says
Thank you so much. I might just try baking these doughnuts and see how it goes.
Khaela says
Yes there is such a thing as baked donuts (AKA cake donuts but I suggest looking for a specific recipe that says cake donuts because the recipe will have to be changed for them to be baked
I hope this helped 🙂
Cecília says
Hello! You gave all the precise weights/measures, but not for the butter. How much is in grams, please?
Dini says
Hi Cecilia, 4 tbsp of butter = 58g. Thank you for pointing that out. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Cecília Almeida says
Thanks so much!
Matt says
All the tips here are spot on. Solid info backed by someone who has done their homework. The only ingredient missing is diastic malt powder, which takes doughnuts to the next level.
Cecília says
Hello! Do you want to give a little more information, please?
frugal hausfrau says
Dini, what marvelous tips! I love making donuts but don’t make them often enough to really master them (every few years, really!) so now I can see it will be easier to pull them off!
Mollie
Kevin } Keviniscooking says
Love this posts Dini, super good tips and they look amazing. I need to try this soon myself. Thanks so much for sharing this one!
Michelle says
Dini- fantastic tutorial!
I have been intimidated by donuts but this really helped!
Maybe I’ll muster up the courage to try!
Thanks for hosting and have a great weekend!
Michelle
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant says
100% donut perfection. I’m going to have to read this post in stages, a little at a time, to prevent myself from eating my computer.
Jennifer says
You are right on the money when you say that fried is better. I know that everyone wants healthy, gluten free, baked versions but I say that doughnuts are a splurge and if you are going to cheat, go big! I want a fluffy, fried, doughnut with a lot of glaze! Thanks for a great tutorial. I might actually attempt to make these:)
Dini says
Thank you J! 🙂 I get eating baked doughnuts – but if I want to cheat with a proper doughnut, I go big with a fried one 😀
These are so worth it! You definitely need to try them!
Farida says
Wow, you made great effort testing and analyzing results, 2 qs here, did you say there is a video for that or am I dreaming? Then how about mixing by hand or with basic mixer, not a pro one, will it work the same or not? Pinned
Dini says
Hi Farida!
Thank you! 🙂 Yes! there is a video! I had a few issues with uploading it but it’s now on the blog!
It would definitely be better to use your hands or a manual dough whisk to mix the dough because it is a fairly sticky and soft dough. You can use a basic mixer, if the motor is powerful enough for mixing dough (My hand mixer isn’t powerful to knead dough 🙁 )
Farida says
I see , I guess I need to test my hand, thank you!
Bam's Kitchen says
Oh my goodness these little donuts are so spongy, tender, perfectly glazed. Okay, tell us the truth how many donuts did you need to test?! LOL I don’t think my family would have even waited for me to get a shot before these little guys were inhaled. Sharing everywhere!
Dini says
Thank you Bobbi! 🙂 Let’s not reveal the number of doughnuts I had to go through 😉 hahaha!! I’ve never seen my husband so happy to have doughnuts in the freezer! Thank you again! <3