Updated June 11, 2019 (Originally posted April 10, 2016)
If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may have seen my experiments with homemade doughnuts. My first batch was okay, but they deflated as they cooled and tasted oily. The dough was bland, and only the chocolate ganache and pastry cream saved them. After several adjustments, I finally landed on a recipe that produces light, airy, classic yeasted doughnuts. They aren’t flashy like jelly or maple-bacon varieties, but they’re a reliable, delicious everyday doughnut.
How to make homemade doughnuts
The best part of this recipe is that you can make the dough in a bread machine. Add all ingredients to the machine and use the dough setting — then relax while it mixes and rises. If you don’t have a bread machine, a stand mixer or hand kneading works fine. Heat the water to about 104°F/40°C, stir in the yeast and a bit of sugar, and let it activate for five minutes. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add a room-temperature beaten egg, melted butter, and the yeast mixture. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled.
When the dough has risen, turn it onto a floured surface and roll to about ½ in (1.3 cm) thick. Cut 3 in (8 cm) circles with a cookie cutter or a glass, and cut a smaller circle from the center to form the hole — use the scraps for doughnut holes. Place each ring on individual pieces of parchment paper for the second rise.
Cover the doughnuts and let them rise again in a warm place until doubled; mine took about 30 minutes at 95°F (35°C). Heat oil to 356°F (180°C) and fry each doughnut about one minute per side until golden. Transfer fried doughnuts to a wire rack set over paper towels to drain.
If you see a pale ring around the doughnut, that’s a good sign: it means the dough rose properly. Finish the doughnuts however you like — glaze them, dip in chocolate and add sprinkles, or toss in granulated or cinnamon sugar for crunch. Be creative and enjoy.
Tips for making doughnuts
1. Let the doughnuts rise on individual pieces of parchment paper. Placing each doughnut on its own square of parchment makes frying easier. You can drop the parchment and dough straight into the oil and remove the paper with tongs or chopsticks as the doughnut floats.
2. Don’t reroll the scraps. Re-rolling the scraps produces dense, uneven doughnuts. Instead, shape extra doughnut holes or cut the scraps into small pieces to fry separately. They’ll still be tasty without ruining the texture.
These doughnuts are light and airy, and despite being fried, they don’t taste greasy. Bite into one and you’ll notice the fluffy interior that defines a classic yeast doughnut.
I rolled the doughnut holes in cinnamon sugar and they were just as delicious — sweet, crisp on the outside and tender inside.
The dough gets wonderfully puffy and soft when handled gently.
If you enjoy doughnuts, try variations like blueberry cream cheese doughnuts or apple doughnuts for different flavors.
Homemade Doughnuts
Equipment
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1 bread machine with dough setting (optional)
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups bread flour
- 2½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon milk powder
- ½ tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup water
Instructions
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Place all ingredients into a bread machine and select the dough setting. If making by hand, combine ingredients, activate the yeast in warm water, and knead until smooth.
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Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll to about ½ in (1.3 cm). Cut 3 in (8 cm) circles and a smaller center circle. Place each ring on a piece of parchment, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled.
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Heat oil to 356°F (180°C). Fry each doughnut about one minute per side, then transfer to a wire rack over paper towels to drain. Finish with glaze, chocolate, or sugar as desired.
Nutrition
Save the image for later inspiration.