Is it Homemade Donuts or Homemade Doughnuts?? Either way with this recipe for Homemade Donuts, you are going to have freshly fried, soft, fluffy, glazed donuts that are irresistible. This donut recipe starts with a basic dough that fries up perfect to make easy and delicious donuts.
Looking for other yummy bread recipes? Check out my recipes for: Butter Croissants, Fry Bread or Easy Dutch Oven Bread.
Homemade Donuts
When you make homemade donuts, you can choose your own adventure. Go with a plain glazed donut, dip it in chocolate, pile it up with sprinkles or leave those just for the kids, this is YOUR donut, make it your way!!
We love this homemade donut recipe. It really isn’t hard to make, just takes time to allow the dough to rise and get perfectly fluffy before quickly frying it up in some oil. No one can resist a piping hot donut dripping in glaze right out of the fryer!!
Frying Homemade Donuts
Frying things sound a little intimidating? I totally understand, I’ve heard too many horror stories of kitchens going up in flame from hot oil, but if you are careful, you will be totally fine. The best kitchen tool I have to prevent this from happening is a good thermometer. I use a Thermapen One, it is an instant read thermometer that helps me keep my oil from getting too hot.
Another thermometer that works great for frying is this Kitchen Thermometer that can stay in the pan while frying.
Homemade Donuts Ingredients
This homemade donut recipe uses a simple dough recipe that comes together quick and only uses a few simple ingredients. To make this donut recipe you will need:
- Whole Milk– the higher fat content in whole milk aids in making this a soft and fluffy doughnut. You can use a lower fat content milk, but just know it will affect the texture of the donuts.
- Water– adding liquid to help activate the yeast
- Eggs-added fat and help with the texture and overall structure of the donuts
- Vanilla– for the most delicious flavor, use pure vanilla, not vanilla extract
- Flour– all purpose flour is perfect for this recipe
- Yeast– I prefer to use Instant Yeast, it cuts down on the rising times and works just as well as regular active yeast.
- Sugar– helps activate the yeast and we are making a treat here, so we want it to be sweet!
- Salt– just a pinch to balance out the flavors
- Butter– cold and unsalted as to not over salt the dough.
- Oil-for frying. Use an oil that can cook at high temperatures such as canola or sunflower oil.
Donut Dough
Let’s walk through the steps and some tips to make the simple donut dough recipe.
- Combine together the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Whisk together. Then using a grater, grate in the butter to the flour mixture and just toss it until it is coated with flour.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the two eggs, warm milk, water and vanilla. If you are using the Instant Yeast make sure that your water and milk temperatures are at least 120º F.
- Mix everything together in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook until a soft, slightly sticky dough is formed. Mix for about 5 minutes. This can also be done by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer.
- Place the dough into a grease bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel or greased plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place (or in the oven on proof) until doubled in size. About 1 hour.
- Punch down the dough and place on a lightly floured surface, need for 2-3 minutes.
- Roll out the dough to 3/4 inch thick and cut out the dough into 3 inch circles with a 1 inch center hole. I use these round cookie cutters to cut out the dough.
- Place the donuts onto a parchment lined baking sheet, cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.
How to Fry Donuts in Oil
After the donuts have risen for the last time, it is time to make them golden brown and delicious!! To fry the donuts, pour about 3 cups of canola oil into a deep cast iron pan or a deep pot.
Heat the oil up over medium high heat until it reaches 325º F. Carefully place the donuts into the oil. I like to use a chopstick to pick the donut up in the center and gently place it into the oil.
Be sure to continue to check the temperature of your oil frequently and adjusting the stove heat as needed. Once the donuts have browned on one side, carefully flip them over and allow to fry for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Remove the donuts from the oil to a cooling rack over a paper towel lined baking sheet. Place the donuts into the glaze while they are still warm.
How to make Glaze for Donuts
For a simple vanilla donut glaze you just need 3 ingredients. Combine together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.
For the chocolate glaze add chocolate chips and vanilla to warmed heavy cream and stir until the chocolate chips have melted.
Dip the warm donuts fully into the vanilla glaze or just the top with the chocolate, top with your favorite sprinkles and enjoy!
Homemade Donut Recipe
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Homemade Donuts Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold
- 1 cup whole milk, warm
- 1/2 cup water, warm
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- canola oil, for frying
Vanilla Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 7 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate Glaze
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 4 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Mix to combine. Grate the cold butter into the flour mixture and toss to coat the butter with flour.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add in two eggs, milk, water and vanilla. The water and milk should be at least 120º F to activate the yeast.
- Using the hook of the stand mixer, or a wooden spoon if mixing by hand, mix the ingredients until a soft, slightly sticky dough is formed. Add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time if needed.
- Knead for about 5 minutes.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and allow to rise in a warm place for at least an hour, until it has doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough and place on a lightly floured surface, roll out to about 3/4 inch thick.
- Cut the donuts into 3 inch rounds with a 1 inch circle in the center
- Place the donuts onto a parchment lined baking sheet, cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Heat about 3 cups of oil in a deep dutch oven pan or pot to 325º F. Carefully fry the donuts for about 3 minutes per side until they are golden brown.
- Place onto a cooling rack over a paper towel lined baking sheet.
- While the donuts are still warm, dip the top into a chocolate glaze or the whole donut into the vanilla glaze.
Vanilla Glaze
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until the glaze has formed. Dip warm donuts into the glaze, then place onto a cooling rack to allow excess to drip off of the donuts.
Chocolate Glaze
- Microwave the heavy cream for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until very hot. Add in the chocolate chips and vanilla and stir until the chocolate chips are melted. Dip the tops of the warm donuts into the chocolate, shake off any excess as needed.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are just an estimate.
- Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the cooking oil. The temperature of the oil will go down as donuts are added to the oil, just adjust the heat as needed.
- For ease of cooking, use a chopstick to place the donuts into the oil as well as to flip the donuts.
Nutrition
This recipe for Homemade Donuts, makes freshly fried, soft, fluffy, glazed donuts that are irresistible. This donut recipe starts with a basic dough that fries up perfect to make easy and delicious donuts every time.
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