Glazed Donuts

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Making old fashioned donuts is a great weekend activity
• Slightly crisp on the outside and light and tender on the inside
• Sweet glaze made with powdered sugar is impossible to resist
• The best donuts for breakfast, parties or after-dinner dessert
• They’re easy to make with simple pantry staples

Ingredients & substitutions

• White flour: Use all-purpose flour, not cake flour
• Granulated white sugar: helps feed the yeast and gives the donuts just the right amount of sweetness  
• Yeast: you can use either rapid rise or instant yeast 
• Whole milk: I recommend whole milk for the best texture, but you can substitute any milk you like
• Large egg: Bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes so that it easily incorporates into the other ingredients
• Kosher salt: If you don’t have kosher salt, use whatever you have. If your salt has smaller grains (like table salt) you can cut back on the amount by half
• Butter: since salt is added to the dough, you’ll want to use unsalted butter. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before using
• Vegetable oil: use this for deep frying the donuts. Make sure it’s fresh. Since it can go rancid before the date on the bottle, don’t use it if it smells “off”
• Powdered sugar: this will thicken and sweeten the glaze

Frying donuts at home

Yes, this old fashioned donut recipe calls for yeast and yes, it calls for frying. Don't let that intimidate you in the least!

Working with yeast is not as difficult as you may think. Frying donuts at home requires some preparation and some kitchen tools (see below for my recommended tools), but this recipe will walk you through exactly how to do it.

I adapted this donut recipe from one of my tried and true resources, Cook's Illustrated. They did all the recipe testing for us and came up with a tender, light and chewy fried donut recipe that you can easily make at home.

I incorporated some of my own tried and true techniques to make it truly friendly for the homemaker.

Convenient timing for baking your donuts

The old fashioned glazed donut recipe calls for allowing the dough to rise for one hour at room temperature and then placing in the fridge overnight so you can bake the next day.

You can choose to skip the overnight in the fridge step and move directly to cutting out the donuts.

It's entirely optional in terms of which you choose to do. This recipe is meant to allow convenience in terms of timing.

Refrigerating the dough is something called cold fermentation. This allows the dough to develop a more complex flavor and its gluten to relax so that it is easier to roll out.

After the dough has risen, cut out the donuts and allow them to proof a second time.

To speed this up, place the donuts in your cool oven with a loaf pan of boiling water on the lowest rack. Close the door and allow the donuts to rise in the steamy environment.

How to make homemade glazed donuts

Step 1

The first step for making glazed donuts is to stir together the flour, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Then add the milk and egg and use a paddle attachment to combine the ingredients.

Step 2

Use the dough hook attachment to mix the dough on medium-low speed for about 2 minutes, until the ingredients form a ball. Scrape down the bowl every once in a while. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes to allow the gluten to begin to develop.

If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Then add the milk and egg to the flour mixture and stir well. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for several minutes. Once you’ve finished kneading, add it back to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest as instructed above.

Step 3

Add in the salt and room temperature butter, a little bit at a time, allowing each piece to incorporate before adding the next. Let the mixer knead the donut dough for a good 10 or so minutes to let it come together and form a smooth ball.

Step 4

Move the dough to a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. After it has risen for an hour, you can either proceed with making the donuts or chill the dough in the refrigerator for a day or two. That way whenever you’re ready to make the donuts, the dough is ready.

Step 5

Line baking sheets with 14 6x6-inch squares of parchment paper. You’ll use these for the finished donuts and donut holes. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.

Step 6

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle that’s 10x13 inches and about ½ inch thickness. Cut donut shapes out of the dough using a donut cutter. 

If you don’t have a donut cutter you can usually find something else in your kitchen to use instead. (See more ideas below in the FAQ section.)

Place each donut on a parchment paper square.

Step 7

Place the baking sheets with donuts on the upper rack of your unheated oven. Leave them uncovered.

Boil one cup of water in the microwave or on the stove. Set a loaf pan on the lowest rack of your oven and pour in the boiling water, then close the door. Let the donuts rise for about an hour or until doubled in size.

Step 8

While they’re rising, combine the powdered sugar, salt and water in a small mixing bowl. Stir the glaze ingredients together until all the lumps are out and you’re left with smooth icing.

Step 9

Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven until it reaches 360ºF (182ºC). You’ll want the oil to be about 1½ inches deep. Add a donut to the hot oil and fry for 1-1½ minutes per side, until golden brown. Repeat with each donut, one at a time.

Donut holes will need to fry for about 2 minutes before they turn golden and can be removed. A spider skimmer or slotted spoon works great for flipping the donuts and transferring them to a cooling rack. You can place paper towels under the rack to absorb any excess oil.

Cool the donuts for at least five minutes before glazing. 

Step 10

Holding the sides of a donut, dip the top and then the bottom into the glaze. Let the extra glaze drip off before placing each donut on a rack. Repeat with the rest of the donuts and donut holes.

Allow the glaze to dry and firm up for 15-30 minutes. Then it’s time to enjoy the warm donuts, as they are best eaten the day you make them.

On the outside chance you have leftover donuts, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you’d like, you can heat them in the microwave or oven before serving.

Pro tips 

• Make sure you have fresh yeast. If it’s been sitting in your fridge or pantry for longer than you can remember, chances are it’s no good and it’s not going to result in light and airy donuts. Grab yourself a new package of yeast and you'll be glad you did! Any brand will do. As long as it’s fresh it’ll give you the result you’re looking for here with these glazed donuts
• You do not need a deep fryer to fry these donuts. You can use a deep skillet or large dutch oven. Be sure to pour the oil into the pot then turn on the burner. And, be sure that your oil has reached 360ºF (182ºC) before you begin frying. It takes about 5-10 minutes for the oil to reach this temperature. A candy thermometer that clips onto the side of your pot is handy for monitoring the temperature as it rises as well as while you’re frying. If the oil is too hot, your donuts will burn and if the oil is not hot enough, the donuts will soak up all that oil and turn inedible
• When you're done frying the donuts, allow the oil to cool completely in the pot. Never pour it down the kitchen drain, as it'll clog your pipes. You can strain the oil for future frying use into large mason jars using a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. Or, pour it into a container and throw it into the garbage
• Frying anything in your house can cause less than pleasant odors to linger for a while afterwards (this sounds like the beginning of a commercial, doesn't it?!). What I like to do to help get rid of the frying smell is boil a large amount of water in a clean pot, throw in a bunch of bottled lemon juice and vanilla extract (use up the inexpensive kind in the back of your cabinet, save the good stuff for baking!) and let it boil away for about 20 minutes. The lemon and vanilla will amazingly minimize that lingering bad odor. Just watch the water level to make sure it doesn't get too low, otherwise you'll burn the bottom or the pot

FAQs

How can I shape donuts without a donut cutter?

If you look around your kitchen, you’ll probably find plenty of options. Try a biscuit cutter, large glass, or an empty, clean tin can. You could also get creative and use cookie cutters. The centers can be cut out with a shot glass or even the cap off of a water bottle, depending on what size you need. 

What oil is best for frying donuts?

The best oil for frying glazed donuts is vegetable oil or canola oil. Both have a high smoke point and light flavor, so they don’t interfere with the donut taste.

Can I make this recipe into a vegan glazed donut recipe?

To make this recipe vegan, replace the milk with non dairy milk and replace the egg with 1 flax egg.