The fluffiest. most versatile donuts I have ever made! They come together in one big bowl and are very beginner friendly.
Easy, soft, yeasty, perfectly balanced donuts that anyone can make.
Making donuts has always seemed daunting to me. Honestly. making any kind of dough always made me a little afraid of making mistakes and ultimately wasting ingredients
However, when I saw this recipe from the wonderful creator (chelseylujan) on TikTok, I had to try it. Now, I am beyond happy that I did! Because I've easily and successfully made these dozens of times and there was little to no learning curve.
I was even able to tweak it a little bit to my likings and now it is my favorite recipe in my arsenal.
The dough comes together quickly with a stand mixer and even without. I have tried making it both ways. And I have made a bunch of wonderful variations, which I will go into detail about below.
Shockingly, I really prefer them simply rolled in sugar. You can savor the full pillowy soft texture and really taste the complexities of the dough. But, there's never anything wrong with switching things up.
I suspect you could reduce the sugar and even use this recipe for something savory. I plan on trying that soon.
Some of my favorite fillings so far have been Lemon Curd, Diplomat Cream (pastry cream + whipped cream), and my easy Strawberry Compote. Making an assorted batch of these donuts is a breeze since the dough is so versatile.
What you will need:
Active Dry Yeast - make sure to check the expiration date on your yeast for the best results
Water - warm water that is not too hot, otherwise it can make the yeast less effective
Milk - whole milk that has been heated either on the stove or the microwave until it is hot
Butter - unsalted butter that has been melted
Eggs - large, room temperature eggs are ideal
Salt - kosher salt is ideal, but you may use whatever you have on hand
Flour - all-purpose flour, sifted and measured with a scale or spooned into a measuring cup after being fluffed
Flavorless Oil - vegetable oil is my go to, but you can use whatever oil you have handy and won't leave a strong flavor
MUST KNOW TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL DONUTS
I highly reccomend you use a thermometer when frying these donuts....when you fry anything really. It's the best way to ensure the exterior does not cook and brown faster than the inside. Otherwise, you will have a golden donut that is still raw dough in the middle.
The inexpensive thermometer I use is here >>> Amazon Link (affiliate)
The stand mixer I use is here >>> Amazon Link (affiliate)
By the way, I am super duper grateful to all of you that utilize my affiliate links. Every purchase gives a little support to the blog, by helping me afford the ingredients to trial and error all of these yummy recipes and ultimately share them with you. 💜💜💜
Back to the donut tips....
The dough will be very sticky, so it is important that you flour your work surface very well before rolling the dough out.
Also, the fastest and simplest way to portion your donuts out is to use a circle cutter. I used a 4" cutter, but you can use one that is smaller to yield more donuts.
However, I did discover that if you weigh the dough and roll it into a ball by hand, the final donuts are a little more flawless and puffier. I also preferred the look of them.
I find the best way to roll them by hand is to tuck the edges of the dough underneath, pinching them together out of sight, before rolling it between cupped hands to smooth it out.
After rolling them or cutting them into a donut shape, place them onto parchment paper to rise an additonal 30 monutes.
The best way to transfer them to your hot oil is to just cut apart the parchment paper that they are on. Lift the entire parchment square and place it directly into the oil. After a few seconds, the parchment should easily slip from underneath the donut, and then you can discard of it.
Be sure to continuously check the oil temperature. Turn the heat down, when you are just about at the ideal temperature. For me, that is 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
If the temperature goes above 325F, I turn the heat down and proceed. However, if the temperature exceeds 350F, I turn the heat down and wait for it to go back underneath 350F before adding another donut. This just ensures I do not have donuts that appear cooked but are raw in the middle.
When the donuts are golden and ready to be removed from the hot oil, I place them on a wire rack to cool for a bit, before rolling them in sugar. Cinnamon sugar is another great option too.
Either way, you will know after the first bite that your efforts were more than worth it.
Happy Baking!
Keep this recipe close by, because I know you will want to make it again and again. Also, if you want to trick some people into thinking you went to pastry school, do not forget to try out the Lemon Curd and Pastry Cream recipes to take these donuts to the next level.