Homemade Yeast Doughnuts

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Sometimes the craving for a sweet treat strikes and personally for me, nothing beats a freshly made plain glazed doughnut. Soft, pillowy, and sweet, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a strong hot coffee on a lazy Sunday morning.

Making these doughnuts has become a new tradition in my household. Every month or so I’ll dedicate a weekend to making them for a Sunday morning breakfast. I make the dough the night before, wake up early, prep and proof the doughnuts and quickly fry and glaze them, giving them time to rest. When they’re ready, I’ll put on a big pot of coffee, start the record player, savour my surroundings and enjoy.

If you like Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnuts, this is the perfect recipe for you. Similar in taste and texture, these doughnuts are incredibly easy to make but do require some patience. To create depth of flavour and that light and fluffy “melt in your mouth” texture, you need to give the dough time to rest overnight and time to proof before frying. The time spent in the process yields a wonderful result, well worth the wait. Give them a try!

Ingredients for Dough

  • 1 & 1/8 cup warm milk
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast
  • 2 whole large eggs
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Oil for frying (canola or sunflower is best)

Ingredients for Glaze

  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 tsps vanilla
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • Enough cream to thin to school glue consistency
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

To make the dough:

  • Warm the milk to 110 degrees F
  • Add the milk, sugar, and yeast to stand mixer, stir in gently and let rest for 5 minutes
  • Add the eggs (lightly beaten), melted butter, and salt to the mixer and turn on low with the whisk attachment to blend ingredients together
  • Switch attachment to a dough hook
  • Turn mixer on low while spooning in the flour until completely incorporated
  • Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes to knead the dough
  • Turn off the mixer and let the dough stand for 10 minutes
  • Turn dough into a large oiled bowl, wrap with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight
  • Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface, cut out doughnuts, and place on greased parchment paper-lined baking tray
  • Cover the doughnuts with a clean dish towel and let rise for 2 hours
  • Fry doughnuts in sunflower or canola oil (oil must be 350-375 degrees F) use a slotted spoon to turn and remove
  • Make sure to glaze the doughnuts while still warm (not hot) and let rest to cool and set before eating

To make the glaze:

  • Melt the butter in a large bowl
  • Add the vanilla, stir to combine
  • Add the powdered sugar slowly, mixing as you go to form a thick paste
  • Thin out the mixture with one tbsp of milk at a time, look to match the viscosity of white school glue