Buzz
Donuts come in a variety of shapes and sizes, making them the perfect treat to indulge in on a lazy weekend or to spark your interest in baking. While store-bought donuts are delicious, homemade ones are even better. Below are three special donut recipes that will leave you craving more. Let’s dive in!
- Preparation time (for fried donuts with glaze): 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Cooking time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Ingredients
Ingredients for making fried donuts with glaze
- 2 packets (about 700g) of dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water (40-45°C)
- 1½ cups warm milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup shortening
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 liter vegetable oil for frying
Glaze for donuts:
- ⅓ cup butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons hot water or as needed
Ingredients for making baked donuts with glaze
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon shortening (or 2 tablespoons melted butter)
Glaze for donuts:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Ingredients for making Canadian-style fried donuts
- ½ cup warm water (around 45°C)
- 5 teaspoons dry yeast
- 1 pinch granulated sugar
- 1 cup warm milk (around 45°C)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs, beaten
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 5 cups whole wheat flour, divided
- 1 liter vegetable oil for frying
Sugar coating:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder, or to taste
Steps
Fried donuts with glaze
Stir yeast into warm water in a small bowl. Warm water is essential to activate the yeast, which helps the donut dough rise and become fluffy. Let the yeast activate for 5 minutes.
Mix the activated yeast, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of flour using a mixer on low speed. Alternatively, you can use a wooden spoon and mix by hand, ensuring the dry ingredients are combined first, then the wet ingredients separately, before combining both.
Add the remaining flour, half a cup at a time, mixing on low speed. Continue until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl.
Knead the dough by hand and punch it for about 5 minutes until it becomes smooth yet elastic.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl to let it rise. Cover the dough with a towel and wait until it doubles in size (about 1 hour). When you can press your finger into the dough and it leaves an indentation, the proofing is complete.
Prepare a floured surface to roll the dough into a sheet about 1.3cm thick. Use a floured donut cutter to cut the dough, or use a knife to shape it into donuts.
Proof the dough pieces again until they double in size (about 30-60 minutes). Arrange the dough pieces on a tray and cover them with a clean, large towel.
Prepare the glaze while the dough is proofing. This will be a classic butter glaze, unlike the popular Krispy Kreme glaze in the US. Make the glaze as follows:
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the butter.
- Pour the butter into a bowl and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add hot water, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is no longer thick but not as thin as water.
Heat oil in a pan to 175℃. Use a cooking thermometer to ensure the temperature is accurate.
- To prevent the donuts from absorbing too much oil, heat the oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, then gradually reduce the heat until the thermometer reads 175℃.
Carefully drop the dough pieces into the oil using tongs or a metal skimmer. Flip the dough when it rises to the surface. Fry both sides evenly until golden brown.
Remove the donuts from the pan and place them on a wire rack to drain excess oil. Ensure the donuts are free of excess oil before glazing.
While the donuts are still warm, dip them into the glaze to ensure even coverage. Place the donuts on a wire rack to let the glaze set, then enjoy immediately.
Baked donuts with glaze
Preheat the oven to 165℃. Lightly grease the donut baking pan.
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl.
Whisk milk, eggs, vanilla, and shortening before adding to the dry ingredients. Mix the batter until fully combined.
Fill each donut mold 3/4 full with batter. The donut batter will rise as it bakes in the oven.
Bake the donuts for 8-10 minutes, until they spring back when touched. Let the donuts cool before removing them from the molds.
Whisk the glaze and drizzle it over the donuts. In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, hot water, and almond extract until smooth and thick. Dip the warm donuts into the glaze and let the excess drip off.
Canadian-style fried donuts
Stir yeast, warm water, and a pinch of sugar in a large bowl until bubbles form (about 5 minutes).
Add milk, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, vanilla extract, eggs, and 1/3 cup vegetable oil to the yeast mixture. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
Mix in about 2.5 cups of whole wheat flour. Stir until the dough becomes too stiff to add more flour. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead in more flour until it no longer sticks. Continue kneading until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
Shape the dough into a large ball, place it in an oiled bowl, and cover. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, which takes about 1 hour.
Place the dough ball on a floured surface and knead it again to shape it. Divide the dough into small portions, each about the size of a tablespoon.
Roll the small dough portions into long strips or oval shapes. You can use a rolling pin or just your hands. The dough should be about 0.6cm thick. In Canada, these fried donuts are often called "beaver tails," so let your imagination run wild!
Cover the rolled dough with a towel while shaping the remaining dough.
Heat oil in a pan to 190℃. The oil should be about 10-12cm deep.
While heating the oil, mix 2 cups of sugar with cinnamon to prepare for dusting the donuts.
Gently drop the dough pieces into the hot oil, one at a time, frying for about 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. Then place the donuts on a wire rack.
Use a paper towel to absorb excess oil from the donuts. Roll the still-warm donuts in the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Enjoy.
Tips
- Always flour the surface used for handling dough, as sticky dough can be difficult to remove once it adheres.
- If vanilla extract is unavailable for the glaze, you can substitute it with lemon extract or fresh lemon juice.
Warnings
- Be cautious to avoid burns from hot oil, pans, or heated metal utensils.
