Basic Fried Doughnut Dough
This fried doughnut dough can be glazed, coated, and filled with all sorts! It’s a simple, lightly enriched dough that’s easy to work with.
This dough can be made by hand, but I find it easiest to make it in a stand mixer. It needs enough mixing time to develop the gluten in the dough properly.
You can make and fry the doughnuts all in one day, or make the dough the evening before and let it proof overnight in the refrigerator.
Equipment
- Stand mixer. The dough is easiest to make in a mixer, but it can be made by hand too.
- Something to cut the doughnuts. I use a cookie butter to cut mine, or if I don’t have that, then I use a drinking glass.
- A large pot and candy thermometer, or a deep-dryer. If you’re not using a deep fryer, a candy thermometer to gauge the oil temperature is really helpful.
How it’s done
- Start with proofing your yeast in a stand mixer bowl with milk and sugar.
- Let it get nice and foamy
- Then add in the flour, eggs and salt.
- Mix it into a thick dough.
- Add in room temperature butter and mix in a few pieces at a time.
- Keep mixing for around 10 minutes.
- Window pane test – Proper gluten development will let you stretch the dough so thin you can see through it.
- Place the dough in a bowl and cover tightly.
- Let it rise until doubled in size.
Shaping
- Roll the dough out into a rectangle and cut out the shapes.
- Place them on parchment paper. I cut around each doughnut so that I can transfer them easily into the oil.
- Let them rise and preheat the oil.
- Add them to the hot oil and fry 2-3 at a time.
- Fry a couple of minutes on each side.
- Remove the doughnuts with a slotted spoon and let them drain on paper towels.
Topping and filling
You can coat the doughnuts in caster sugar or powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or use a glaze. They’re also perfect to fill thanks to their big size! Make a small hole in the side, and pipe in:
Basic Fried Doughnut Dough
This fried doughnut dough can be glazed, coated, and filled with all sorts! It’s a simple, lightly enriched dough that’s easy to work with.
Ingredients
- 7 g instant yeast or active dried yeast
- 25 g granulated sugar
- 180 g whole milk lukewarm
- 405 g all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 45 g unsalted butter softened
Frying
- 1-2 quarts neutral oil enough to fill the pot around 3" deep.
Coating
- 100 g superfine sugar
- Fillings of your choice.
Instructions
- Add the warm milk and stir in the yeast and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. If using active dry yeast, let this sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- Add the eggs, flour, and salt to the milk mixture. Turn the mixer on low speed or use your hands to combine until it forms a sticky, thick dough. Mix this dough for around 2 minutes to begin developing the gluten.
- Add the softened butter. Turn the mixer on medium speed until the sticky dough strengthens and comes together. In the mixer, it should pull away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. Mix the dough for at least 10 minutes for the best gluten development. The dough should feel smooth, soft, and strong.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a large bowl. Cover the bowl tightly and let it proof in a warm spot until doubled in size. You can also proof the dough in the refrigerator overnight for extra flavor.
Shaping
- Punch down the dough and pull it from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. If it is refrigerated, it will be stiffer.
- Form it into a mound and lightly flour the top. Then roll it into a ½ inch/ 1.3cm thick rectangle.
- Use a cookie cutter or jar lid to cut out round donuts about 3.5 inches/9 cm in diameter. Place each cut donut onto some parchment paper.
- Any dough scraps can be kneaded back into a ball and rolled out again. Leave the dough scraps to rest for a few minutes before rolling out again. This allows the gluten to relax again so the dough doesn't spring back when rolled.
- Let the donuts rest for 30-60 minutes until they are puffy. If drying out, lightly brush the tops with a little water. Use kitchen scissors to cut around each donut on the parchment paper so each donut is sitting on an individual piece of parchment.
Frying
- When nearly ready to fry, pour the frying oil into a deep fryer or a deep pot and heat it to around 340°F / 171°C – 347°F / 175°C.
- Carefully drop 1-2 donuts into the oil and remove the parchment paper with tongs. Fry the donuts for 2 minutes on one side, flip them, and fry for 2 minutes on the other side. Ensure the oil in the pot stays hot, but don't let it surpass 350°F / 177°C, or the donuts will burn before they can cook in the middle.
- Remove the fried donuts with a slotted spoon and let them drain for 20-30 seconds before placing them on paper towels to abosrb any excess oil.
- When the doughnuts have cooled, toss them in superfine sugar and fill them with your favorite fillings. Make a small hole in the side of the doughnuts and use a piping bag fitted with a small round tip to stuff them with fillings of your choice.
Notes
Filling Ideas
Measurements: Both grams and cup sizes are available for this recipe. Just use the toggle on the recipe card.Nutrition
Calories: 185kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 137mgPotassium: 63mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 149IUCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg
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