Description
These easy homemade donuts are light, fluffy, and absolutely delicious! Made with simple ingredients and classic yeast dough, they taste just like your favorite bakery donuts but cost a fraction of the price. Perfect for weekend breakfast treats or special occasions, these donuts can be customized with any glaze or topping you love.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Donuts:
- 2½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
- ¾ cup (180ml) whole milk, warmed to 110°F
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6–8 cups vegetable oil for frying
For the Classic Glaze:
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ cup (60ml) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Proof the yeast: In a small bowl, combine the warm milk (110°F) and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy and bubbly. If it doesn’t foam, your yeast is dead – start over with fresh yeast and check your milk temperature.
- Mix the dough: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or in a large bowl), combine the flour, remaining sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Add the proofed yeast mixture, softened butter, egg yolks, and vanilla extract.
- Knead the dough: Mix on low speed until the ingredients come together, then increase to medium speed and knead for 5-7 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky. If using a hand mixer or kneading by hand, this will take about 8-10 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl but still stick slightly to the bottom.
- First rise: Form the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 1-1½ hours, or until doubled in size. A good trick is to place it in an oven with just the light on.
- Roll and cut: Once risen, punch down the dough to release air bubbles. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it to about ½-inch thickness. Using a donut cutter or two round cutters (3-inch for the donut, 1-inch for the hole), cut out as many donuts as possible. Place each donut and hole on individual parchment paper squares on a baking sheet. Gather scraps, re-roll once, and cut more donuts.
- Second rise: Cover the cut donuts loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let them rise for 30-45 minutes until puffy and nearly doubled. They should feel light and airy when gently touched. Don’t skip this rise – it’s crucial for fluffy donuts!
- Heat the oil: About 15 minutes before frying, heat 2-3 inches of oil in your heavy pot or Dutch oven to 350-375°F. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature – this is critical for perfect donuts. Too hot and they’ll burn outside while staying raw inside; too cool and they’ll absorb too much oil and be greasy.
- Fry the donuts: Carefully place 2-3 donuts at a time into the hot oil using the parchment paper to lower them in (the paper will float and can be removed with tongs). Don’t overcrowd the pot. Fry for about 1 minute per side, or until golden brown. The donuts will float and puff up beautifully.
- Drain: Using a slotted spoon or spider strainer, carefully remove donuts and place them on a wire rack set over paper towels to drain. Let them cool for 2-3 minutes before glazing.
- Make the glaze: While donuts cool slightly, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. The glaze should be thin enough to coat easily but thick enough to set – add more milk to thin or more powdered sugar to thicken.
- Glaze the donuts: While still slightly warm, dip the top of each donut into the glaze, allowing excess to drip off. Place back on the wire rack and let the glaze set for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve: Enjoy your homemade donuts fresh and warm! They’re best eaten within a few hours of making but will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
- Temperature matters – Both the milk for proofing yeast and the oil for frying must be at the correct temperature. Invest in a good thermometer.
- Don’t skip the rises – Both rising periods are essential for light, fluffy donuts. Rushing this step results in dense, heavy donuts.
- Work in batches – Only fry 2-3 donuts at a time to maintain oil temperature and prevent overcrowding.
- Watch the oil temperature – It will drop when you add donuts, so adjust heat as needed to maintain 350-375°F.
- Fresh is best – Homemade donuts are absolutely best the day they’re made, preferably within a few hours.
- Save those donut holes – Fry them too! They cook faster (about 45 seconds per side) and make delicious little treats.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 glazed donut
- Calories: 245
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 165mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 40mg