Doughnuts, delightfully plump and fluffy, whether coated in sugar, glazed with chocolate, or crowned with royal icing, hold the title of the ultimate favorite snack The fluffy donut, whether filled or not, also known as doughnuts, is a favorite treat for children, just like pancakes, waffles, and crepes
Quick and easy doughnuts to make
The best super soft homemade doughnuts
Table of Contents
The American donut is a generous-sized pastry delight in the shape of a ring, deep-fried to golden perfection and generously coated with sugar. They can be glazed with chocolate or royal icing. In fact, they’re the most popular. They can be glazed and filled as you like, to suit every taste.
It’s a great idea for a treat that will delight everyone, especially your kids. You know what you need to do for their next snack time. These are the best doughnuts I’ve ever had. This recipe yields donuts that are as good, if not better, than those from Starbucks and Dunkin’ Doughnuts
Chocolate glazed doughnuts and royal icing
My recipe for soft, fluffy, and foolproof doughnuts
What could be better for a snack than these big, soft, and plump doughnuts from the USA. Some call them doonut, others doughnuts. Homemade doughnuts gained popularity in the 1950s after the opening of the Dunkin franchise in Massachusett.
This recipe is really easy to make and gives excellent results. I tried several recipes, but I was never 100% satisfied (I’m super picky, agree!), except with this one that stands out as the best one in my opinion, considering all factors. Depending on the thickness of the dough, you can make big, plumpy, fluffy doughnuts.
You can fill them with chocolate spread or simply enjoy them with a chocolate glaze or royal icing
The craze for these doughnuts mainly exploded thanks to the animated series The Simpsons. You’ve probably seen those big pink doughnuts that Homer, the main character of the series, loves so much. Homer’s favorite donuts are covered in pink-colored icing and sprinkled with multicolored sprinkles (funfetti)
In the USA, the common term for donuts is doughnuts
Mmmh a doonut !
remember? Homer Simpson catchphrase often uttered by particularly a drawn-out sound “Hmmh dounts” and salivating at the thought of enjoying one
American doughnuts with chocolate glaze
I guarantee you’ll love this easy homemade doughnuts recipe and probably make it a favorite. You can also make it for celebrate Mardi Gras “Fat tuesday”, On the day of the carnival festivities.
Tips and tricks for making homemade soft doughnuts
I’m often asked how long to let donut dough rise? Rising time depends on the ambient temperature, the initial temperature of the ingredients and the time it takes for the yeast to activate.
- If you use cold milk straight from the refrigerator, the dough will take longer to rise. You should warm it up to make it lukewarm. It must not be hot
- To speed up the rising process, add a teaspoon of sugar with the yeast dissolved in lukewarm milk. Very important, be careful with the milk temperature; warm it gently. If it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast It should be just lukewarm.
- Put the dough in a draft-free place, well covered. In summer, the dough rises very quickly. In winter, it will take longer.
- The salt must never come into contact with the baker’s yeast, as it will deactivate it. Add it last to the mixer bowl.
- Before starting, proof the yeast to make sure it’s active and not expired. Mix it with a bit of lukewarm milk and a teaspoon of sugar. put it aside for ten minutes. The mixture will become foamy, which is a sign that the yeast is active and viable. This will prevent you from having an unpleasant surprise.
very soft glazed doughnuts
- If the dough is really sticky, add a little more flour. The dough is sticky, but as it rises, it will gain strength (well-developed gluten) and you’ll be able to shape it easily into a ball. The dough should be smooth and soft.
- Place each shaped doughnuts on a square of parchment paper and leave to rise. This makes it easier to transfer them to the frying or baking pan without distorting their shape. put them into the oil with the paper. Remove the paper as soon as they hold their shape well.
- To have the characteristic white line around the doughnut, do not press it down to fully submerge it in the oil. Let it float and brown on one side, then turn it over to brown on the other.
- To coat them in sugar and make it adhere well, you should roll them in it while they are still warm. After frying, use a suitable skimmer to remove them from the frying pan and drain excess oil, then roll generously in granulated sugar. put on a wire rack.
Can I prepare the donut dough the day before?
Yes, you have two options :
1. Leave your dough to rise at room temperature until it doubles in size. Deflate it (to release any trapped air bubbles),form it into a ball, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave to rest in the fridge overnight.
The next day, let it come to room temperature to regain its flexibility before rolling it out and cutting out the doughnuts. Let them rise for the time specified in the recipe.
2. Prepare your dough and let it rise until it doubles in volume. Roll out the dough, cut out the doughnuts and put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Wrap the baking sheet in cling film and put it in the refrigerator overnight to rise slowly. The next day, let them rise at room temperature for 1 hour before frying.
Can donuts be stuffed?
Yes, of course. Once baked and cooled, you can fill them with light custard, jam, spread paste or fruit confit.
Use a piping bag with a special nozzle to fill them. Fill the piping bag, then make a hole into the doughnut and insert the piping into it. Apply gentle pressure on the piping bag to fill.
Donuts tested by coralie
How to store doughnuts ?
It’s worth noting that they won’t be as good as when they are freshly prepared. However, it is still possible to achieve good conservation results.
f they are not glazed, place them in a plastic container covered with aluminum foil. Cover with another sheet of aluminum foil. Close tightly the container. You can store them for up to 3 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.
Before using , reheat every 10 second in the microwave, checking each time until they become as soft as you like them. Keep an eye on it to prevent it from drying out.
If they are glazed , keep them at room temperature in a cool place.
If you have frozen them, take them out of the freezer first and let them thaw at room temperature. Then reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds.
Soft donuts
Difficulty: easy
Ingredients:
NB: You can print out the recipe-card without the photos below.
Doughnuts dough
- 300 g (10.5 oz) flour
- 4 g dry (0.14 oz) yeast or 8 g (0.3 oz)fresh baker’s yeast
- 125 ml (4.4 oz) milk
- 1 egg
- 50 g (1.8 oz)sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder or one sachet vanilla sugar
- 30 g (1 oz)butter
Donut icing
Depending on your taste, you will need :
- powdered sugar
- a little milk
- dark or milk chocolate
- multicolored sugar beads
- caster sugar
Preparation steps
1. Warm the milk and pour a bit of it over the yeast to dissolve it.
2. Melt butter and allow to cool.
3. Place in the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixing bowl : the milk, yeast, butter, vanilla, sugar, egg, and a pinch of salt. Blend all.
4. Add the flour and salt, and knead for 5 minutes (the dough may be slightly sticky, depending on the flour’s absorption). Only add flour if it’s really sticky.
5. Let it rise for 1 to 1.5 hours; the dough should double in size. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1 cm (0.4 in) if you want plump donuts, on a well-floured work surface.
7. Using an 8 cm (3.14 in) round biscuit cutter or cup, cut out discs.
8. make a hole in the middle of the doughnut using a small round cookie cutter or a bottle cap. doughnut cutter.
9. Place them on a sheet of parchment paper, cover, and let them double in size.
homemade doughnut dough
Donuts formed before 2nd proof
If you are afraid of deforming them when you put them in the oil, cut around the parchment paper and place it with the donut in the oil.
You can cut small squares of parchment paper before and put a donut on each square before letting them rise.
Doughnuts well risen before baking
10. Fry them in a hot oil bath. As soon as the donut rises, remove the parchment paper. Turn them over when the bottom side is golden brown.
To give them time to cook through and turn a lovely golden color, the heat should be medium
Cooking donuts in oil
11. After frying, use a suitable skimmer to remove them from the oil for efficient draining, then put them on absorbent paper. Leave to cool before icing and filling with nutella or jam.
You can use homemade nutella: nutella by Christophe Michalak
Homemade doughnuts before icing
How to glaze them?
Depending on your taste, you can simply roll them in powdered sugar or granulated sugar when they are still warm. For an added treat, you can also glaze them with melted dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or with powdered sugar icing.
My favourite icing is royal icing. I enjoy biting into the softness of the doughnut and having that thin layer of crispy glaze in my mouth.
Homemade American donuts
To glaze your doughnut, nothing could be simpler :
Fill a bowl with powdered sugar and pour over a few drops of milk, then mix well Add the milk a drop at a time to avoid making it too liquid. You can always make up for it by adding more powdered sugar, but you don’t want to end up with more icing.
Whisk the icing thoroughly to lighten it and make it shiny. It needs to be quite thick. Add more milk to achieve the right consistency. Go really slowly, one drop at a time.
If you use a little more milk than necessary and the glaze is too runny, add a little powdered sugar. You can also color it to make donuts like Homer’s from The Simpsons.
If you place a teaspoon of icing on the back of your hand, it should not drip.
glaze for American donuts
Dip the plump side into the bowl containing one of the icings, let it drain a bit, and place it on a dish. Decorate with chocolate pearls or rainbow sugar pearls .
Put melted chocolate in a paper cone or just a freezer bag with a small hole and make zigzags on the top of your donut.
Depending on your taste, You can simply roll them in powdered sugar.
Baking donuts in the oven
I haven’t tried baking in the oven, but I know it can be done. Once shaped, set them on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.
Leave to rise, then bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 180°C (360°F) After removing from the oven, coat the donuts with melted butter, then roll them in sugar.
Enjoy your snack!
I hope you’ll enjoy this easy and foolproof homemade doughnuts recipe and feel inspired to try it out
Easy and super soft doughnuts recipe
Ingredients :
Doughnuts dough
- 300 g (10.5 oz) flour
- 4 g dry (0.14 oz y)east or 8 g (0.3 oz)fresh baker's yeast
- 125 ml (4.4 oz) milk
- 1 egg
- 50 g (1.8 oz )granulated sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder or one sachet vanilla sugar
- 30 g (1 oz )butter
Donut icing
- Depending on your taste you will need :
Icing sugar
- a little milk
- dark or milk chocolate
- Multicolored sugar sprinkles
- granulated sugar
Instructions :
Prepare the doughnut dough
- Warm the milk and pour a bit of it over the yeast to dissolve it.
- Melt butter and allow to cool.
- Place in the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixing bowl : the milk, yeast, butter, vanilla, sugar, egg, and a pinch of salt.
- Blend the all.
- Add the flour and salt, and knead for 5 minutes (the dough may be slightly sticky, depending on the flour's absorption).
- Only add flour if it's really sticky.
- Let it rise for 1 to 1.5 hours; the dough should double in size.
Shaping donuts
- Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1 cm (0.4 in) if you want plump donuts, on a well-floured work surface.
- Using an 8 cm (3.14 in) round biscuit cutter or cup, cut out discs.
- make a hole in the middle of the doughnut using a small round cookie cutter or a bottle cap. doughnut cutter.
- Place them on a sheet of parchment paper, cover, and let them double in size.
Tips
- If you are afraid of deforming them when you put them in the oil, cut around the parchment paper and place it with the donut in the oil.
- You can cut small squares of parchment paper before and put a donut on each square before letting them rise.
Baking donuts
- Fry them in a hot oil bath. As soon as the donut floats, remove the parchment paper. Turn them over when the bottom side is golden brown.
- To give them time to cook through and turn a lovely golden color, the heat should be medium.
- After frying, use a suitable skimmer to remove them from the oil for efficient draining, then put them on absorbent paper. Leave to cool before icing and filling with nutella or jam. You can use homemade nutella: Nutella by French Chef Christophe Michalak
Donut icing
- Fill a bowl with powdered sugar and pour over a few drops of milk, then mix well. Add the milk a drop at a time to avoid making it too liquid. You can always make up for it by adding more powdered sugar, but you don't want to end up with more icing.
- Whisk the icing thoroughly to lighten it and make it shiny. It needs to be quite thick. Add more milk to achieve the right consistency. Go really slowly, one drop at a time.
- If you use a little more milk than necessary and the glaze is too runny, add a little powdered sugar. You can also color it to make donuts like Homer's from The Simpsons.
- If you place a teaspoon of icing on the back of your hand, it should not drip.
- Dip the plump side of the doughnut into the bowl containing one of the icings, let it drain a bit, and place it on a dish. Decorate with chocolate pearls or rainbow sugar pearls.
- Put melted chocolate in a paper cone or just a freezer bag with a small hole and make zigzags on the top of your donut.
- Depending on your taste, You can simply roll them in powdered sugar.
- I hope you'll enjoy this easy and foolproof homemade doughnuts recipe and feel inspired to try it out.
Nutrition
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