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Glazed Donuts Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 627 reviews

These homemade glazed donuts are a classic treat featuring a soft, airy dough fried to golden perfection and coated in a sweet, smooth glaze. Made with simple ingredients like warm milk, yeast, eggs, flour, and butter, these donuts deliver a perfect balance of fluffy texture and rich flavor. The step-by-step process includes proofing the dough, cutting out donuts, frying to a crisp golden brown, and finishing with a beautifully thin vanilla glaze for a melt-in-your-mouth experience.

Ingredients

Scale

Donut Dough

  • 1 cup warm milk (whole milk preferred, 90°F to 100°F)
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast (or active dry yeast)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 4 cups bread flour (spooned and leveled; all purpose flour can be used instead)
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • Vegetable oil (enough to fry the donuts, about 2 quarts)

Glaze

  • 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 6 tablespoons whole milk
  • ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Activate Yeast: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the warm milk, yeast, and granulated sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture is foamy. If it doesn’t foam, start over with fresh yeast.
  2. Mix Ingredients: Add flour, eggs, and salt to the bowl and mix with a dough hook for 1 minute on low speed until incorporated.
  3. Knead Dough: Scrape down the sides and mix at medium speed for 2 minutes until the dough starts pulling away from the bowl.
  4. Add Butter: With the mixer on medium speed, add butter one tablespoon at a time. Dough will become sticky and wet.
  5. Continue Kneading: Mix for another 5 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and feels soft and dry to the touch. If sticky, knead longer or by hand on a floured surface.
  6. First Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl, transfer dough, cover with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (60–90 minutes).
  7. Prepare Workspace: Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly flour a work surface.
  8. Shape Donuts: Punch dough down to release air bubbles, roll out to 3/8-inch thickness. Cut out about 16 donuts and 16 donut holes using a donut cutter or round cutters.
  9. Second Rise: Place donuts spaced on baking sheets, cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let rise until puffed and nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
  10. Prepare Glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until smooth and fairly thin. Cover and set aside.
  11. Heat Oil: Pour vegetable oil into a large, heavy-duty Dutch oven or deep pot and heat to 330°F to 350°F, using a thermometer to check.
  12. Fry Donuts: Carefully place 3–4 donuts at a time into hot oil, frying 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Use a spider or slotted spoon to remove and drain on a metal cooling rack.
  13. Glaze Donuts: Dip each fried donut in the glaze on both sides, then return to the cooling rack. Fry remaining donuts, checking oil temperature frequently.
  14. Fry Donut Holes: Fry donut holes for about 1 minute per side, managing their buoyancy with a spider or utensil to keep submerged.
  15. Set Glaze: Allow donuts to sit about 15 minutes until the glaze hardens. Serve hot and fresh for the best taste.

Notes

  • Ensure milk temperature is between 90°F to 100°F to properly activate yeast without killing it.
  • If your yeast doesn’t foam during activation, use fresh yeast to guarantee proper rise.
  • Do not over-flour the rolling surface; lightly flour to prevent sticking but keep dough soft.
  • Maintain oil temperature carefully during frying to achieve crispy yet airy donuts.
  • Use a thermometer for accurate oil temperature; if unavailable, test with a small dough piece.
  • Be gentle handling the dough after rising to avoid deflating the donuts.
  • The glaze should be thin enough to coat smoothly but not so thin that it drips excessively.
  • Store leftover donuts in an airtight container, but best enjoyed fresh.

Keywords: glazed donuts, homemade donuts, fried donuts, sweet donuts, classic donut recipe

Find it online: https://messykitchenmagic.com/glazed-donuts-recipe/