Description
Delicious homemade glazed donuts made from a soft yeast dough, fried to golden perfection and coated with a thin, sweet vanilla glaze. This classic recipe involves rising the dough twice for a light and airy texture, then frying the donuts until golden and dipping them in a simple powdered sugar vanilla glaze.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Donut Dough
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1/4 cup lukewarm water
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk (scalded and cooled to 115°F)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (softened)
For the Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3–5 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Scald and Cool Milk: Heat the milk until it reaches scalding temperature, then allow it to cool to about 115°F to prepare it for yeast activation.
- Activate Yeast: In a large mixing bowl fitted with a stand mixer, dissolve the active dry yeast in the lukewarm water. Once dissolved, add the warm milk, granulated sugar, and room temperature eggs.
- Mix Dough: Attach the dough hook to the mixer and gradually add the flour and salt while stirring. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally for even mixing.
- Add Butter: Cut softened butter into small pieces and incorporate them into the dough. Continue beating the dough for 5-7 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Knead Dough: Turn the sticky dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes to form a smooth ball.
- First Rise: Place the dough ball into a greased bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, then let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Second Kneading and Rise: Punch down the risen dough and knead gently on a floured surface for a few minutes. Return it to the greased bowl, cover, and let it rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Prepare Glaze: While the dough rises, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and 3-5 tablespoons of whole milk until smooth and fairly thin. Cover and set aside.
- Roll and Cut Donuts: Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2-inch thickness. Use a floured 3 1/2-inch donut cutter to cut out donuts and place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Final Rise: Let the cut donuts rise on the baking sheet for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
- Heat Oil: Line a baking sheet with several layers of paper towels. Heat about 3 inches of canola oil in a large heavy-duty pot to 375°F for frying.
- Fry Donuts: Fry approximately 4 donuts at a time to avoid overcrowding, cooking each side for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on the paper towels.
- Glaze Donuts: Let the donuts cool slightly, then dip just the tops into the prepared glaze. Place on a cooling rack set over a parchment-lined sheet pan to allow excess glaze to drip and set.
- Serve: Once the glaze is set, the glazed donuts are ready to enjoy fresh for a delightful treat.
Notes
- Ensure the milk is cooled to 115°F before adding to yeast mixture to avoid killing the yeast.
- Donut dough is sticky; flour your hands and surfaces lightly when kneading and cutting.
- Don’t overcrowd the frying pot as it can lower the oil temperature and cause greasy donuts.
- Use a candy or deep-fry thermometer to maintain consistent 375°F oil temperature.
- Allow donuts to cool slightly before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting off.
- Store glazed donuts in an airtight container and consume within 1-2 days for best freshness.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: glazed donuts, homemade donuts, yeast donuts, fried donuts, vanilla glaze, breakfast donuts
