If you’re craving a delectable treat, look no further than these irresistible Drooling Donuts. We’ll guide you through creating the most mouthwatering fried donuts you’ve ever tasted. With a perfect balance of sweetness and fluffiness, these donuts are sure to satisfy your cravings and impress your friends and family. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out, this recipe is perfect for anyone looking to indulge in a delightful homemade dessert.
The Fluffier, the Better
With donuts, we’ve all had great, or terrible, or both types of donuts. The greatest donuts will always stick with you. You’ll remember where and when you had it. For the bad, you usually cannot wait to forget. The bad usually has a trait of dryness. Dry is bad. Dry means you kneaded too much. Dry means there was more work than love. We’re here to fix that. With this recipe, the ingredients will create the perfect donut dough, or close to it. With dough, it all depends on environment. Humidity will change the calculations, but that’s okay. Adjustments are fine, and usually it means added bread flour. So we’ll add more.
Donuts For Lovers Worldwide
Donuts are beloved all around the world for their irresistible combination of fluffy texture and sweet flavor. From classic glazed donuts in North America to filled Berliner donuts in Germany, there are countless variations of this beloved treat that have captured the hearts (and taste buds) of people everywhere.
In the United States, donuts are often enjoyed as a breakfast or snack item, with popular flavors including traditional glazed, chocolate frosted, and jelly-filled. They are commonly paired with a cup of coffee for a satisfying morning pick-me-up.
In France, beignet-style donuts are enjoyed as a sweet treat alongside a cup of hot chocolate or café au lait. These light and airy pastries are often dusted with powdered sugar for an extra touch of sweetness.
In Japan, mochi donuts have gained popularity for their unique chewy texture, which is achieved by incorporating glutinous rice flour into the dough. These donuts come in a variety of flavors such as matcha green tea and black sesame, offering a delightful twist on the classic treat.
No matter where you go in the world, you’re likely to find a version of the beloved fried donut that has been adapted to suit local tastes and traditions. Whether it’s a simple glazed ring or a decadent filled pastry, one thing remains constant – the universal love for donuts.
Kneading the Perfect Drooling Donut Dough
The key to a great drooling donut is the dough. It needs to be light, airy, and perfectly balanced. Kneading the dough is a crucial step in achieving the ideal texture and flavor. Here’s how to knead the perfect donut dough:
- Start with the Right Ingredients: To make a great donut dough, you’ll need bread flour, sugar, yeast, milk, water, eggs, shortening, cinnamon, nutmeg, flavors and a pinch of salt. The quality of your ingredients will greatly impact the final product, so be sure to use the best you can find. An additive (Vitamin C) is sometimes inputted to allow a longer shelf life, as most donuts remain fresh for at most, 1 day!
- Mix the Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, mix the yeast with warm milk and let it sit for a few minutes until it becomes frothy. Once frothy, add the yeast mixture and beaten eggs to the dry ingredients and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10-15 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. This process helps to develop the gluten in the flour, which gives the donuts their characteristic chewy texture. This is the most important part. The less flour during kneading, the more fluffy and soft a donut it will create. Under-kneading forces a difficult, and shapeless final product. Over-kneading creates a dry, forgettable donut.
- Let it Rise: Place the kneaded dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in size. This can take anywhere from 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Punch it Down: Once the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down to release the air bubbles. This step helps to ensure that the donuts will have a uniform texture once they are fried.
- Roll and Cut: Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thickness and use a donut cutter or cookie cutter to cut out the donuts. Place the cut-out donuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let them rise for an additional 30 minutes.
- Fry to Perfection: Heat vegetable or canola oil in a deep fryer or large pot to 325°F and carefully add the donuts, frying them for about 1-2 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown and puffed up. Remove the donuts from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. We like frying at a lower temperature to create a professional look, while also slowly cooking the donuts. A more foolproof method.
Drooling Donuts
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 ½ cup warm milk btwn. 95-110 F
- 70 g shortening
- 70 g granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 5 tbsp. water btwn. 95-110 F
- 3 tsp. active yeast
- ¾ tsp. sweet dough butter flavoring butter, or any flavoring; optional
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 660 g bread flour
- ½ tsp. cinnamon optional
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg optional
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vitamin C powder flavorless ascorbic acid; optional
Donut Frosting
- 300 g powdered sugar sifted
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter melted
- 3 tbsp. milk
- ½ tsp. clear vanilla extract optional
- gel food coloring optional, see notes
Donut Glaze
- 375 g powdered sugar
- â…“ cups milk more if needed
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 1 tsp. clear vanilla extract optional
Instructions
Donuts
- In a measuring cup, heat up the milk and water together to 95F – 110F.
- When it’s heated, add the shortening and let it melt into the milk. Add the yeast and stir in. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- After, add the vanilla, sugar, dough butter flavoring and eggs into milk mix.
- In a mixing bowl, add the activated yeast and the large milk mix together. After, add the cinnamon and salt. Mix slightly.
- Then add half of the bread flour. Mix on high for 2 minutes after incorporated, then add the second half and whip on high.
- Grease bowl and cover bowl. Allow it to sit at room temperature for at least an hour. It should double in size.
- After, knead dough, but allow dough to have a wet, but not sticky feel. The softer the dough, the softer the donut.
- Roll out dough to ¾ or 1 inch thick. Cut in desired shape with a cutter and place on a baking sheet, at least 1 inch a part.
- Allow dough to sit at room temperature lightly covered or in an off-oven over boiling water for at least 30 minutes. Allow dough to rise.
- Softly push the dough. When it holds shape and feels airy, and not bounce back to original shape, it’s done rising and ready to fry.
- Place oil in large pan. Place on medium-high or 325 F. Test with one of a small piece of dough. When ready, cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until it’s golden brown. Rest on paper towel to soak up oil.
Donut Frosting
- Melt butter. Place in a bowl.
- Add vanilla and milk. After, mix slightly until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar. Mix until all the sugar has been mixed in and smoothed. Add any food color you want now.
- Mix after every donut dunk.
Donut Glaze
- Repeat the Donut Frosting steps, but mix glaze till it's loose and can drip.
- You then can place the donuts on a wire rack and pour glaze over, or a better way is to dunk the donut all around in the glaze, and place on to a wire rack for the excess to drip off and dry.
- Let sit for at least 10 minutes in a cool place to dry to touch.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Mastering A Donut
Master the art of fried drooling donuts is love. You have to love making it before you can move onto the next step. The right ingredients, with great quality present a beautiful final result for your homemade donuts. Following the recipe exactly gets you to the promise land. Otherwise it can get very sticky. Now it’s your time to try. It’s your time to roll up your sleeves, prepare your frying, for this cloud-like dessert your whole family ill enjoy
