Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Glazed Yeast Donuts

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Cindy @ My Country Table
  • Prep Time: 2 Hours 15 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 Minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
  • Yield: 12 Large Donuts, plus holes 1x
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Fried

Description

These light and airy glazed yeast donuts get drizzled with a simple sugar glaze and they are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  I promise!


Ingredients

Units Scale

FOR THE DONUTS

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons solid shortening, such as Crisco
  • 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 2/3 cups water
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 packet yeast (I use rapid-rise)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 bottle of canola oil, 32 ounces

FOR THE GLAZE

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup 2% milk


Instructions

If you have never made homemade donuts, take a minute to look at the pictures and tips above before starting this recipe.  They are not hard to make, so don’t let the steps intimidate you.

FOR THE DONUTS

Preheat oven to 160 degrees and turn it off.

  1. Add the salt, shortening, 4 tablespoons of sugar, milk & water to a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and set aside to cool.
  2. Add the yeast and 1/2 tablespoon of sugar to a cup of warm water, around 80 degrees.  Use a spoon to push down on the granules of yeast, so that all of them get absorbed into the water.  Allow the yeast mixture to rest for 5 minutes until the yeast starts to look bubbly on top.
  3. Add the egg, yeast mixture and vanilla to the cooled mixture in the saucepan.  Add the flour, one cup at a time and mix with a wooden spoon until you’ve used about 3 1/2 cups of the flour.  The mixture will be wet and sticky.  Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface, using the rest of the flour and add additional flour as needed.  Note:  See my pictures above this recipe.  You do not have to need this dough.  Simply work it with your hands until you can form it into a round ball that’s no longer sticky.
  4. Grease a large bowl.  Place the dough top side down in the bowl, then flip it over.  Place a towel over the bowl.  Place the bowl inside of the warm oven and allow the dough to rise until it’s almost doubled in size.  This will take about an hour.  Just open the oven door after about 45 minutes to see how it’s doing.
  5. Time to punch down the dough.  Using your fist gently punch down the dough in the bowl.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.  Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/3 to 1/2 inch in thickness.  The thicker you roll the dough, the fewer donuts you’ll end up with.  I used a donut cutter.  Cut the doughnuts and place the doughnuts and doughnut holes on a cookie sheet that is lined with parchment paper.  Make sure you leave some room between them.  Place the cookie sheet in the warm oven and allow the doughnuts to rise until they almost doubled in thickness.  This takes about 45 minutes.
  6. Meantime, get the oil ready.  Add the canola oil to a large pot or dutch oven.  Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and heat the oil over medium heat, until it reaches 350 degrees.  I do this about the last 10 minutes that the donuts are rising in the oven.
  7. Once the donuts have risen, drop one of the donut holes in the hot oil to see if it’s the correct temperature.  Note:  I use a thermometer but I still like to test the oil before adding all of the donuts.
  8. Add the donuts 2 to 3 at a time to the hot oil.  Cook them until you see the bottom half of the donuts turn golden brown.  Using a spider (see pictures above recipe), or a slotted spoon, flip the donuts over and brown the other side.  This takes about 30 seconds per side.  Make sure you only flip them once.  Lift the donuts from the hot oil and transfer them to a wire rack that has been placed on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Leave the cookies on the wire rack until you glaze them.

FOR THE GLAZE

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and salt.  Add the vanilla and water and whisk until smooth and thin. If it’s a little too thick, add a little more milk.  The glaze should be thin.  Scoop up the drizzle with the whisk and shake it back and forth over the donuts.  Leave the donuts on the wire rack until the glaze sets up, about 30 minutes.
  2. Store the donuts in an airtight container.

Notes

  • Homemade donuts taste best on the day they are made.  If you eat them the following day, wrap them in a paper towel and warm in the microwave for 10 seconds.
  • Prep time includes rising time for both rises.