These Homemade Donuts are soft and fluffy inside with lightly crisp golden edges and a simple sugar coating. These Homemade Donuts are soft and fluffy inside with golden edges and a classic sugar coating. An easy homemade yeast donut recipe for breakfast or dessert.
There are certain things that taste good homemade, and then there are things that make you wonder why you waited so long to make them yourself. Fresh yeast donuts fall very firmly into the second category.
When one comes out of the oil, gets a quick toss in sugar, and is still warm enough that the middle feels impossibly soft, it is very difficult to compare that with a donut that has been sitting in a box for several hours.
These homemade yeast donuts start with a simple enriched dough made from milk, egg, butter, flour, sugar, and yeast. Two rises give the dough time to become soft and airy before the rings are fried at a steady temperature.
If you like soft homemade yeast doughs, try my Soft Homemade Brioche Bread next. For a much quicker donut-inspired breakfast without deep frying, my Jammy Donut French Toast is ready in about 15 minutes. Both recipes are live on The Foodie Blog.
And for the dessert table, add The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies or these easy Raffaello Coconut Balls.
Table of contents
Ingredients
How to Make Homemade Donuts.
- Combine warm milk, sugar and yeast.
In a big bowl, combine the warm milk with sugar and yeast and whisk until mixed. Let sit 5 minutes if you wish to see it wake up. - Add the egg and salt.
Whisk in egg and salt until smooth. - Add flour and knead until just combined.
Stir in the all-purpose flour until a shaggy dough comes together. - Knead, then add butter.
Knead until the dough begins to become smooth and then add room-temperature butter, kneading it in until incorporated and the dough feels soft and elastic.
- First rise.
Cover the bowl and allow dough to rise until doubled in volume (about 60-90 minutes, depending on room temperature).
- Roll and cut.
Lightly flour your surface. Roll dough to 1/2 inch. If desired, cut out donuts (large round cutter with a smaller center cutter).
- Second rise.
Place donuts on their own parchment squares (so they can be easily transferred to the oil) and let rise, until puffy, about 20–30 minutes.
- Fry.
Pour enough neutral oil into a heavy pot to create approximately 2–3 inches of depth. - Heat to 350°F (175°C).
- King Arthur recommends approximately 350°F for yeast doughnuts and notes that doughnuts fried at too low a temperature absorb more oil and can become greasy.
- USDA also cautions that deep-frying oil reaches extremely high temperatures and requires careful handling to avoid burns and fires. Keep water away from hot oil and never leave the pot unattended. USDA Deep Fat Frying Safety Guide. Fry donuts, in batches so they do not crowd the pan, until golden brown and turned all at once, 1-2 minutes on a side.
- Flip once and don’t rush: a gentle, even fry gives the best shape and crumb.
- Drain briefly, then sugar: coating sticks best while donuts are still warm.
How to Know When Donut Dough Is Properly Proofed
Proper proofing is one of the biggest differences between a soft donut and a dense one.
After the first rise, the dough should have approximately doubled.
After cutting, the rings should become visibly puffier and lighter during the second rise.
If you fry them too early, they may:
- Feel dense
- Tear or crack
- Have a tight crumb
- Puff unevenly
If they’re severely over-proofed, they can become fragile and may deflate when transferred.
Use the appearance and feel of the dough rather than treating the proofing time as an exact deadline. Red Star likewise recommends judging yeast dough by its rise rather than by time alone.
What to Serve With Homemade Donuts
Fresh sugar donuts need very little help, but they’re especially good with:
- Coffee
- Espresso
- Cappuccino
- Cold milk
- Hot chocolate
- Fresh berries
- Strawberry jam
- Raspberry jam
- Chocolate dipping sauce
- Salted caramel
For a cozy pairing, serve them with Best Homemade Hot Chocolate.
You can also put them on a dessert platter alongside Raffaello Coconut Balls or Chocolate Chip Cookies.
FAQs
You can, but the texture will be more bread-like than a classic fried donut.
The oil may be too cool. Keep it around 350°F (175°C) and fry in small batches.
Yes. The first rise develops the dough, while the second helps the shaped donuts become light and puffy
Yes. Dissolve it in warm milk with the sugar before continuing with the recipe.
Roll it to about 1/2 inch thick for soft, fluffy donuts.
Yes. Refrigerate it after the first rise, then shape and proof the donuts before frying the next day.
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes
Homemade Donuts Recipe – Soft & Fluffy Yeast Donuts
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a bowl, whisk the warm milk with sugar and instant yeast until combined.
- Whisk in the egg and salt until smooth.
- Add the flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead the dough until it starts to smooth out, then knead in the room-temperature butter until fully incorporated and the dough is soft and elastic.
- Cover and let rise until doubled in size (about 60–90 minutes).
- Roll dough to about 1/2-inch thickness and cut donut shapes.
- Let cut donuts rise until puffy (about 20–30 minutes).
- Fry in hot oil until golden on both sides
- Drain briefly, then coat as desired
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- If the dough feels very sticky, add a small amount of flour while kneading, but keep it soft for fluffy donuts.
- For best results, keep oil temperature steady and fry in small batches.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
