Ingredients
1 c. whole milk
1/4 c. plus 1 tsp. granulated sugar, divided
1 packet (or 2 1/4 tsp.) active dry yeast
4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
6 tbsp. butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Canola or vegetable oil, for frying
1/4 c. whole milk
2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Preparation
Step 1Grease a large bowl with cooking spray and set aside. In a small, microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup, add milk. Microwave until lukewarm, 40 seconds. Add a teaspoon of sugar and stir to dissolve, then sprinkle over yeast and let sit until frothy, about 8 minutes.Step 2In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla with a wooden spoon. Pour in yeast mixture, mix to combine, then add in dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until elastic and only slightly tacky, adding more flour a teaspoon at a time if needed, about 5 minutes. Step 3Form into a tight ball then place dough in oiled bowl and cover with a clean dish towel. Let dough rise in a warm spot in your kitchen until doubled in size, about 1 hour.Step 4Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Punch down dough, then turn onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a ½” thick rectangle. Using a doughnut cutter or 3” and 1” biscuit cutters, punch out your doughnuts. Re-knead scraps together and punch out as well. Place doughnuts and holes onto baking sheets, cover with dish towel, and let rise again, about 40 minutes more.Step 5Make glaze: In a large bowl, whisk together milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.Step 6Line a large baking sheet with paper towels. In a large dutch oven over medium heat, heat 2’’ oil to 350°. Cook doughnuts, in batches, until deeply golden on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Holes will cook even faster!Step 7Transfer doughnuts to paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain and cool slightly. Dip into glaze, then place onto a cooling rack (or eat immediately!).
Dealing with dough. The very first step in creating donuts is blooming your active dry yeast. By stirring sugar and your yeast into lukewarm water and waiting 10 minutes, you can see if the yeast is still active enough to rise your dough successfully. If it’s good to go, it should turn into a foamy, bubbling layer on top of the water. If using instant yeast, you can skip this step and go forward with stirring in your other ingredients and kneading together until dough feels smooth and elastic. To test if your dough is ready, lightly press your thumb into the dough. In about 5 seconds or so, the dough should bounce almost completely back. Let it rise. Donut dough needs to rise twice: first rise is for the dough itself, then a second rise for the punched-out donuts to get nice and fluffy before they go into tthe fryng pot. While the second rise is happening, make your glaze and get ready to heat up the oil! Do I need a thermometer? Yes. Since donuts fry for such a short amount of time, you want to make sure the oil is at the temperature that’ll allow them to cook through on the inside without burning on the outside. A thermometer will help you gauge the heat and help the donuts turn a perfect golden color. We found 350° to be the sweet spot (no pun intended) for an even cooking experience. Keep in mind that the temperature will drop after your first batch of donuts go in, so make sure to keep an eye on your thermometer and adjust accordingly the heat. Help! I don’t have a donut cutter. Not to worry! Since we work in a well-stocked test kitchen, we happened to have one, but we wouldn’t expect you to (unless your name is Ina or Martha). Use a 3" biscuit or cookie cutter, plus a very small one, about 1", or the large end of a piping tip, for the holes. Glazing 101. Make your glaze in a large, wide bowl for easy coating. Next, make sure to glaze your donuts while they’re still warm! This way, it’ll stick much better…plus, then you can eat them while they’re warm. Once you dip your donuts into the glaze, place onto a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to let the excess drip off. This makes for much easier clean-up and evenly glazed donuts. If you want, you can add sprinkles (or chocolate chips, or toasted coconut flakes, etc.) at this point! In the case of leftovers (which is very rare), we highly recommended Strawberry Donut Shortcakes or a donut bread pudding. Editor’s Note: This introduction to this recipe was updated on April 26, 2022 to include more information.
