My great, basic doughnut recipe is yeasted and fried, AKA - the BEST. It's the base recipe for maple-glazed, cinnamon sugar or chocolate dip. Freshly ground nutmeg is the secret ingredient, which lends a special touch.
Course Bakery
Cuisine American
Keyword Vegetarian
Essential Ingredient Maple
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Glazing 10 minutesminutes
Total Time 40 minutesminutes
Servings 12Doughnuts
Calories 307kcal
Equipment
Thermometer
3-inch doughnut cutter OR 3-inch round cookie cutter
Ingredients
2 1/2 teaspoonsactive dry yeast
3Tablespoonswarm water105F-115F
1cup2% milkroom temperature
4Tablespoonsunsalted buttersoftened
3largeegg yolks
2Tablespoonssugar
3 1/3 cupsall-purpose flour
1 1/2teaspoonsfine sea salt
1/4teaspoonfreshly ground nutmeg
6cupsvegetable oilfor frying
Instructions
Have all ingredients at room temperature. In a small bowl, stir together the yeast and warm water. Let stand in a warm place until it begins to 'bloom' (foam).
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast, 3 Tablespoons warm water
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine milk, butter, egg yolks, sugar, yeast mixture. Stir to losely combine, then dump in the flour, salt and nutmeg. Mix on low speed until a soft, rugged dough forms.
Increase mixer to medium high and beat dough for 3 minutes. Once or twice, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the dough hook. You will end up with a soft, supple dough.
Do-Ahead Directions: Place the dough in a lightly oiled, medium-size bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.Eat Now Directions: Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and place in a warm corner of the kitchen. Allow dough to rise and double in bulk. Meanwhile, prepare glazes and cinnamon sugar (recipes below).
Lightly flour the kitchen counter and turn the dough out of the bowl. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a circle about 13-inches round and 1/2-inch thick. Cut as many doughnuts as possible with a 3-inch cutter. Transfer doughnuts to a lightly floured baking sheet, keeping them 1 inch apart.
Cover doughnuts with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes (or 45 if the dough was refrigerated). Meanwhile, prepare your fry station.
Heat oil in a deep 4-quart heavy pot until it reaches 350F. You will need to monitor it frequently with a thermometer and maintain this temperature throughout the fry. Fry doughnuts in batches of three, turning with a wire skimmer when they are a deep golden brown. Transfer to drain on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet, or use paper towel. Repeat until all the doughnuts and doughnut holes are fried.
6 cups vegetable oil
For cinnamon sugar doughnuts, shake doughnuts in a bowl with 3/4 cup cinnamon sugar. For glazed doughnuts, dip doughnuts in maple glaze and return to the wire rack to set. Let glaze set for about 20 minutes. Enjoy your fresh homemade doughnuts!
Notes
If you don't have a 3-inch doughnut cutter, use a 3-inch round biscuit cutter and cut a hole in the center with a 1-inch cutter.