Making Your Own Donuts
Heat the milk. Dry yeast has a specific temperature that’s ideal for proofing. To activate the yeast, transfer the milk to a saucepan. Heat the milk over medium heat, stirring regularly, until it reaches 110 F (43 C). When it reaches that temperature, remove the pan from the heat. Proofing is the final stage before baking, when you let a yeast-based product rise and grow into the right shape.
Activate the yeast. Pour ¾ cup (176 ml) of the warm milk into a medium mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon (9 g) of the yeast. Stir the mixture with a spoon to dissolve the yeast. Add ¾ cup (95 g) of the flour. Stir the mixture into a paste. Place it on top of the refrigerator for 30 minutes. You want to put the yeast somewhere warm to rise, which is why the top of the refrigerator is a good choice. Reserve the remaining quantities of these ingredients for later.
Combine the yeast mixture and the wet ingredients. Transfer the yeast mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in the reserved teaspoon (3 g) of yeast and the ¼ cup (59 ml) of milk. Add the egg yolks and vanilla. Use the paddle attachment and mix the ingredients on low speed for 30 seconds to create a smooth dough. Turn off the mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix the batter.
Add more flour and the dry ingredients. Pour in another cup (127 g) of the flour. Add the sugar and salt. Mix the batter on medium speed for another 30 seconds, until the dough comes together. Turn the mixer off. It’s important to turn the mixer off between additions because you don’t want to overmix the batter. Overmixing will develop the gluten in the flour, which will make your donuts chewy and dense rather than light and fluffy.
Add the butter. Cut the room temperature butter into half-inch (1.3-cm) cubes. Add the cubes to the dough. Turn the mixer on and mix the dough on medium speed for an additional 30 seconds, until the butter is fully incorporated into the dough. Turn the mixer off.
Add the remaining flour gradually. Remove the paddle attachment from the mixer and replace it with the dough hook. Add more flour in ¼-cup (32-g) increments. Mix the dough on medium speed. Add enough flour to make a smooth, moist dough ball that doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl. You may not need to use the full amount of flour to get the right dough consistency. If you don’t have a stand mixer, turn the dough out onto a clean flat surface and knead the extra flour in with your hands.
Set the dough aside to rest. Cover the top of the mixing bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap. Transfer the dough to a warm place and let it rest for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the plastic wrap. Press gently on the dough to push out air and gasses. Recover the bowl and transfer the dough to the refrigerator for at least one hour. You can leave the dough to chill for up to 12 hours before making the donuts.
Roll the dough and cut out the donuts. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured flat surface. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a large circle that’s ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick. Use a 3-inch (7.6-cm) diameter cookie or donut cutter to punch out as many donuts as possible. When you’ve punched out all the donuts you can, collect the dough scraps. Roll them into a ball, and roll the dough out again into a circle with the same thickness as the original. Punch out as many donuts as you can. With any leftover dough, roll the dough into half-inch (1.3-cm) balls to make donut holes.
Proof the dough. Place a clean lint-free towel onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle flour over the towel. Transfer the donuts to the baking sheet, leaving an inch (2.5 cm) of space between each donut. Lay a sheet of plastic loosely over the donuts and transfer them to a warm place to rise for an hour. A good warm place to proof the donuts is an oven that’s turned off but with the light on.
Fry the donuts. Fill a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed saucepan with at least 2 inches (5 cm) of cooking oil, such as canola or coconut. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 360 F (182 C). Transfer as many donuts to the oil as you can fit into the fryer or pan. Fry the donuts for one to two minutes. Flip the donuts and cook for another one to two minutes. The donuts are ready when they're golden brown on both sides. You may need to work in batches to fry all the donuts and the donut holes.
Cool the donuts before serving. When the donuts are cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove each one from the oil. Transfer the donuts to a paper-towel lined wire cooling rack. Let the donuts cool for at least 20 minutes before glazing, adding your favorite toppings, or eating plain. To add an extra bit of sweetness to the donuts without glazing them, dust them with confectioner’s sugar after about 30 minutes.
Eating a Donut with Your Hands
Eat it with your hands. Donuts are considered finger food, so it is acceptable to eat them without utensils. Pick up the donut with one hand. If you find the donut is too large, sticky, or hard to hold, use both hands to hold it like a sandwich. To keep your hands clean while you eat, you can wrap the bottom of the donut in a napkin or piece of waxed or parchment paper.
Hold a topped donut flat. Many donuts come topped with things like sprinkles and other goodies. To prevent these from falling off while you're eating, hold the donut with two hands and keep the top level with the table as you eat.
Take small bites. Bring the whole donut to your mouth and take a small bite. Pull the donut away from your mouth while you chew and swallow your bite. Eating a donut isn't a dainty task, but you should take small bites to avoid stuffing your mouth too full or choking.
Watch out for filling. Some donuts have cream or jam fillings stuffed inside. These fillings can come oozing out when you bite into the center of the donut. You can suck out some of the filling if it’s dripping everywhere. Wipe your face with a napkin if you get any crumbs or filling around your mouth.
Pair it with a refreshing drink. Donuts are often eaten with a drink, and the liquid can help wash down the doughy treat. If you do have a drink, take sips in between bites when you get thirsty. Popular drinks for donut-eating include: Hot chocolate Milk Coffee Tea
Dunk it. Dunking is acceptable to do at home and in non-formal settings. To dunk your donut, bring the entire donut to your cup and dip a bite-sized piece of donut into the liquid. Hold it there for one to two seconds, which is long enough to saturate the donut but not so long that a piece will break off. Bite off the dunked portion of donut and eat it. This works best for donuts that don’t have toppings. To dunk a topped donut, tear off a bite-sized piece of donut with your fingers and dunk the individual piece into the liquid.
Getting Creative with Donuts
Glaze the donut. When you make your own donuts, you can customize them any way you like. One popular way of serving and eating donuts is with a glaze, which is a thin icing that you can drizzle on donuts, cookies, cakes and other desserts. When the donuts are still warm, drizzle generous amounts of glaze over each donut, or dip each donut into the glaze to coat it completely.
Add your favorite toppings. You can finish a donut with any toppings you like. One of the most popular toppings is sprinkles, but you can experiment with any candy or other add-ons. To top a donut properly, add a glaze or icing first that will act as a glue to hold the toppings in place. Some of the more creative toppings you can try include: Cereal Candy-coated chocolates Crushed cookie pieces Candied fruit
Add a delicious filling. Any donut that doesn’t have the middle hole missing can be filled and stuffed with sweet treats like chocolate filling. Other popular fillings for donuts include: Custards and creams Vanilla frosting Jellies, jams, and preserves Chocolate-hazelnut spread Cream cheese frosting
Turn your donut into a sandwich. Donuts are dough products just like bread, so you can get creative with your donuts by using them as a substitute for bread. Cut the donut in half to separate the top from the bottom. Add your favorite sandwich toppings to the bottom of the donut, and top the whole thing with the donut top. Sandwich filling options include: Meat and cheese Peanut butter and jam Eggs and bacon Strawberries and cream Marshmallows and chocolate Ice cream
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