Mmm… nothing says weekend breakfast like homemade fried pastry. Forget about counting calories for a minute and let yourself think about the warm melt-in-your-mouth goodness that comes from just made donuts. And now think about how great it would be if you could just make those things at home from the comfort of your own kitchen. Luckily, homemade donuts are super easy to make and are a fun way to experiment in the kitchen with the whole family.
How to Make Donuts
If you want to learn how to make donuts, you’ll need to grab two things that you may not have lying around in your kitchen storage. The first is yeast (unless you’re a frequent baker, you probably don’t have yeast stocked in your cupboard) and the second is a donut cutter. Yes – those exist. Donut cutters can be picked up pretty much anywhere, from a fancy kitchen store to your local Target, and they should run you anywhere from $5 to $10. Not a huge investment and well worth the cost for delicious homemade donuts.
Now, it’s time to round up all of your ingredients. To make donuts from scratch, you’ll need:
- 1 Tbsp of dry yeast
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 6 Tbsp of butter
- 1 cup of whole milk (warm – heat in microwave for 30 seconds)
- 4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 2 quarts of vegetable oil
You’ll also need your donut cutter; some additional flour for rolling out the dough; a dutch oven; and a cooking thermometer (as you’ll need to keep the temperature of the oil steady while frying up the donuts).
Start by pouring the warm milk in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast and 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar and stir lightly before letting it sit for a few minutes. The mixture should turn frothy. Next, add in the butter, vanilla, remaining sugar, eggs, and salt and continue to sir. Finally, add in half of the flour (2 cups) and mix until everything is thoroughly combined and a sticky dough has started to form.
Once the dough is thick and sticky, roll it out onto a lightly floured area and knead the dough for a few minutes. Grab another large bowl and after lightly greasing the sides so that the dough doesn’t stick, plop the dough into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for about 90 minutes to rise. The dough will double in that time. Make sure to place the dough in a warm spot. Near a window during the day works well.
Once the dough has risen, remove it from the mixing bowl and roll it out again on a lightly floured countertop. Roll the dough out until it’s a half inch thick and then use the donut cutter to cut out donuts. Use the center pieces of each donut to roll back into the dough – or fry them up as donut holes – it’s up to you!
Add the vegetable oil to the dutch oven and preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit using the kitchen thermometer. Let the dough rest while the oil is heating up. Once the oil is ready, add a few donuts and cook for a minute on each side. Be careful when placing the donuts in and flipping them over as the oil will be VERY HOT. If you opt to cook up the donut holes, cook for less time on each side to avoid burning them. Remove the donuts from the oil and let them cool before serving. You can always whip up a glaze or sprinkle them lightly with sugar immediately after removing them from the oil. Or, you can finish them off with icing and sprinkles for decoration – this is where the family collaboration can really come into play, as decorating your own donuts is just plain fun.
Have you ever tried to make your own donuts from scratch? Have any tips for how to decorate your donuts? Share them with us in the comments!
