Learn How to Make Donuts at Home

Understanding the Basics of Homemade Donuts

Making donuts at home opens up a world of possibilities for creating fresh, delicious treats that taste far better than many store-bought varieties. Homemade donuts allow you to control ingredients, customize flavors, and enjoy them at peak freshness. The process involves understanding several key components: dough preparation, frying or baking techniques, and finishing touches like glazes and toppings.

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Donuts fall into two main categories based on how they're made. Yeast donuts use yeast as a leavening agent, which creates a light, airy crumb and requires rising time. These donuts have that classic pillowy texture many people crave. Cake donuts, by contrast, use baking powder or baking soda for leavening and require no rising time. Cake donuts are denser and crumbly, perfect for those who prefer a sturdier texture or who want a quicker production process.

The basic ingredients for most donut recipes include flour, sugar, eggs, milk or buttermilk, butter, salt, and vanilla extract. Yeast donuts require active dry yeast or instant yeast. The quality of these ingredients matters significantly. Using fresh eggs and real vanilla extract produces noticeably better results than using older ingredients or imitation versions. All-purpose flour works well for most donut recipes, though some bakers prefer cake flour for an even softer crumb.

Temperature control plays a crucial role in donut making. Dough temperature affects rising time and texture. Oil temperature when frying determines whether donuts cook through evenly and develop the golden exterior. Most fried donuts require oil heated to 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit. Getting a reliable kitchen thermometer eliminates guesswork and produces consistent results across batches.

Practical Takeaway: Invest in an instant-read thermometer and decide whether you prefer yeast donuts (fluffier, requires planning) or cake donuts (quicker, denser texture) based on your schedule and taste preferences. Gather high-quality ingredients before beginning to ensure the best flavor in your finished donuts.

Preparing Yeast Donut Dough Step-by-Step

Yeast donuts require patience and attention to detail, but the results justify the effort. The process begins with activating the yeast. Warm milk to between 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit—too hot kills the yeast, while too cold fails to activate it. Add about one teaspoon of sugar and one-quarter teaspoon of salt to the warm milk, then sprinkle one and one-half teaspoons of active dry yeast over the surface. Allow this mixture to sit for about five minutes. You should see foam forming on top, indicating the yeast is alive and working.

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While the yeast activates, gather your dry ingredients. Combine two cups of all-purpose flour, one-quarter cup of sugar, and one-half teaspoon of salt in a large mixing bowl. Create a small well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the activated yeast mixture and one beaten egg into the well. Add one-quarter teaspoon of vanilla extract. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms. This initial mixing should take about two minutes.

Once the dough comes together, it's time to knead. If using a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix on medium speed for about eight minutes. If kneading by hand, work the dough on a lightly floured surface for ten to twelve minutes. The dough should become smooth and elastic, slowly pulling away from the sides of the bowl or your hands. At this point, add two tablespoons of softened butter, a small piece at a time, continuing to knead until the butter is fully incorporated. The dough will become silky and soft.

Transfer the finished dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning it once to coat all sides with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and place it in a warm location—around 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit works well. Allow the dough to rise for one to two hours until it roughly doubles in size. This first rise, called bulk fermentation, develops flavor and proper texture. You can test if the dough has risen enough by gently pressing your finger into it. If the indent slowly springs back about halfway, the dough is ready for the next step.

Practical Takeaway: Use a kitchen thermometer to verify milk temperature when activating yeast, and place your dough bowl in an oven with just the light on, or in a warm closet, to maintain consistent temperature during rising. A properly risen dough should roughly double in size, though not all recipes require this exact metric.

Shaping and Second Rise for Yeast Donuts

After the first rise, your dough is ready to be shaped into donuts. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently press it into a disk roughly one-half inch thick. Avoid using a rolling pin, as this can deflate the dough too much. Instead, use your hands to gently stretch and flatten the dough. The goal is even thickness throughout, which ensures all donuts cook at the same rate.

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Using a donut cutter—a specialty tool with both a large outer circle and small inner circle—cut out your donuts. Standard donut cutters create donuts about three inches in diameter. Press the cutter straight down into the dough with a quick, decisive motion. Wiggle the cutter slightly and lift straight up to release the donut shape. Collect the small dough holes in a separate pile; these can be fried separately as donut holes, a delicious bonus.

Place each cut donut on a piece of parchment paper. This prevents them from sticking during the second rise. Gather the remaining dough scraps, gently knead them together, let them rest for a few minutes, then reroll and cut more donuts. Continue until all dough is used. You should get approximately eight to ten donuts from a standard recipe, plus additional donut holes.

Cover the shaped donuts lightly with a cloth and allow them to undergo a second rise, called the proof, for thirty minutes to one hour in a warm location. This rise is shorter than the first and doesn't require the dough to double in size. The donuts should look slightly puffed and feel light when gently touched. During this second rise, the shaped donuts gain volume and become easier to fry. A fully proofed donut will feel airy and delicate. If overproofed, the dough may deflate when placed in hot oil.

Test for proper proofing by performing the poke test. Gently press your finger into the side of a donut. If the indent springs back slowly and mostly disappears, the donut needs more time. If it springs back quickly, it needs more rising. If it springs back halfway and stays slightly indented, it's properly proofed and ready to fry.

Practical Takeaway: Use parchment paper squares to prevent shaped donuts from sticking during proofing. Don't rush the second rise—properly proofed donuts fry better and achieve superior texture compared to underproofed versions.

Frying Donuts to Golden Perfection

Frying is where donuts transform from dough into the treats people love. The oil temperature is the single most important factor in successful frying. Use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven at least four inches deep, filled with neutral oil like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil. Avoid olive oil, which has a low smoke point. Fill the pot to about three inches of oil. Heat the oil to exactly 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit, verified with an instant-read thermometer clipped to the side of the pot.

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Allow the oil to reach target temperature and stabilize—this can take ten to fifteen minutes depending on your stove and pot size. Maintaining steady temperature is critical. If the oil is too cool, donuts absorb excess oil and become greasy. If too hot, the exterior browns before the interior cooks through, leaving a raw, doughy center.

Once oil reaches temperature, carefully lift a proofed donut and gently place it into the hot oil. Never drop it from a height, as this can splash hot oil. The donut will initially sink, then float