Soft and sweet and fun to make, these Glazed Donuts are a donut lovers dream! You can’t be a good old-fashioned donut, and these are a dream!
If you love a good, old fashioned donut, you’ll also love this Cake Donut Recipe.
This recipe has been a long time coming!
I first posted a glazed donut recipe here in 2008. And while those donuts were delicious, the dough was really hard to work with, and I knew I needed to update the recipe.
This Glazed Donut recipe is much easier to work with, and produces delicious homemade donuts. They definitely didn’t last long around our house!
If you want to give homemade donuts a try, this is your push to do it!
Ingredients
- Yeast: I use active yeast. I also like to activate it first, just to make sure the yeast is still good.
- Water: Your water should be between 105ºF and 115ºF. I don’t usually check the temperature, but it will be just lukewarm.
- Sugar: You will need granulated sugar for the donuts.
- Milk: I usually use 2%, just because that is what I have on hand. But whole milk would be even more ideal!
- Egg: Make sure the egg is at room temperature for best results.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter (again, because that is what I keep on hand.) You can also use salted butter, and then just cut back on the salt a tiny bit. You want the butter to be melted, but cooled off. You don’t want to add hot butter, so I like to melt the butter first and let it cool while I’m gathering the rest of my ingredients.
- Salt: I like to use sea salt.
- Flour: I use unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Oil: You can use any neutral oil that is good for frying. I usually use vegetable oil, but you could also use canola oil, avocado oil, or even coconut oil.
- Powdered Sugar: This is for the glaze. I don’t sift my powdered sugar first, but if you are worried about clumps, feel free to sift it.
- Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor. You could also sub in a different extract if you want to flavor the glaze differently.
How to Make Glazed Donuts
STEP 1: Combine the yeast, water, and a little bit of the sugar (about 1 teaspoon) and let this sit until it gets nice and foamy.
STEP 2: Add the rest of the sugar, the milk, egg, butter, and salt. Start to add the flour as it is mixing. Once the dough starts to smooth out, switch to the dough hook. Let the dough knead for 3-5 minutes. If the dough is still super sticky, you can add in flour 1 tablespoon at a time. It will still stick to the sides of the bowl, but it shouldn’t be overly sticky. Scrape the sides of the bowl down, then cover the bowl.
STEP 3: Let the dough rise until it is doubled. This will take about an hour, depending on how warm it is.
STEP 4: Flour a counter or workspace, and roll the dough to about 1/2″ thick. Then cut the donuts out. I just use a 3-inch round cutter and then a 3/4-inch small round cutter for the center. And as you can tell, I’m not super worried about making them perfect or completely uniform. Move the donuts to another part of the counter that is floured. You don’t want the holes in the center, as the dough will rise and you won’t be able to get it out. Cover the dough with a towel to let the dough rise again.
STEP 5: While the dough is rising, make the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together. The glaze will be fairly thin.
STEP 6: Once the donuts have doubled in size, heat the oil in a heavy pot or skillet.
STEP 7: When the oil is hot, fry 3-4 donuts at a time. It should only take about 1 minute per side. You don’t want to overcook them, but you do want to make sure they are cooked through. Remove the donuts from the oil to a cooling rack.
STEP 8: Once the donuts are cool enough to handle, dip them in the glaze. I found with these donuts that I like to just dunk one side in the glaze for the perfect amount of sweetness.
Tips and Tricks
- You can make these donuts by hand, but it is much, much easier if you are using a mixer.
- I like to let the dough rise in the mixing bowl. You can always switch it to another greased bowl, but I find that it’s easier, (and less dishes to do), to just keep it in the mixing bowl.
- I used to always fry in my Dutch oven, but I discovered it actually easier, and has less oil discarded at the end, to use my cast iron skillet. Especially for something like donuts, that don’t necessarily need a whole pot full of oil. Very little of the oil is actually absorbed, and the more shallow skillet makes it so that I don’t have to discard multiple quarts of oil.
- I prefer to not re-roll the dough once the donuts have been cut. The donuts will turn out more tough. But if you don’t want to waste any dough, you can re-roll, or just fry the scraps.
- The glaze sets perfectly if the donuts are dunked when they are still warm. If you wait until they cool off too much, the glaze tends to be too thick.
- These are definitely best eaten the same day that they are made.
More Donut Recipes
Biscuit Donuts
Apple Cider Donuts
Homemade Funfetti Donuts
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Glazed Doughnuts
Ingredients
Donuts:
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 – 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Oil for frying
Glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl if making by hand, combine the yeast, warm water, and about 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let it sit for 5 minutes, or until the yeast is foaming.2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, 1/4 cup warm water
- Once the yeast is foaming, add the remaining sugar, warm milk, egg, butter, and salt. Add 1 cup of the flour and start mixing. Continue to add flour until the dough starts to smooth out. The dough will still be sticky and sticking to the sides of the bowl.1/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup warm milk, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 – 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Switch to the dough hook and continue to knead for 3-5 minutes. Continue to add flour as the dough kneads, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough just starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. (You doń’t want to add too much flour – the dough will still be somewhat sticky.)
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap that is sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Let the dough sit until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Once doubled, generously flour a counter or work surface. Turn the dough out onto the surface and flour the top of the dough. Roll the dough out to about 1/2-inch thickness. Use a donut cutter (or two round cookie cutters) to cut out the donut shapes. Transfer to another area of the counter that has been floured, making sure to separate the donut from the donut hole. Once the donuts are cut, cover with a towel and let them rise again for about 30-45 minutes.
- While the donuts are raising, add a few inches of oil in a heavy pot or deep cast iron skillet. Heat to about 350ºF.Oil
- Also make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. (The glaze should be fairly thin.)1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- When the donuts have risen, carefully add 3-4 to the hot oil. Let them cook until browned, then flip and cook the other side. This should take about 1 minute per side.
- Once browned and cooked through, transfer to a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Once cool enough to handle, dip in the glaze, then return to the cooling rack for the donut to cool and for the glaze to set up.
Sue Lowe says
Wow…That takes me down memory lane for sure. I think we grew up in the same town. My father, a German immigrant, was the baker at the Allen’s Super Save Market back in the day. It was located on State and University across from where the Mall is now. His donuts were to die for and I ate way too many. My most favorite donuts after my father retired was the donuts at the SpudNut on Center Street. The crunchy topping of whatever it was that had the taste of cornflakes,coconut and walnuts was to die for.
Have you ever found a recipe that works for Spudnuts? I would love to have you try to make the spudnut with the cherry glaze. I believe they used some of the shake flavoring from Lyons that you can get from Orson Gygi. It has the maraschino cherries chopped up in it. I don’t live in the states right now or I would go get some and give it a try. Do you know of a spudnut shop in our State of Beehives? I will be coming for my daughters wedding in June and that would be awesome to serve those at the breakfast. Thanks for the fabulous site and simply amazing recipes. I am loving them.
Deborah says
I have never tried making spudnuts, but they are definitely on the list of recipes I want to make!! And I’m going to have to look for that shake flavoring next time I’m at Orson Gygi! The only spudnut shop that I’ve come across here was in Logan. I wish they were more common!!