Go Back
Yeast raised glazed doughnuts on a wire rack, one torn open to show airy crumb

Yeast Raised Doughnuts with Glaze

Vintage-style fried yeast doughnuts made from a soft milk-and-butter dough that rises twice, then dipped in a simple confectioners' sugar glaze. Makes about 2 dozen.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rising time 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 24 doughnuts
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Doughnuts
  • 1/4 cup lukewarm water 110-115°F
  • 1 package (1/4 ounce, or 2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
  • 3/4 cup lukewarm milk
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup soft butter or nondairy substitute
  • 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
  • vegetable canola or peanut oil, for deep-frying
Glaze (optional)
  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/4 cup boiling water plus up to 1 tablespoon more as needed

Method
 

Doughnuts
  1. Pour the lukewarm water into a large mixing bowl (a stand mixer bowl is fine), sprinkle in the yeast and stir. Let it stand for 5 minutes to dissolve.
  2. Stir in the milk along with the sugar, sea salt, egg and soft butter.
  3. Add 3 1/2 cups of the flour and beat for about 5 minutes with a spoon or with the mixer's dough hook. If the dough is too sticky to handle, work in up to 1/4 cup more flour, but keep it soft and slightly sticky.
  4. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
  5. Punch the dough down and roll it out on a floured surface to 1/3 inch thick. Stamp out the doughnuts using a floured 3 inch doughnut cutter; biscuit cutters also work. Gather the scraps, roll them out once more and cut again.
  6. Set the doughnuts on a floured or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover them loosely and let them rise for 30-45 minutes, until light and puffy.
  7. Meanwhile, pour 2 1/2 to 3 inches of oil into a deep, heavy pot, filling it no more than halfway, and heat it to 375°F on a deep-fry thermometer.
  8. Carefully lower 3 or 4 doughnuts at a time into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 1 minute per side, turning once, then drain on paper towels or a wire rack. Let the oil come back to 375°F before each batch.
  9. While the doughnuts are still warm, dip them in the glaze or toss them in granulated sugar. To frost them instead, let them cool first.
Glaze
  1. Put the confectioners' sugar in a bowl and gradually whisk in 1/4 cup of the boiling water until smooth. The glaze should coat a spoon in a thin, even layer; if it is too thick, whisk in more boiling water, 1 teaspoon at a time, up to 1 tablespoon.
  2. Dip the top of each warm doughnut in the glaze, let the excess drip off, and set the doughnuts on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, until the glaze sets.

Notes

Timing: about 3 1/2 hours from start to finish, including a first rise of about 1 1/2 hours and a second rise of 30-45 minutes.
A soft, slightly sticky dough gives the doughnuts good texture and keeping quality, so add extra flour sparingly.
The glaze uses about 2 tablespoons of water per cup of confectioners' sugar and covers the tops of about 2 dozen doughnuts. For a thinner, more see-through glaze, add a little more boiling water.
For a chocolate glaze, melt 1 cup chocolate chips with 1/4 cup milk over low heat, stirring until smooth, and dip the warm doughnuts in it.
Instead of glaze, the doughnuts can be frosted or rolled in granulated sugar.
Doughnuts taste freshest the day they are made. Keep leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Adapted from Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book, Revised (1956).