Making donuts at home isn’t as tricky as it sounds and while it can be made easier with a donut maker you can certainly make great donuts without one. As Krispy Kreme Donuts are so popular we searched for a recipe that got as close to the real thing as possible and we think this is it. There is quite a lot of frustrating waiting and resting periods with this recipe but we guarantee it is worth it in the end. We’ve made a standard glaze for a traditional Krispy Kreme but you can make whatever you want for the glaze once you have mastered the donuts themselves. It’s a great project to do with kids as they will love the infinite variety of glazes you can make meaning that everytime you make these they look at taste completely different to the last batch. Have fun!
Very similar to Krispy Kreme Donuts. These are easy to make and taste great!
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 & a quarter teaspoons of instant yeast
- Three-quarters of a cup of warm water
- A third of a cup of granulated sugar
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- A quarter of a cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 3 and a half cups vegetable shortening, for frying
THE GLAZE INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups of powdered sugar
- A quarter of a cup of water
- 1 and a half teaspoons of vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
Use a stand mixer and a dough hook to mix the yeast and water and then let it stand for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes add the butter, egg, sugar, salt, egg yolk, vanilla extract and 2.5 cups of flour. Switch the mixer onto a low speed and mix until a doughy texture begins to form in the bowl. If you find the dough is really sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it turns soft and tacky. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl.
Once your dough is ready place it in a lightly oiled plastic wrap. Make sure it is tightly covered in the wrap. Place this in a warm place to rest for about 2 hours. Unwrap and gently press the dough to deflate it, then rewrap with fresh wrap and put it in the fridge for a minimum of 8 hours.
Once your dough is ready, roll it out on a floured worktop to around half an inch in thickness. Use a donut cutter (for best results), dipped in flour to cut out your donuts and place on a lined parchment-lined baking sheet. Use any leftover dough to make donut holes! Cover with a clean dish towel and let them rest for around an hour. Lot’s of waiting with this recipe but it is worth it in the end!
Heat your vegetable shortening in a large cast iron skillet (any heavy bottomed pan will suffice). Get the oil to a temperature of 360-370 degrees. Now you are ready to lower your donuts into the oil. Gently lower them in and cook each donut for about 1 minute and then turn over and cook the other side for a further minute. Try not to put too many donuts in the pan at once. Place on a wire cooling rack to cool.
Now we need to make our glaze. Whisk together the water, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until it’s nice and smooth. Transfer to a bowl side enough that you can dip your donuts in one at a time. Dip them in and then flip them to dip the other side. Allow the glaze to set for 15 minutes before serving.
