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These melt in your mouth soft homemade doughnuts are so delicious, perfect and airy. Top with melted chocolate, glaze or just cinnamon sugar, and watch these little rings of delight disappear off the plate in record time.
There is no beating any classic recipe, they are pure nostalgic comfort food, shared and passed on through the years.
Made with minimal change today in our kitchens, coffee shops, restaurants or bakeries. Just like with these super soft classic doughnuts, absolute perfection and even better homemade.
Easy to prepare, and dipped in your favourite toppings, makes this a really fun recipe.
A few tips when making these doughnuts
- The liquid added to the dry ingredients should be just warm, not too hot or too cold. If you have a thermometer, it should read between 100° - 115°F ( 37°C - 46°C)
- In this recipe, I used vegetable shortening. This is what gives the doughnuts that crisp, melt-in-your-mouth texture. If you do not have shortening, then go ahead and substitute it with butter.
- Do not over-handle the dough, just mix and knead it for 3 to 5 minutes until it forms a soft dough. After the dough has risen, press it out using the palms of your hands before cutting into doughnuts. Avoid using a rolling pin. Overhandling the dough will cause the doughnuts to lose that soft and airy texture when fried.
- Allow the oil to heat up to between 350°F - 370°F ( 176°C - 185°C ) before frying the doughnuts.
MAKING THE SOFT HOMEMADE DOUGHNUTS
- Using a large bowl, combine the instant dry yeast, sugar, flour and salt. ( Dry ingredients )
- In a jug or saucepan, warm the milk and water. It should be just warm, not too hot or cold. If you have a thermometer, it should read between 100° - 115°F ( 37°C - 46°C). Add beaten eggs, shortening or butter to the warm milk and water mixture ( wet ingredients) and mix.
- Add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
- Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead for about 3 to 5 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. If you find that the dough is too sticky, then add up to ¼ cup extra flour while kneading.
ALLOW THE DOUGH TO RISE
- Place the dough back into the bowl and in a warm, draft free area of your kitchen, allow the dough to double in volume. This should take an hour.
- After an hour, punch down the dough and turn it out onto a floured surface.
- Using your palms press out the dough to about ½ inch ( 1 ½ cm ) thick and cut out the doughnuts using a doughnut or cookie cutter.
- If you are using a cookie cutter, then cut out the centre of each doughnut using a smaller cutter as well.
- Place the cutout doughnuts onto a tray and leave to rise again for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Using a deep pan, add sufficient oil to deep fry the doughnuts.
- Allow the oil to heat up to between 350°F - 370°F ( 176°C - 185°C ) before frying the doughnuts.
- Deep fry the doughnuts for about 1 minute on each side, until cooked and golden brown.
- Drain the doughnuts on paper towel and top as preferred.
Topping suggestions: cinnamon sugar, melted chocolate, or a simple glaze.
Super easy to make, skip the store-bought next time and give these homemade doughnuts a try, so deliciously soft and light.
Enjoy♥
If you like this recipe how about trying out my otherdoughnutanddessertrecipes
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5 from 23 votes
Soft Homemade Doughnuts
These melt in your mouth soft homemade doughnuts are so delicious, perfect and airy. Top with melted chocolate, glaze or just cinnamon sugar, and watch these little rings of delight disappear off the plate in record time.
Course Dessert
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
Rising time 59 minutes minutes
Total Time 25 minutes minutes
Servings 15 -20 doughnuts
Author Ashika | Gardening Foodie
Ingredients
US Customary - Metric
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 5 cups all purpose / cake flour
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast
WET INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup water
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 2 eggs beaten
- ⅓ cup vegetable shortening or butter
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
Using a large bowl, combine the instant dry yeast, sugar, flour, and salt. ( Dry ingredients )
In a jug or saucepan, warm the milk and water. It should be just warm, not too hot or cold. If you have a thermometer, it should read between 100° - 115°F ( 37°C - 46°C)
Add beaten eggs, shortening, or butter to the warm milk and water mixture ( wet ingredients).
Add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead for about 3 to 5 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. If you find that the dough is too sticky, then add up to ¼ cup extra flour while kneading.
Place the dough back into the bowl and in a warm, draft-free area of your kitchen, allow the dough to double in volume. This should take an hour.
After an hour, punch down the dough and turn it out onto a floured surface. Using your palms press out the dough to about ½ inch ( 1 ½ cm ) thick and cut out the doughnuts using a doughnut or cookie cutter. If you are using a cookie-cutter, then cut out the center of each doughnut using a smaller cutter as well.
Place the cutout doughnuts onto a tray and leave to rise again for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Using a deep pan or pot, add sufficient oil to deep fry the doughnuts.
Allow the oil to heat up to between 350°F - 370°F ( 176°C - 185°C ) before you start to fry the doughnuts.
Deep fry the doughnuts for about 1 minute on each side, until cooked and golden brown.
Transfer the doughnuts to a plate lined with a paper towel
Top or frost as preferred
Topping suggestion : cinnamon sugar, melted chocolate, glace icing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1doughnut | Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @thegardeningfoodie or tag #thegardeningfoodie!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking says
These look awesome Ashika! They caught my eye on Facebook and I just had to pop over to check out the recipe! Thanks for sharing!Reply
2pots2cook says
Comforting it is 🙂 Love it ! Thank you Ashika !Reply
Emma @ Bake Then Eat says
These doughnuts do look amazing, I have never tried making fried ones before but I must admit nothing beats a fried doughnut.
Reply
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
Ashika, these look killer! I've never fried my own doughnuts but I think I need to start. I'm just afraid I won't be able to stop!Reply
Laura says
There’s nothing like a classic donut, Ashika! And these are beatiful and look so scrumptious I’d like to try them all, please!Reply
Ron says
Those are some fine looking doughnuts. They could set on the racks at any Dunkin Donut House. We don't have proper donut shops here so I might just make up a batch for the holidays.Reply
neil@neilshealthymeals.com says
Oh yes please Ashika! Your donuts look amazing! Those toppings are to die for. I could easily have a couple of those with my coffee that I'm having right now. I know something was missing! 🙂Reply
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
Ashika! These donuts look so soft and delicious, like they came straight from a bakery. My kids would love me if I made these!! XO
Reply
Chava Stark says
Hello! Although I realize this is not a Hanukkah post, it is customary to eat fried foods to celebrate the holiday so this is a very timely post for me! These look amazing!Reply
Maria | kitchenathoskins says
These look absolutely fabulous!!! Looks so soft and so perfect. I haven't made doughnuts in a long time. This is such a yummy treat!Reply
R. Sivapriya says
Hi!! Tried ur recipe. It came out very nice.. Soft and yummy!! The only mistake I did was I cut the donuts and kept on non-oiled parchment paper. So, after allowing the cut donuts to raise, I was not able to take it from the sheet. It got stuck. So, better to oil the parchment or the plate on which we r planning to keep the cut donuts!! 100 marks for the recipe 😊😊
Reply
Kristin says
These look amazing! I wonder if these could be baked instead of fried?
Reply
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Kristin. Thank you 🙂
I have not baked these doughnuts. I do know that it will change the texture of the doughnuts if it is baked instead of fried though. It might not be as soft when baked.
If you are looking for a baked doughnut recipe, you could try my Chocolate Cake Doughnuts or my Baked Doughnuts.
I hope that this helps 🙂Reply
Ella says
approx. how many does this make? they look great
Reply
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Ella, thank you, this recipe makes approximately 20 doughnuts, but it will also depend on the size of the cutter you are using 🙂
Reply
Angelina says
do you add all purpose flour or cake flour or both flour
Reply
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Angelina, You can use either cake flour OR all purpose. Not both. I always prefer and use cake flour in my recipes including these doughnuts.
All purpose is an alternative I will suggest when cake flour is not available in a certain countries.
I hope this helps 🙂Reply
