That glaze. Dripping all over those golden doughnuts with their soft interior… woaaaaah momma! These lemon glazed doughnuts (donuts or doughnuts, does it even matter?) are the stuff of my dreams I tell you! I am a fan of dough, pastry and batter. Bread, cookies, waffles, pancakes, croissants, doughnuts. You name it, I love it. And the most obvious reason is that all of these things are delicious (duh!), but I think there’s also something magical in taking the simplest of ingredients like flour, butter, sugar and eggs and turning them into a glorious cake, perfect bread or golden doughnuts. I mean it pretty much sums up my motto in the kitchen. Keep things as simple as possible while delivering huge on flavour and texture.
How to make doughnuts with yeast
Heat together the milk, butter, sugar and water until the butter has melted. Allow to cool to room temperature then stir in the yeast and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is frothy. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the flour and salt. With the mixer running, pour in the wet ingredients then allow the dough to knead for 5-7 minutes at medium speed until the dough is smooth and soft. If the dough is too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time, allowing it to be incorporated in the dough until the dough is smooth. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl then cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour in a warm spot. Turn the dough out onto a floured counter then using a doughnut cutter (you can also use two different size glasses or cookie cutters), form the doughnuts. Place the doughnuts onto a floured tray and allow to rise for another 30 minutes. Heat oil in a large pot (180-190°c / 360-375°f). Add two to three doughnuts at a time, flipping them immediately once they are in the oil. This trick ensures fluffy, well-risen doughnuts every time. Cook until cooked through and golden brown on both sides. Then remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper. Pour over the lemon glaze and allow to cool before serving.
How to store glazed doughnuts?
Keep cooled doughnuts in an airtight container for 1-2 days. After 2 days, doughnuts could become stale.
Can you freeze doughnuts?
Yes, you can freeze fried doughnuts before they are filled or glazed. Allow cooked doughnuts to cool completely then wrap well in plastic wrap or foil and place in a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw completely before serving.
Can you bake doughnuts?
Yeast doughnuts will become bread-like once baked. If you would prefer to bake doughnuts using a cake-like dough or batter will result in light and fluffy doughnuts.
Doughnut recipes
