Best Homemade Donuts/Doughnuts Recipe: How to Make Donuts (Doughnuts) from Scratch

Photo of Best Homemade Donuts/Doughnuts Recipe: How to Make Donuts (Doughnuts) from Scratch

Donuts/doughnuts are the ring version of puff puff and are very popular snacks, they are fluffy and sweet especially when made at home. Some people call this donut while others call it doughnut, whatever you call it doesnt matter and doesnt affect the outcome of this delicious snack. I have been snacking on donut/doughnut for a while and have never thought of sharing my recipe with my readers, not until today.

In this article, you are going to learn how to make homemade fluffy donuts/doughnuts from scratch. One thing I like about homemade donut/doughnut, is that you can customise your ingredients to the taste you like. There are different ways to make donuts/doughnuts, you can make donuts without yeast and you can decide to substitute that with baking powder when making this. Another thing about this tasty snack is that you can decide to make your donut without eggs, but I figured out that donut without egg doesnt just work for me, they turn out little bit dry and tough. The above picture shows some deep fried donuts which are really fluffy, you can enjoy them as they are coat in sugar.

Donuts can be filled with jam, jelly, coated with granulated sugar, cinnamon sugar or sweet glaze to give them a nice colorful look and taste. The best way to make doughnut is to make your dough moist and soft but not sticky, in this case, you will end up with a soft and fluffy doughnut; like I always say the fluffier it is the better. The dough is prepared by simply combining all the wet ingredients with the dry and then mix in one bowl until a dough is formed. Below are the ingredients for making homemade doughnuts and also watchthe video above.

Table of Contents

Simple tips for making fluffy donuts

Your yeast must be active. To be sure your yeast is active, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water or warm milk and wait for 5- 10 minutes when it foams it means it is active, but if it doesnt foam it means it is not and dont make use of it.
Your dough should be moist and soft but not sticky, in this case, you will end up with a soft and fluffy doughnut
Make sure you stand by and never leave your doughnuts in the oil unattended to

Ingredients for Making Donuts

2 cups of all-purpose flour
cup of sugar
2 teaspoon yeast
1 egg
1 glass of milk or cup
3 tablespoons of melted butter
A pinch of salt
teaspoon of nutmeg, optional
Oil to deep fry

Ingredients for making donuts

Steps on How to Make Homemade Donuts/Doughnuts

In a medium bowl, combine warm milk, melted butter, sugar, salt, yeast and egg.
Stir the mixture until it incorporates and set aside. Sift the flour into a bigger bowl and add grated nutmeg.
Bring the mixture to the sifted flour and mix with your hand or a spatula gradually for 3 minutes or until a dough is formed.
Dust a flat surface slightly with flour, transfer the dough to the surface, use your palms to knead the dough until it becomes moist and soft, but not sticky.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and place a string film over it to prevent it from drying out, place in a warm corner to rest for 50 minute-1hr until it triples it actual size.
Once it has risen, deflate the dough and transfer to the dusted surface, use a rolling pin to roll it out to about inch thick.
Use a donut/doughnut cutter to cut the rolled out dough to doughnut rings and then proof for 10 minutes:while you are doing this, heat up oil hot enough to fry the donuts.
Fry the donut/doughnuts on each side until golden brown then flip to the other side and do the same.
Remove the doughnuts from the oil and leave to drain on over rack lined with parchment paper and cool down, repeat this with the remaining and you are done.
Serve your donut/doughnut as it is or coat in cinnamon or granulated sugar and enjoy.

Steps on How to Make Homemade Donuts/Doughnuts with Pictures

1. In a medium bowl, combine warm milk, melted butter, sugar, salt, yeast and egg.

All the wet ingredients are combined into one bowl except the flour

2. Stir the mixture until it incorporates and set aside. Sift the flour into a bigger bowl and add grated nutmeg.

3. Bring the mixture to the sifted flour and mix with your hand or a spatula gradually for 3 minutes or until a dough is formed.

After the wet mixture has been combined with the flour, mix with your hand or a spatula until it forms a dough

The dough should be soft and not sticky at, if it is sticky add a little dry flour to it and mix to adjust it texture

4. Dust a flat surface slightly with flour, transfer the dough to the surface, use your palms to knead the dough until it becomes moist and soft, but not sticky.

5. Place the dough in a greased bowl and place a string film over it to prevent it from drying out, place in a warm corner to rest for 50 minute-1hr until it triples it actual size.

I prefer to leave this in the oven to rest until it rises

6, Once it has risen, deflate the dough and transfer to the dusted surface, use a rolling pin to roll it out to about inch thick.

Rolled dough

You must not have a doughnut cutter to cut the dough; any ring and a bottle cover will do, you can as well use your hand

7. Use a donut/doughnut cutter to cut the rolled out dough to doughnut rings and proof it againfor 10 minutes; while you are doing this, heat up oil hot enough to fry the donuts.

I left the donuts to rest for another 10 minutes before frying

8. Fry the donut/doughnuts on each side until golden brown then flip to the other side and do same.

While you’re frying these, make sure you stand close by otherwise your donuts will burn

9. Remove the doughnuts from the oil and leave to drain on over rack lined with parchment paper and cool down, repeat this with the remaining and you are done.