Best 5 Baked Yeast Doughnuts Recipes

PERFECT YEAST DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Place the water, buttermilk, beaten egg and melted butter in the bread machine pan, then add the dry ingredients which were weighed using a scale (it's so important), except for the yeast. Make a small indentation in the dry ingredients, then add the yeast. Set the bread machine on the 'dough' setting.
• Place the dry ingredients in a bowl. Put 6 Tbsp of lukewarm water in a cup and sprinkle the yeast on top, set aside for about 5 minutes, until the yeast begins to react (you can add a pinch of sugar to help it). Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and yeast mixture. If using a stand mixer, run with the dough hook until a dough forms then continue for about 5 minutes. By hand, knead for about 10 minutes. Cover and set aside until at least doubled in size (usually 1 to 2 hours, depending on the freshness of the yeast, temperature of the water and ambient temperature).
• Once the dough has doubled, place it on a floured surface and knead lightly. Divide it in half, keeping half the dough covered, so it doesn't form a skin. With a rolling pin, roll out half of the dough to about 1/2″ thickness. Cut with a round, sharp cookie cutter (about 3″ diameter) then make the holes with a smaller cookie cutter (about 1″ diameter), saving the holes. Or splurge (haha) and buy this doughnut cutter and save yourself a lot of trouble!
• Place each doughnut on a piece of parchment or waxed paper, then place on a cookie sheet. Put the tray in the oven (turn it on for 1 minute, SET A TIMER, then turn it off again, just to make it barely warm).
• Next, boil some water and pour it into a measuring jug. Place the jug of water in the oven with the tray of doughnuts (this will create steam will keep a skin from forming). With the remaining dough, divide into quarters, then divide each piece in half to make 8 equal amounts. Roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball, and place on parchment or waxed paper pieces and place on a cookie sheet; place in the oven with the other doughnuts to rise until doubled in size.
• Heat the oil to about 350ºF (180º). If you don't have a thermometer, test the oil with a doughnut hole: if it doesn't start frying immediately, the oil is too cold, if the hole turns brown right away, the oil is too hot. Adjust the heat accordingly.
• Drop the doughnuts into the hot oil using the paper to carefully lower them into the oil. Turn them over as soon as they become golden brown on the underside, and remove them and place on a paper towel lined platter once they are ready.
• When the doughnuts have cooled, roll them in sugar to coat evenly. If you choose to fill the large doughnuts, push a skewer into the center of the doughnut to make a hole, then place some room temperature jam, or slightly warmed Nutella into a piping bag and pipe the filling into the doughnut. Using an ISI whipper, pipe fresh cream into a doughnut cut in half (add some jam first if you like).

BAKED YEAST DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Warm the milk in a small pan until it's tepid. Pour it into a large mixing bowl or bowl of your food mixer, add the yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar. Stir until the yeast is dissolved. Cover and leave for ten minutes or until the milk has turned frothy.
• Whilst you're waiting, melt the butter in the same pan you used for the milk. Butter or oil your doughnut moulds and place on a baking tray.
• Add all the other ingredients to the bowl and stir by hand or use a food mixer until the mixture comes together to form a dough. Knead for five minutes.
• Cut the dough into twelve evenly sized pieces. Lightly oil your work surface then roll each piece into a string long enough to fit around each doughnut hole mould.
• Lay them in the moulds and pinch the ends together so that the dough rounds are more or less even.
• Cover with a tea towel or large plastic bag and leave to rise until doubled in size. This usually takes about an hour, but could be a bit less or a bit more depending on the state of your flour, how active the yeast is and how warm the room is.
• When the doughnuts look as though they're nearly there, preheat the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).
• Remove the tea towel or plastic covering and bake in the top part of the oven for fifteen minutes. You know the doughnuts are done when they're golden in colour and if you tap one on the bottom it sounds hollow inside. But for doughnuts, it's better to err on the side of caution. If you overbake them they will be dry and not nearly as pleasant to eat.
• Whilst the doughnuts are baking melt the butter in a small pan over a gently heat. Mix the sugar and spice together in a large shallow bowl.
• Turn the doughnuts out of the moulds whilst hot and immediately brush each one with the melted butter then dunk in the sugar bowl, turning them over when one side is done.

BAKED YEAST DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Place 1/3 cup of the warm milk in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the yeast and sugar and set aside for five minutes or so to let it proof. Stir the butter into the remaining cup of warm milk and add it to the yeast mixture. With a fork, stir in the eggs, flour, nutmeg, and salt - just until the flour is incorporated. With the dough hook attachment of your mixer beat the dough for a few minutes at medium speed. Adjust the dough texture by adding flour a few tablepsoons at a time or more milk. You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl and eventually become supple and smooth. Turn it out onto a floured counter-top, knead a few times (the dough should be barely sticky), and shape into a ball.
• Transfer the dough to a buttered (or oiled) bowl, cover, put in a warm place, and let rise for an hour or until the dough has roughly doubled in size.
• Punch down the dough and roll it out 1/2-inch thick on your floured countertop. With a 2-3 inch cookie cutter, stamp out circles in the dough . Transfer the circles to a parchment-lined baking sheet and stamp out the smaller inner circles using a smaller cutter. If you cut the inner holes out any earlier, they become distorted when you attempt to move them. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise for another 45 minutes.
• Bake in a 375 degree oven until the bottoms are just golden, 8 to 10 minutes - start checking around 8. While the doughnuts are baking, place the butter in a medium bowl. Place the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
• Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let cool for just a minute or two. Dip each one in the melted butter and a quick toss in the sugar bowl. Eat immediately if not sooner.
• Makes 1 1/2 - 2 dozen medium doughnuts.

YEAST DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt the shortening. Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and shortening mixture, first making sure the milk and shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined. Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well. Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter or pastry ring and using a 7/8-inch ring for the center whole. Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365 degrees F. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side. Transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes prior to glazing, if desired.

CINNAMON BAKED DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 doughnut pans well.
• Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.
• Spoon the batter into the baking pans, filling each one a little more than three-quarters full. Bake for 17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then tap the doughnuts out onto a sheet pan.
• For the topping, melt the 8 tablespoons of butter in an 8-inch saute pan. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip each doughnut first in the butter and then in the cinnamon sugar, either on one side or both sides.