American · Dessert
Krispy Kreme Donut
Homemade yeasted donuts deep-fried until golden and glazed with a sweet vanilla glaze that hardens to a perfect finish. These iconic donuts require patience for rising and careful temperature control but deliver the authentic taste of the famous glazed original.
The Method
Instructions
Alright, let's get started by waking up that yeast. In a nice, roomy 2 1/2 quart bowl, pour in your warm water,just warm enough to feel cozy to the touch but not hot enough to burn. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface and give it a gentle stir or just let it sit for a couple of minutes. You'll know it's ready when it starts to bubble and foam a bit, which means it's alive and kicking, ready to help your dough rise beautifully.
Now, to the bowl, add your milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of flour. Before you go full tilt, start mixing on low speed for about 30 seconds. Keep the beaters moving and don't forget to scrape around the sides of the bowl because you want everything to come together evenly. Once it looks like it's starting to mix well, bump your mixer up to medium speed and keep beating for 2 full minutes. This gives the dough a nice, smooth texture and develops some gluten for that perfect chewiness. Give the bowl a good scrape every now and then, making sure no ingredients are sticking to the sides.
After that, it's time to add the remaining flour. Stir it in gently by hand until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the bowl a bit but is still soft and a little sticky. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let the dough rest in a warm spot. This is the fun part where the magic happens; the dough should rise and nearly double in size over about 50 to 60 minutes. You'll know it's ready when you give it a gentle poke and the indentation stays right where you pressed it instead of bouncing back. That tells you the dough is perfectly proofed and ready for the next step.
Once your dough has risen, dust your work surface lightly with flour so nothing sticks. Turn the dough out onto the surface and roll it around a bit to coat it lightly in flour. This will make rolling out much easier and prevent any sticking.
Using a floured rolling pin, gently roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Take your time here and try to keep the thickness as even as possible, since this helps the doughnuts cook evenly. Next, grab your floured doughnut cutter and press it down firmly into the dough. If you don't have a doughnut cutter, you can use two round cutters or even a glass for the outer circle and a small bottle cap for the center hole. Place the cut doughnuts on a baking sheet, cover them loosely with a towel or plastic wrap, and let them rise again until they puff up to about double their size. This will usually take around 30 to 40 minutes.
While the doughnuts are having their second rise, it's time to heat your oil. Pour vegetable oil into a deep fryer or a heavy bottomed pot, enough to submerge the doughnuts fully but not so much that it will overflow when you add them. Heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit . You can check this with a thermometer or drop a small piece of dough in; if it bubbles and rises to the surface quickly, you're good to go.
Using a wide spatula, very gently slide a few doughnuts at a time into the hot oil. Don't overcrowd the pot because the temperature will drop and the doughnuts won't cook right. As they start to float and puff up, carefully flip them over to cook the other side. Each side should take about 1 minute or until they turn a gorgeous, golden brown color. Keep an eye on them because doughnuts cook fast and you don't want them to burn.
Once cooked, carefully remove the doughnuts from the oil with your spatula and place them on a wire rack to drain. It's important not to prick or poke the surface because you want to keep those doughy pockets intact for the glaze to sink into later.
Speaking of glaze, here's where the magic gets even sweeter! In a small saucepan, melt your butter over low heat. Once melted, remove it from the heat right away so it doesn't brown. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until everything is smooth and creamy. Then, add water a tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition, until your glaze reaches that perfect dipping consistency,not too thick, not too runny. If it's too thick, the glaze won't coat your doughnuts nicely; if it's too thin, it will just slide right off.
Now for the best part: dunk those warm, golden doughnuts into the creamy glaze. Hold them over the rack so the excess glaze can drip off, coating every nook and cranny with sweet, shiny goodness. Let them sit for a few minutes so the glaze sets a bit before you dig in. Trust me, these Krispy Kreme style doughnuts are worth the wait!
Now, to the bowl, add your milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of flour. Before you go full tilt, start mixing on low speed for about 30 seconds. Keep the beaters moving and don't forget to scrape around the sides of the bowl because you want everything to come together evenly. Once it looks like it's starting to mix well, bump your mixer up to medium speed and keep beating for 2 full minutes. This gives the dough a nice, smooth texture and develops some gluten for that perfect chewiness. Give the bowl a good scrape every now and then, making sure no ingredients are sticking to the sides.
After that, it's time to add the remaining flour. Stir it in gently by hand until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the bowl a bit but is still soft and a little sticky. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let the dough rest in a warm spot. This is the fun part where the magic happens; the dough should rise and nearly double in size over about 50 to 60 minutes. You'll know it's ready when you give it a gentle poke and the indentation stays right where you pressed it instead of bouncing back. That tells you the dough is perfectly proofed and ready for the next step.
Once your dough has risen, dust your work surface lightly with flour so nothing sticks. Turn the dough out onto the surface and roll it around a bit to coat it lightly in flour. This will make rolling out much easier and prevent any sticking.
Using a floured rolling pin, gently roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Take your time here and try to keep the thickness as even as possible, since this helps the doughnuts cook evenly. Next, grab your floured doughnut cutter and press it down firmly into the dough. If you don't have a doughnut cutter, you can use two round cutters or even a glass for the outer circle and a small bottle cap for the center hole. Place the cut doughnuts on a baking sheet, cover them loosely with a towel or plastic wrap, and let them rise again until they puff up to about double their size. This will usually take around 30 to 40 minutes.
While the doughnuts are having their second rise, it's time to heat your oil. Pour vegetable oil into a deep fryer or a heavy bottomed pot, enough to submerge the doughnuts fully but not so much that it will overflow when you add them. Heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit . You can check this with a thermometer or drop a small piece of dough in; if it bubbles and rises to the surface quickly, you're good to go.
Using a wide spatula, very gently slide a few doughnuts at a time into the hot oil. Don't overcrowd the pot because the temperature will drop and the doughnuts won't cook right. As they start to float and puff up, carefully flip them over to cook the other side. Each side should take about 1 minute or until they turn a gorgeous, golden brown color. Keep an eye on them because doughnuts cook fast and you don't want them to burn.
Once cooked, carefully remove the doughnuts from the oil with your spatula and place them on a wire rack to drain. It's important not to prick or poke the surface because you want to keep those doughy pockets intact for the glaze to sink into later.
Speaking of glaze, here's where the magic gets even sweeter! In a small saucepan, melt your butter over low heat. Once melted, remove it from the heat right away so it doesn't brown. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until everything is smooth and creamy. Then, add water a tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition, until your glaze reaches that perfect dipping consistency,not too thick, not too runny. If it's too thick, the glaze won't coat your doughnuts nicely; if it's too thin, it will just slide right off.
Now for the best part: dunk those warm, golden doughnuts into the creamy glaze. Hold them over the rack so the excess glaze can drip off, coating every nook and cranny with sweet, shiny goodness. Let them sit for a few minutes so the glaze sets a bit before you dig in. Trust me, these Krispy Kreme style doughnuts are worth the wait!
Pairs Well With
