Chocolate Glazed Donuts & Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes

wyldflour

12-18 Donuts + Holes

Chocolate Glazed Donuts & Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes

1 hrPrep Time

2 hrCook Time

3 hrTotal Time

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Dough:
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (one package)
• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar (47 g sugar)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (590 g), divided
• 3-4 cups canola or vegetable oil (depending on your pan size)
• extra flour for rolling out
Chocolate Glaze:
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
• 4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon nonfat milk (whole or skim should work just as well)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Plain Icing:
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup nonfat milk
Cinnamon Sugar:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Optional Toppings:
• crushed candy, sprinkles, cereal, powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Remove eggs from refrigerator and set aside. Heat milk in a glass measuring cup (or microwave-safe bowl) until warm but not bubbling. Stir in active dry yeast--just until the yeast is stirred into the milk and let sit for 8 minutes. While yeast is sitting, melt butter in microwave at 50% power for 2 minutes. There may still be some solids - stir the butter until the remaining solids have melted. (Doing it this way will prevent the butter from getting too hot or burning.)
2. Once yeast and butter are ready, add sugar and eggs to a large mixing bowl. Mix well, using a wooden spoon. Stir in yeast mixture. Then stir in melted butter. Stir in salt and half of flour--that is, 295 g flour (2 cups + 2 Tablespoons)--until fully incorporated. Then add remaining flour (295 g / 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons)and stir until dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Lightly oil a second mixing bowl and dump dough into the bowl. Cover loosely with a clean towel. Set bowl in a warm place for 1 hour until dough has doubled in size. (*If your house is cold, preheat the oven to 170 degrees Fahrenheit while you are preparing the dough. Turn the oven off right before you set the dough into the oven to rise and leave the oven door open a couple inches.)Prepare two baking sheets by sprinkling flour over the bottoms, so that the donuts won't stick. Set aside. (Your donuts will rise on these sheets.)
4. After dough has risen, dump the dough out on well-floured surface. Sprinkle flour over the dough and and knead for 30 seconds. Roll dough out to half inch thick (it will seem thin), and cut out donuts. (I used 3-inch and 1 1/2-inch biscuit cutters.) Cut out donuts, cut out middles, and place donuts and donut holes on floured baking sheets. Leave at least 2-3 inches between donuts so they can rise. Place donuts in a warm place (or repeat oven method) and let rise for 45 minutes until puffed up and nearly double in size.
5. Twenty-five minutes before the donuts are ready, start heating oil in a deep cast iron dutch oven over medium heat. (I used a deep cast iron skillet, but a deep-fryer or a large pot would also work.) Test the oil by flicking a tiny drop of water into the oil--it should pop and spit. Cover two cooling racks with 2-3 layers of paper towels and set aside.
6. Use a metal spatula to gently lift the donuts from the baking sheet and slide into the hot oil. If it does not start bubbling and frying immediately, the oil is not hot enough. The donuts will be very delicate, so you're trying to not deflate them. If you don't have a metal spatula, use a plastic one to pick up the donut, slide it into your hand and GENTLY drop into the oil, being careful not to touch the oil or splatter hot oil on yourself. The donuts should float on top. Allow them to fry for about 30-45 seconds--watch the bottoms for browning. Use a slotted metal spoon to flip the donuts and allow the other side to brown for 30-45 seconds. Use the slotted spoon to remove the donut from the oil and place onto the paper towel-covered cooling rack.
7. For chocolate glazed or plain-iced: allow donuts and holes to cool completely. Mix glaze ingredients in a bowl wide enough to fit the donut. Dunk donuts (or holes) into the glaze half-way, then pull out and flip over. Let sit on a cooling rack until glaze has set.
8. For cinnamon-sugar: allow donuts to cool just slightly. (Less than a minute.) Mix cinnamon and sugar in a bowl wide enough to fit the donuts and/or holes. Drop the donuts into the cinnamon sugar mixture and toss until coated. Let sit on a wire rack.
9. Store donuts on the counter, loosely tented with tin foil, or covered on a cake stand for up to 24 hours. (If you put them in an airtight container, they will get soggy.)

Notes