These Fried Cinnamon Sugar Donuts are the perfect afternoon pick me up or a sweet addition to breakfast. They are soft and perfectly sweet. These donuts turned out light and fluffy. The fun part of this recipe is you can make the dough and then change the coating to make multiple kinds of donuts. I love doing cinnamon sugar, maple glaze, or a chocolate glaze!
SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT FOR CINNAMON SUGAR DONUTS:
- Mixer and dough hook: These make the kneading process a lot quicker and care free.
- Big pot: This allows you to fill it with 2 quarts of oil. You can also use a deep fryer if you have one.
- Thermometer: this one is needed to make sure you are cooking you’re donuts at the correct temperature. If you don’t know you could cook them on too high a heat and they will come out raw in the center.
- Rolling Pin: This will be needed to roll the dough out.
- Glass and shot glass: This is what I used to cut the donuts out. If you have a round cookie cutter even better! Also the end of a wood spoon could work to create a whole in the center.
FRIED DONUTS TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Room Temperature ingredients help to make sure the ingredients combine better. Read this great article to read more.
- Make sure the milk isn’t too hot or else it will kill the yeast. If the yeast does not bloom and puff up then pour it all out and start over again. It is not worth it to continue to make the dough because it will not rise. If it doesn’t bloom again and the milk isn’t too hot then the yeast may have gone bad and it’s time to get a whole new pack at the store.
- Storing yeast in a sealed container in the fridge works best, otherwise if it get’s too warm it will die. When this happens it won’t smell like yeast and will have almost like a play dough smell.
FRIED CINNAMON SUGAR DONUT INGREDIENTS:
Whole Milk: Warm milk heated to about 110 F or warm to touch but not hot. If it’s too hot it will kill the yeast.
Active Dry Yeast: Most important ingredient. For this recipe you need active dry. If you only have instant yeast cut the amount to 1/4 of the amount of yeast in this recipe. Add the instant yeast to the dry ingredients no need to proof with warm milk.
Eggs: 2 eggs at room temperature.
Granulated Sugar: A small amount of sugar helps activate the yeast and adds flavor.
Salt: Helps bring out all the flavors.
Unsalted Butter: Helps make the dough butter and rich. The butter needs to be melted but cooled in order to not kill the yeast.
All-Purpose Flour: You will need about 2 3/4 cups of flour. It may need more or less so feel it out as you mix it. You want the dough to be tacky but not sticky. More flour is needed to roll out.
Canola Oil: 2 Quarts are needed in order to fry all 20 donuts.
Cinnamon: Adds the perfect amount of spice to these donuts.
Fried Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Equipment
- Large pot
- Rolling Pin
- Thermometer
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 1/4 Cup Milk
- 2 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 8 Tbsp Unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat milk until warm but not hot. In a large bowl combine with yeast, mix a little then let sit for 5 minutes until mixture is foamy.
- Beat eggs, butter, sugar, and salt into the yeast mixture. Add half the flour and mix until combined. Then mix in the rest of the flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Knead for a few minutes on a floured surface. Cover the inside of a large bowl with oil. Put dough in large bowl and cover with dish towel. Let rise for about and hour until it is double in size.
- Turn dough out onto a well floured surface and roll out into 1/2 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters or glasses to cut doughnuts. Shot glasses work great as the center cut out. Place cut doughnuts on floured baking sheets with plenty of space in between. Cover with kitchen towels and let sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
- About 15 minutes before doughnuts are done rising, place pot with oil over medium heat. Get the oil to 375 degrees use a meat thermometer to make sure. Line cooling racks with paper towels.
- Use a slotted spoon to put a few doughnuts in the pot. Let cook for around 45 seconds and then flip and cook until golden. Take out and let rest on paper towels before rolling around in cinnamon sugar.
- Mix cinnamon and sugar together. Roll cooled donuts in it.