RECIPE: Easy Donuts from Home

 When grocery store offerings or mega-chain donuts aren’t cutting it (and let’s be honest, they aren’t ever cutting it), it’s time to take matters into your own hands. When the mood strikes, yeast is fussy and time consuming. Instead, try turning to the classic Old Fashioned cake donut. The result? A pantry-friendly, crowd-pleasing vanilla donut with a satisfying bite and a thin glaze that goes from craving to reality in just about one hour. And the best part? You can customize this donut any way you like. Tossed in powdered or cinnamon sugar, dipped in a vanilla glaze, or unadorned and paired with a cup of black coffee, these donuts won’t steer you wrong.

Ingredients

For the donuts: 

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

2 egg yolks

1 cup whole-milk greek yogurt

½ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste

8 cups vegetable oil 

For the glaze: 

3 cups powdered sugar

1 ½ teaspoons corn syrup

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

⅓ cup hot tap water

Method

In a medium bowl, whisk all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine egg yolks, yogurt, granulated sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to the bowl and using a rubber spatula, mix together until a soft dough forms with no dry spots or pockets of flour remaining. 

Tip the dough out onto a floured piece of parchment paper. Dust dough with flour and top with another sheet of parchment paper. Roll dough until ½ inch thick. Remove the top piece of paper and dust away any excess flour if desired. 

Punch out donuts using a donut or biscuit cutter. If using a biscuit cutter, punch out centers of donuts using a smaller biscuit cutter or a bottle cap. Set donuts on a sheet pan lined with parchment.  Using parchment and re-flouring as needed, re-roll scraps and punch out additional donuts and holes. 

Fit heavy bottomed pot with candy or frying thermometer and pour in vegetable oil until you have at least 2 inch depth. Heat over medium high heat until oil reaches 350° F. Carefully add donuts, flipping over once (I like to use a chopstick as my frying tool of choice) until puffy and browned, about 2 minutes preside. Transfer donuts to a wire rack as they finish frying and let cool for at least 10 minutes before glazing. 

To make the glaze: whisk powdered sugar, corn syrup, salt, vanilla bean paste, and hot tap water until consistency is smooth and mixture disappears into itself if poured. Dip each side of the donut into the glaze, letting excess run off before returning to a wire rack. Repeat with additional donuts. Serve immediately. Donuts are best eaten the day of, but can be kept at room temperature for an additional 1-2 days.