The GüdDish Donuts

We studied 460 recipes from around the world and combined the most compelling 16. Then we built the BEST!

Donuts. The GüdDish.

Serves about 12 donuts · 30–40 min prep · 150–165 min total · 5 steps

Ingredients

Ingredients for Donuts

Dough

  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast or active dry yeast
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Glaze

  • 4 tablespoons water, or as needed for the glaze
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frying

  • 6 cups vegetable oil, for frying

What the best recipes taught us

  • Let the dough rise twice. Two rises are what make the donuts light.
  • Hold the oil at 350°F. That temperature browns the outside while the inside cooks through.

Method

  1. 1
    Blooming yeast in warm milk in one bowl, two eggs beside
    21/4tspyeast
    1cwhole milk
    1/3csugar
    2 largeeggs
    6tbsunsalted butter, melted
    1/2tspkosher salt
    4call-purpose flour

    Warm the milk until it feels just warm, about 105°F. Not hot.

    In a large bowl, stir the yeast into the warm milk with a spoon of the sugar. Let it sit until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.

    Beat in the eggs, the melted butter, the rest of the sugar, and the salt.

    Add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes.

    Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 to 2 hours.

  2. 2
    Rolling yeast donut dough one half inch thick and cutting rings
    flour for dusting

    Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.

    Roll to about 1/2 inch thick.

    Cut into rings with a 3 inch cutter and a smaller cutter for the holes. Roll leftover dough once more.

    Set the rings on a lightly floured board, cover, and let rise until puffy, 30 to 45 minutes. A gentle poke should leave a dent that springs back slowly.

  3. 3
    Frying a few yeast donuts at a time in hot oil
    6cvegetable oil, for frying

    Pour oil into a heavy pot to a depth of at least 2 inches. Heat to 350°F.

    Fry a few donuts at a time until deep golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Do not crowd the pot.

    Keep the oil near 350°F. Too cool and they drink oil. Too hot and the outside browns before the middle cooks.

    Drain on a wire rack.

  4. 4
    Dipping a warm donut in powdered sugar glaze
    2cpowdered sugar
    4tbswater
    1tspvanilla extract

    Whisk the powdered sugar with the water and vanilla until smooth and pourable. Add a drop more water if it is too thick.

    Dip the warm donuts in the glaze and return them to the rack so the glaze sets with a shine.

  5. 5
    Warm glazed yeast donuts on a rack

    Serve the donuts warm.