Light, Crispy Glazed Donuts

I am excited to bring you this amazing recipe for glazed donuts!  Through the years I have tried many recipes that promised to be great but just didn't quite work out.  It was so very exciting to make these and with a few changes in the process, they are the real thing!  They are airy and light and you will seriously want to eat the glaze without the donuts!  (But really, don't do that it's so good on the donuts themselves!)

I do have a funny story (but not funny at the time).  Last year I was making these donuts and had to run a quick errand after I had cut them and set them on sheets to raise.  When I returned I saw to my horror that there were little foot prints in the flour on the counter walking up to the cookie sheet and one donut was pulled off the cookie sheet.  I had forgotten that I was babysitting my daughters little chihuahua and didn't put her in her bed when I left.  I had to throw away, clean up, and start all over.  It was a sad day.  Don't do that will you?

Glazed Donuts

To start with, mix the first 7 ingredients together in your mixer bowl until blended then add 2 cups of the flour.  

 Mix the next 3 cups of flour in and then let it mix slowly for about 2 to 3 minutes more. 



 

Add more (about 1 cup) flour until the dough forms a sticky ball on the dough hook. Continue to knead the dough for about 5 minutes.









Coat a large bowl with oil and place the dough in it to rise.  Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place.  When dough has doubled in size it is ready to roll out. 

 Flour the counter well and carefully put the dough out of the bowl.  Handle dough gently to leave as much air in it as possible. 

 Roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness and cut donuts out with either a donut cutter or a large biscuit cutter and a small one for the hole. 

 Now this is the important part!!! Flour the back of some cookie sheets very well.  This is key if you want to keep those puffy well risen donuts from collapsing when you move them.  I use about 1/4 inch all over and maybe more.  I make sure the sheets are very clean before putting flour on them and then the flour can be used again after the donuts rise on it.  When you have a good layer of flour the turner you are using can easily slide under the dough and move it without sticking to it. 

 Let the donuts rise until they are doubled in size. 

  Gently lift them one at a time and carefully shake some of the extra flour off.  Place the dough in hot oil.  I use my electric fry pan and set the dial to between 375 to 390 degrees.  Pans can vary so cook a sample or a donut hole to see how fast it cooks and then adjust the temperature.  Try not to let extra flour slide into the pan with the dough as this will slow down the pans ability to heat.  An extra wide turner like this one is helpful to pick them up also!

Fry them for about 40 seconds per side then turn I use a metal fry daddy slotted spoon. 

When they are done, remove them to a cooling rack to drain.  While they are still quite warm, dip them in your saucepan of glaze turning to coat both sides.  With 2 forks lift them immediately out of the glaze and set on a rack that has been set inside of a cookie sheet so that the glaze will drip onto the pan.  (this glaze can be used again by reheating it).


Now you have perfectly delicious bakery donuts!  

   

This recipe was adapted from All Recipes Crispy Creamy Doughnuts here.

Light and Crispy Glazed Donuts

2 Tablespoons instant yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup shortening
5 cups all purpose flour (I add 1 more cup)
4-6 cups oil for frying

Mix the first 7 ingredients together in your mixer bowl until blended then add 2 cups of the flour.  Mix until blended.  Mix the next 3 cups of flour in and then let it mix slowly for about 2 to 3 minutes more. Add more (about 1 cup) flour at a time until the dough forms a sticky ball on the dough hook. Continue to knead the dough for about 5 minutes.

Coat a large bowl with oil and place the dough in it to rise.  Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place.  When dough has doubled in size it is ready to roll out. Flour the counter well and carefully put the dough out of the bowl.  Handle dough gently to leave as much air in it as possible.  Roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness and cut donuts out. 

 Flour the back of some cookie sheets very well. Place the cut out donuts on the floured sheet. Let the donuts rise until they are doubled in size.    Gently lift them one at a time and shake the extra flour off.  Place the dough in hot oil.  I use my electric fry pan and set the dial to between 375 to 390 degrees.

  Pan temperatures can vary so cook a sample or a donut hole to see how fast it cooks and then adjust the temperature.  Fry them for about 40 seconds per side.  When they are done, remove them to a cooling rack to drain.  While they are still quite warm, dip them in your saucepan of glaze turning to coat both sides.  With 2 forks lift them immediately out of the glaze and set on a rack that has been set inside of a cookie sheet so that the glaze will drip onto the pan. 

Donut Glaze

2/3 cup real butter
4 cups confectioners sugar
3 teaspoons real vanilla
4 to 8 Tablespoons hot water (I use about 6)

Melt butter in a small saucepan.  (Make sure it is big enough to dip the one donut at a time and turn it but small enough to keep the glaze deep).  Wisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla.  Add just enough hot water to make the glaze thin but not watery.  Keep the glaze on low while you are cooking the donuts.  If glaze hardens reheat it to keep it thin for dipping. 

This recipe was shared on these great sites! 
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