Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Calories: 177kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 20 Donuts
Description
These homemade fried cinnamon sugar donuts are the ultimate old fashion sugar treats. Go back to your childhood pleasure of dunking your face in sugar. Light and fluffy, yet soft and sweet on the inside. Deep-fried until golden then dusted liberally with a delicious mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Perfect any time of the year for kids and grown-ups.
Ingredients
Donut dough
- 180 g (¾ cups) Whole milk warm (110F)
- 100 g (3 large) Eggs
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) Sugar
- 9 g (2¼ teaspoon) Instant dry yeast
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 500 g (4 cups) All-purpose flour or bread flour
- 7 g (1 teaspoon) Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 60 g (4 tablespoon) Butter unsalted, room temperature
For coating
- 100 g (½ cups) Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Dry ingredients - In a bowl combine flour, salt, and grated nutmeg. Combine well
- Wet ingredients - In the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment, combine warm milk (110F), yeast, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Followed by the flour mixture. Pro tip - use a whisk to ensure everything is well combined especially if you are using fresh baker's yeast like me.
- Knead - By hand - start in a bowl then transfer to a well-dusted worktop and knead for 5 to 6 minutes - Stand mixer - once all the flour is well incorporated, knead on medium for 4 to 5 minutes
- Butter - Next, add the salt, nutmeg, and soft room temperature butter. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes more until smooth and elastic.Pro tip - the dough will break apart at first when you add the butter but it will come together again as you knead.
- Bowl - Transfer to an oiled bowl seam side down. Coat the surface with oil to prevent drying. Cover with a clean kitchen cloth or plastic wrap.
- Rise - Leave to rise in a warm place for 60 to 90 minutes or until it doubles in volume. Pro tip - Alternatively, you can also keep the dough in the fridge overnight. Take it out an hour to thaw before rolling.
- Cut - Transfer to a well-dusted work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll to about ¼ inch thickness. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter cut out as many discs as you can. Then use a ½ inch cookie cutter to make the center hole. Alternatively, you can also use a donut cutter. Pro tip - if you roll the dough too thin the donuts will not be fluffy. It is best to make fewer yet, light and fluffy donuts than many flat hard donuts.
- Tray - Transfer the donuts to a baking tray that has been lined with parchment paper and dusted with flour. Pro tip - The flour will prevent the donuts from sticking to the parchment paper.
- Proof - Cover with a plastic wrap or clean kitchen cloth and let them proof until double in size about 45 to 60 minutes. Pro tip - Spray the plastic wrap with oil to prevent it from sticking to the rolls.
- Deep fry - Pour oil into a heavy pot or deep fryer and bring to about 350 °F. I like to use my dutch oven. Cook the donuts on each side for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Use a slotted spoon to remove the donuts from the oil and drop them on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Tip 1- make sure you have enough oil so the donuts will be at least half immersed in oil when puffed.Tip 2- You want the oil hot, but not too hot. When you drop a donut hole it should come up in about 30 seconds, if it comes up too soon means the oil is too hot. Too slow means the oil is too cold. Adjust accordingly.
- Cinnamon sugar - Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small tray or bowl. Drop the hot donut into the cinnamon sugar, so it sticks to the donuts. Pro tip - the donuts must be hot so the cinnamon sugar will stick the oil on the donuts. If you wait too long the sugar won't stick. If that happens you can brush cold donuts with melted butter and dust them with cinnamon sugar again.
Recipe Notes
- The temperature of milk - It is very important to make sure the milk is warm, not hot or cold. You don't need a thermometer to check - that's just a guide.
- To check if the milk is at the right temperature - just stick your clean little finger in. You should be able to hold it in for a minute if not it's too hot. Best to wait until just warm.
- The temperature of the oil - I know I said the oil has to be around 325 ° F but again, you don't necessarily need a thermometer. Here's how to check if the oil is right. Make mini doughnuts - I divide one doughnut into four and make mini doughnuts. This helps me test the hot oil before and in between batches.
- How to test oil - Add a mini doughnut to test the oil. The doughnut should rise in about 30 secs. If it rises too soon means the oil is too hot and if it takes too long means the oil is not yet hot. Adjust accordingly. Keep an eye on oil temperature as it rises and cools between donuts batches. Adding doughnuts to the oil will cool the oil. So find a balance on how many doughnuts per batch works with your settings.
- Keep the dough soft, elastic, and slightly sticky. The softness in the mixture (not extra butter) will produce melt-in-your-mouth donuts. I admit that soft dough is more difficult to handle. So that's why I have a second tip for you.
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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