Amish Donuts Recipe

Ingredients

1. Milk adds moisture to the dough, helping to create a tender texture. Scalding the milk alters the proteins, improving the dough's structure. (Whole milk is preferred.)
2. Butter contributes richness, flavor, and tenderness to the donuts. (I use salted butter, but unsalted works too.)
3. Warm Water (around 110°F) activates the yeast, allowing the dough to rise. It also helps to hydrate the flour and other ingredients.
4. Active Dry Yeast acts as a leavening agent, causing the dough to rise. It creates the airy, light texture characteristic of donuts.
5. Sugar adds sweetness and provides food for the yeast, aiding fermentation and rising. (I use pure cane sugar.)
6. Mashed Potatoes add moisture and tenderness to the dough, resulting in a softer texture. The starch from the potatoes also contributes to the structure of the donuts. (Real mashed potatoes are great to use in donuts. However, instant potato flakes work as well.)
7. Bread Flour contains a higher protein content compared to all-purpose flour, which helps create a stronger gluten network in the dough. This leads to a chewier texture in the finished donuts. (If you don't have any bread flour on hand, you can substitute with all-purpose flour.)
8. Egg provides structure and richness and helps bind the ingredients together.
9. Salt enhances the flavor.
10. All-Purpose Flour provides the bulk of the dough and helps create the desired texture. (I use unbleached flour.)
11. Oil for Frying (Peanut, Vegetable, or Canola Oil) is used for frying the donuts. It coats the exterior of the dough, creating a crispy, golden-brown crust while preventing excessive absorption of oil. (I've never used lard for frying, but some people do.)

How to Make Donuts from Scratch

The first thing you'll want to do is scald the milk. This simply means to heat the milk until almost boiling.

1. Heat milk in a saucepan until it almost boils (around 185°F). A skin will form on top.
2. Remove the milk from the heat and stir in a stick of butter until melted. Set the milk aside to cool until it's lukewarm (about 105°F).
3. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the active dry yeast in warm water.
4. Add the sugar, mashed potatoes, warm (not hot) milk, melted butter, and bread flour to the yeast mixture. Stir to combine.
5. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes.
6. After 20 minutes, add the egg, salt, and 5 cups of flour. Mix until the soft dough forms.
7. Using a dough hook, knead the dough for a few minutes. Gradually add more flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (If you don't have a mixer with a dough hook, you can knead the donuts by hand on a floured surface.)
8. Grease the sides of the bowl with a bit of oil, place the dough inside, and cover it.
9. Let the dough rest in a warm place for at least an hour until it rises.

How to Fry Homemade Donuts

I like to use my cast iron Dutch oven to fry donuts because it holds the temperature better than a regular pot. But you can use any large pot or a deep fryer (if you have one that you like to use).

Pour cooking oil (peanut, vegetable, or canola oil - you could even use lard) into the pot to be at least 2 inches deep. Bring the oil to between 350 and 360 degrees and try to keep it steady at that temperature (you may have to adjust the heat occasionally).

Carefully drop only a few donuts at a time into the hot oil. Allow them a minute or two to brown on one side then flip them to the other side and fry them until light golden brown.

It only takes a couple of minutes to fry them. (A few of mine got darker than I wanted them because I was trying to do too many things at once. They're still good though, so don't worry if they don't turn out perfect.)

Remove the donuts with a strainer or slotted spoon onto a thick layer of paper towels to drain for a couple of minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

Donut Glaze

Fried homemade donuts are great on their own, but let's be real, they really need some glaze to make them perfect. I use a simple glaze made with three ingredients: powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. I know some people like to add a bit of corn syrup to the glaze. But I haven't found the need to add it. (Another option would be to use heavy cream instead of milk.)

It's a messy job getting the donuts glazed, but it's so worth it.

Mix the sweet glaze ingredients until smooth and drop the warm donuts, one at a time, into the glaze. You can adjust the thickness of your glaze by adding more milk or powdered sugar. A thicker glaze will give the donuts a heavier coat, but I prefer my glaze a bit thinner.

Hang the glazed donuts onto a rod (placed over the top of parchment paper) or onto a wire rack to dry. You can reuse the glaze that drips off.

Tips for Making the Best Amish Donuts

TIP 1: 

A stand mixer is best for this whole process. If you do not have a stand mixer, begin by mixing the dough with an electric mixer, then switch to mixing and kneading by hand when the dough becomes too heavy for the hand-held electric mixer.

TIP 2: 

Use a cooking thermometer to manage the heat of the oil. If the oil is too cool it will not cook the donuts well and they will take in a lot of oil. If it's too hot the donuts will cook too fast on the outside before the inside.

Safety Tip:

Be extremely cautious when frying! The oil is very hot and it will burn if you get splattered. If this is your first time deep-frying, please educate yourself before you begin. You may want to wear an apron and keep a roll of paper towels nearby.

Amish Country Yeast Donuts

Amish donuts are easy to make, although truthfully, they take some time. It's a project for one of those days when you're at home most of the day, and not feeling too rushed.

My kids love to help, and maybe you could turn it into a fun family project. (Although I do not recommend having small kids help with the frying part - it's too dangerous!)

Baking is one of my hobbies, and I love working with dough and creating beautiful and delicious baked goods for my family. It's therapeutic for me and, of course, my family is happy to indulge in the results of my work. But this recipe is truly a labor of love and one that's usually saved for special occasions.