Classic Glazed Yeast Donuts

Instructions

1. 1

   Wake up the yeast

   Warm the milk until it feels like bathwater on the inside of your wrist, around 110°F. Any hotter and you risk killing the yeast. Stir in the yeast and a pinch of the sugar, then leave it alone for 5 to 10 minutes. You're looking for a foamy, slightly domed surface. If nothing happens, your yeast is dead and it's worth starting over rather than pushing ahead.

2. 2

   Build the dough

   In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the yeast mixture with the remaining sugar, the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the flour, salt, and nutmeg all at once and mix on low until no dry patches remain, about 2 minutes. The dough will look shaggy and a little alarming at this stage. That's correct.

3. 3

   Knead until smooth and tacky

   Increase to medium-low and knead for 7 to 9 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl but still cling to the bottom, and it should feel soft and tacky, like the back of a sticky note. Resist adding extra flour; a slack dough is what gives you a light donut. When you stretch a piece thin, it should hold a translucent window before tearing.

4. 4

   First rise

   Scrape the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turn it to coat, and cover. Let it rise somewhere warm for 90 minutes to 2 hours, until doubled and visibly domed. For better flavor and much easier rolling, refrigerate it overnight instead, up to 18 hours. Cold dough handles like a dream.

5. 5

   Roll and cut

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press out the big air bubbles with your palms. Roll to an even 1/2 inch thick. Cut rounds with a 3-inch cutter and punch the centers with a 1-inch cutter. Press straight down and lift straight up without twisting, which seals the cut edge and stunts the rise. Gather and rest the scraps 10 minutes before rerolling once.

6. 6

   Second proof

   Set the donuts and holes on parchment squares spaced well apart on baking sheets, cover loosely with greased plastic, and proof 35 to 50 minutes. They're ready when they look visibly puffed and a light fingertip press leaves a dent that springs back slowly. Underproofed donuts fry up dense; overproofed ones collapse in the oil.

7. 7

   Heat the oil and mix the glaze

   Pour 2 to 3 inches of oil into a heavy Dutch oven and bring it to 350°F with a clipped-on thermometer. While it heats, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth and pourable, like heavy cream. Thin with milk a teaspoon at a time if needed. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan.

8. 8

   Fry in small batches

   Lower 2 or 3 donuts at a time into the oil, using the parchment square to carry each one and sliding it away as it hits the surface. Fry 60 to 90 seconds per side, until deep golden with a pale band around the middle. Flip once with a spider or chopsticks. Adjust the burner constantly to hold 350°F, letting the oil recover between batches. Donut holes need about 45 seconds a side.

9. 9

   Glaze while warm

   Drain the donuts on the rack for about 2 minutes, just long enough that they won't burn your fingers. Dip each one into the glaze, turn to coat both sides, lift and let the excess run off, then return it to the rack. Glazing warm is what gives you that thin, lacquered shell rather than a thick white coating. Let them set for 15 minutes before eating.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  A thermometer is non-negotiable. Below 340°F the donuts absorb oil and taste greasy; above 365°F they brown before the centers set.

• 2.

  The overnight fridge rise is the single biggest upgrade here. Cold dough rolls out cleanly, holds its shape, and tastes noticeably more complex.

• 3.

  Freshly grated nutmeg is the flavor most people can't name in a bakery donut. Half a teaspoon reads as warmth, not spice.

• 4.

  Cut each donut onto its own square of parchment. Carrying them to the oil by the paper keeps them from deflating on the way.

• 5.

  Only reroll scraps once. The second reroll toughens the dough and those donuts fry up noticeably chewier.

• 6.

  Fry the donut holes first as test subjects. They tell you whether your oil temperature and proof are both where they should be.

• 7.

  For filled donuts, skip the center cut, fry the rounds whole, then pipe in jam or pastry cream with a long filling tip and roll in granulated sugar instead of glazing.

Equipment

• Stand mixer with dough hook
• Heavy Dutch oven or deep, heavy-bottomed pot
• Clip-on deep-fry or candy thermometer
• Rolling pin
• 3-inch round cutter and 1-inch round cutter (or a donut cutter)
• Spider strainer or slotted spoon
• Two rimmed baking sheets
• Wire cooling rack
• Parchment paper

Storage