Description
Delicious homemade Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts with a soft, airy texture, lightly fried to golden perfection and coated in a sweet cinnamon sugar blend. Perfect for a cozy breakfast or sweet snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Doughnut Dough
- 230 g whole milk, lukewarm
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp active, dry yeast
- 425 g all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 50 g neutral oil or light olive oil
- Neutral oil or light olive oil, for frying
Cinnamon Sugar
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom (optional)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the lukewarm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is foamy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Make Dough: Add the flour, salt, egg, and oil to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Continue mixing for 10-12 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, and passes the windowpane test, where you can stretch a piece and see light through it.
- First Rise: Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours, up to overnight, to develop flavor.
- Shape Doughnuts: Turn the dough onto a very lightly floured surface and roll it out to about ½ inch (1.2 cm) thickness. Use a 3 ¼ inch circle cutter to cut out doughnut shapes and a 1 inch cutter for the holes. Place each doughnut and hole on a square of parchment paper on a baking sheet, leaving room around them. Gather scraps to re-roll or cut into pieces to fry as snacks.
- Proof Doughnuts: Cover the doughnuts and holes, and let them proof for 35 to 45 minutes at room temperature. They should leave a small indentation that springs back when lightly poked.
- Heat Oil: Heat neutral or light olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer to 350°F (180°C). Place a wire rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to drain the fried doughnuts.
- Prepare Cinnamon Sugar: Combine granulated sugar, cinnamon, ground cardamom, and a pinch of salt in a shallow bowl for coating later.
- Fry Doughnuts: Test the oil temperature with scraps of dough. Gently lower doughnuts, two at a time, into the oil using the parchment paper if desired, then remove the paper with tongs. Fry for about 3 minutes total, flipping halfway through, until golden brown.
- Drain and Coat: Remove the doughnuts with a slotted spoon, place them on the wire rack, and let cool for 30 seconds before tossing in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat evenly.
- Repeat and Serve: Continue frying the remaining doughnuts and holes, cooling and coating each batch. Serve best on the day made; store leftovers lightly covered at room temperature and refresh in the microwave before eating if desired.
Notes
- Use a candy or deep-fry thermometer to maintain the oil temperature precisely at 350°F for best results.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, knead the dough by hand for 12-15 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Ground cardamom in the cinnamon sugar adds a warm, aromatic flavor but can be omitted if unavailable.
- Proofing the dough in the fridge overnight enhances flavor complexity and dough elasticity.
- Be gentle when frying to keep doughnuts fluffy and avoid overbrowning.
- Leftover dough scraps can be fried as mini snacks or donut holes for zero waste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 doughnut
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
