Think perfect yeast doughnuts are only for professional bakers? Think again! This recipe is surprisingly simple, even for beginners. With step-by-step instructions and helpful tips, you'll be whipping up batches of golden-brown deliciousness in no time. Get your aprons ready – it's doughnut time!
Doughnuts are a beloved treat enjoyed around the world. The recipe I'm sharing today is a traditional variety popular in Hungary. These doughnuts have a distinctive round shape with a hole in the center, rather than the classic ring shape. My recipe features a dough made with fresh yeast, which gives it a wonderful flavour and texture.
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You'll find another Hungarian doughnut recipe on our blog, the cottage cheese donuts, it is also delicious!
Ingredients
The ingredients used in the Perfect Yeast Doughnuts recipe are:
For the Dough:
- 500g Wheat Flour: This forms the structure of the doughnuts. The recipe likely uses all-purpose flour, but you could experiment with bread flour for a slightly chewier texture.
- 250ml Milk: Milk provides moisture and richness to the dough. Warming the milk helps activate the yeast.
- 60g Melted Butter: Butter adds flavour and tenderness. Unsalted butter is generally preferred in baking to control the salt level.
- 30g Fresh Yeast or 10g Dried Yeast: The key ingredient! Yeast creates air bubbles that make the doughnuts light and airy. Fresh yeast is often preferred for its flavour, but active dry yeast works well too.
- 2 Egg Yolks: Egg yolks enrich the dough and contribute to a soft texture.
- 2 Tablespoons Caster Sugar: Sugar feeds the yeast and adds sweetness. Caster sugar dissolves easily, which is helpful in doughs.
- 1 Teaspoon Rum Aroma: This adds a unique depth of flavour. You could substitute with vanilla extract if you prefer.
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Aroma: Enhances the sweetness and provides a classic doughnut flavour.
- Zest of 1 Lemon: A touch of citrus zest brightens the flavour of the dough.
For Frying & Finishing:
- 1 Liter Sunflower Oil: A neutral-flavoured oil with a high smoke point, ideal for frying. Other options include canola oil or vegetable shortening.
- 10g Powder Sugar: The classic finishing touch! Dusting the doughnuts with powdered sugar adds sweetness and a beautiful look.
By understanding the role of each ingredient, you can appreciate how they work together to create the perfect yeast doughnut!
How to Make the Perfect Yeast Doughnuts?
This perfect yeast doughnuts recipe features a traditional hand-kneaded dough made with fresh yeast. If you'd like to use dry yeast or a food processor, I'll show you how in the video, with adjustments to ensure perfect results.
Make the Yeast Doughnuts Dough
First, warm the milk slightly. It should be lukewarm, not hot. Dissolve two tablespoons of sugar in the warm milk. Add the yeast to the milk, stir to dissolve, and set aside in a warm place to activate.
While the yeast activates, melt the butter. Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg yolks, rum aroma, and vanilla aroma.
Once the yeast has activated (you'll see a foamy layer on top of the milk), pour it into the bowl with the liquid ingredients. Stir in a pinch of sea salt and the lemon zest. Finally, gradually incorporate the sifted flour.
Now, mix everything together with a wooden spoon, just like our grandparents did, or use a dough mixer to make things easier. Continue mixing until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and place it in a warm place to rise for about 45-60 minutes. The dough should double in size during this time.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll it out with a rolling pin until it is about 1 cm thick.
Cut the Doughnuts Shapes
Cut the dough into doughnut shapes using a doughnut cutter or with the help of a glass (like a drinking glass about 8 cm in diameter), as I did.
Next, gather the remaining dough scraps. Knead them briefly and roll them out again. Continue cutting out doughnut shapes until all the dough is used.
Cover the doughnuts with a kitchen towel and let them rise for about 15 minutes. This allows the dough to relax and become even lighter before frying.
Frying the Dough Shapes
Heat about 1 liter of sunflower oil in a saucepan to 170 C (338 F). It's important to get the temperature right – if the oil is too hot, the doughnuts will burn on the outside, and if it's not hot enough, they'll absorb too much oil and be greasy.
Gently press your finger into the center of each doughnut shape to create a small indentation. Fry the doughnuts with the hole facing down.
Fry the doughnut for about half minute on each side, or until golden brown. Some recipes recommend covering the pan with a lid for the first 30 seconds of frying to help the doughnuts puff up, but be careful not to trap too much moisture.
Remove the lid, flip the doughnuts, and continue frying them on the other side until golden brown.
Remove the doughnuts from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Gently pat them with another paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Continue frying the remaining doughnuts in the same way.
Dust the finished perfect yeast doughnuts with powdered sugar. Congratulations! You've just created a batch of delectable, melt-in-your-mouth yeast doughnuts that are sure to impress.
How To Serve These Hungarian Doughnuts?
Freshly fried perfect yeast doughnuts are best enjoyed warm. The contrast between the crispy exterior and soft, fluffy interior is simply irresistible.
While not traditional, you can get creative with fillings. Consider injecting jam (apricot is a classic pairing), custard, or even chocolate sauce into the doughnuts. Beyond powdered sugar, try drizzling with a simple glaze, melted chocolate, or a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.
Serve the Hungarian perfect yeast doughnuts alongside a cup of coffee, tea, or a glass of milk for a delightful treat.
Filling Variations
- Fruit Preserves: Inject the doughnuts with apricot, raspberry, or strawberry jam after frying.
- Custard or Cream: Fill them with vanilla custard, pastry cream, or whipped cream.
- Chocolate: Inject a rich chocolate ganache or hazelnut spread for a decadent treat.
How to Store?
Leftover perfect yeast doughnuts can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. They will be slightly stale the next day, but they can still be enjoyed.
If you have any leftover doughnuts that you are not going to eat within a couple of days, you can freeze them. To freeze doughnuts, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them until they are solid. Once they are frozen, you can transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I highly recommend giving this perfect yeast doughnuts recipe a try – you'll be amazed by the light, fluffy texture and irresistible flavour!
If you're looking for more delicious Hungarian desserts, I also suggest checking out my recipes for noodle kugel with raisins and my favorite cream cheese filling crepes.
F.A.Q.
It's a common baking problem, but thankfully, there are usually a few key culprits. Here's a breakdown of the most likely reasons why your homemade donuts might be turning out dense:
- Inactive Yeast: If your yeast is old or wasn't properly activated, it won't produce enough gas to leaven the dough, resulting in dense donuts. Make sure your yeast is fresh and blooms properly in the warm milk.
- Not Enough Kneading: Conversely, under-kneading can also result in dense doughnuts because the gluten hasn't been developed enough to trap the gas produced by the yeast.
- Incorrect Flour Measurement: Too much flour will make the dough dry and dense. Use a kitchen scale for accurate measurements, or if using cups, make sure to spoon the flour into the cup and level it off.
Donut dough needs to rest to allow the gluten to relax and the yeast to do its work. This results in lighter, fluffier donuts. There are two main rest periods in most donut recipes:
1. First Rest (After Kneading):
- This allows the gluten that has been developed during kneading to relax. This makes the dough easier to shape and prevents it from springing back. It also gives the yeast a head start in fermenting the dough. This rest is usually shorter, typically around 45-60 minutes.
2. Second Rest (After Shaping):
- This gives the yeast time to produce more gas and leaven the dough further, resulting in lighter and airier donuts. This rest is usually a bit shorter, around 15-30 minutes.
I can't wait to see your delicious perfect yeast doughnut creations! Share your photos and tag us on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram – let's connect and bake together!
Related
Looking for other dessert recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect Yeast Doughnuts-Best Hungarian Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 500 g wheat flour
- 250 ml milk
- 60 g melted butter
- 30 g fresh yeast or 10 g dried yeast
- 2 pieces egg yolks
- 2 tablespoon caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon rum aroma
- 1 teaspoon vanilla aroma
- 1 piece lemon zest
- 1 l sunflower oil
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 10 g powdered sugar
Instructions
- Dissolve two tablespoons of sugar in the warm milk. Add the yeast to the milk, stir to dissolve, and set aside in a warm place to activate.
- Melt the butter. Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg yolks, rum aroma, and vanilla aroma.
- Once the yeast has activated, pour it into the bowl with the liquid ingredients. Stir in a pinch of sea salt and the lemon zest. Finally, gradually incorporate the sifted flour.
- Mix everything together with a wooden spoon. Continue kneading with your hand until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and place it in a warm place to rise for about 45-60 minutes. The dough should double in size during this time.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll it out with a rolling pin until it is about 1 cm thick.
- Cut the dough into doughnut shapes using a doughnut cutter or with the help of a glass, as I did.
- Cover the doughnuts with a kitchen towel and let them rise for about 15 minutes.
- Heat about 1 liter of sunflower oil in a saucepan to 170 C (338 F). Gently press your finger into the center of each doughnut shape to create a small indentation. Fry the doughnuts with the hole facing down.
- Fry the doughnut for about half minute on each side, but cover the pan with a lid for the first 30 seconds of frying to help the doughnuts puff up.
- Remove the lid, flip the doughnuts, and continue frying them on the other side until golden brown.
- Remove the doughnuts from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Continue frying the remaining doughnuts in the same way.
- Dust the finished doughnuts with powdered sugar.
Martin says
Oh my goodness, thank you for this very simple and easy-to-follow donut making recipe. You just gave me an idea of what I’m going to make my daughter as she turns 11. I’m sure she’s gonna love it; and the fact that the recipe is simple means we can do it together. Very good for bonding. Can’t wait!
Timea says
Thanks, Martin, I'm sure you'll surprise your daughter for her birthday.