My Mom's Raised Doughnuts

If these don't rise for you like they should, either your yeast is bad or something else you are doing wrong. Please don't blame the recipe & rate it down because of your errors! Also, if the bread dough was super sweet like some are wanting, when you put the glaze on, it would be so sweet, you couldn't eat it. Try a store bought doughnut without icing. No difference. And just because you grew up in a bakery, doesn't mean YOU can bake. I grew up with my father as a rock mason, but I can't lay rock!

Very tasty! My kids told me, "Mom, these are better than Dunkin'. Your the best cook in the whole wide world!" After a comment like that I will make again and again. Thanks!

This recipe is absolutely amazing! They do take time, but they are SO worth it! They are light and airy, with just a touch of crisp on the outside. They are bakery quality for sure! I made maple and chocolate glazes for them, and they are to die for! We will probably not get store donuts again! I fried them in mostly veggie oil with about a cup of shortening added in (something I saw on here somewhere). I don't know if it made a difference, but that's what I'll do from now on!

I'm a doughnut connoisseur... This is the best recipe I have ever found for doughnuts! Made 3 batches in 4 days. It can be a little tricky on step 8, because it doesn't say to knead dough after you punch down, but it's a must. I learned this on 1st batch, I followed recipe exactly as called for, but noticed the 1st doughnuts didn't rise near as well as the trimmings I kneaded back into a ball and rolled out again...even made a chocolate glaze to add a little variety. 2nd batch, I mixed in ground cinnamon in step #8 the kneaded & rolled out then cut dough into 1 inch strips and folded to make cinnamon twists then coated with glaze (I doubled the glaze mixture) and /or with cinnamon sugar... Phenomenal!!! All gone before I could take a pic(not kidding). 3rd batch, followed steps 1-7 then at 8 after punching dough I added 3 TBS powdered cinnamon and 2 chopped apples and kneaded as recipe calls for & separated & pressed out fritters. Follow steps 9-11, I had to triple step 12 to have enough glaze but it turned out great!

Love these! For my first attempt I think I over-mixed the dough and ended up with donuts that were more cake-like (as stated in other reviews). I'm not a fan of the cake texture and really wanted a Dunkin-raised donut so when I was finished around 10 pm, I started again...this time mixing everything by hand (really don't need the mixer) and trying to mix as little as possible. For my do-over batch, I also used rapid rise yeast and did not sift the flour to speed things up. Also increased sugar to 1/3 to sweeten the dough. I let the dough rise in a slightly warm oven for about 50 min. (I tested a tip to pour 3-4 C of boiling water into a pan and leave it on the bottom of the oven to warm it perfectly...worked great!) I cut the dough into strips instead of donut rings to save time and eliminate scraps. (Re-rolling the scraps made tough donuts.) Then I left the dough on the counter under loosely draped plastic wrap for 45 min. Everything turned out perfect. Kids all said this morning that they taste like Dunkin! I second another reviewer's suggestion to use the Easy Chocolate Bundt Cake Glaze found on this site. It's delicious...tastes like Dunkin!

Delicious. Who needs Krispy Kreme with this recipe? To the poster who wrote that her's didn't rise properly. Depends on the yeast being fresh. All packets of yeast have expiration dates. Plus the temperature of the water. Temperature is not to be guessed at, but, instead the use of an instant read thermometer is crucial. Too hot and it kills the yeast. Not warm enough will never activate yeast.

Perfecto! This is my third time trying recipes for doughnut - 1st epic fail, 2nd-average to almost fail, this time is so perfect.. I left the dough to raise in the fridge overnight and did the second proof as directed. I also used butter not shortening as I did not have one. It turned out very good. This is definitely a must try recipe..

I've never made doughnuts before, and these turned out great, especially for a first try. DS and I made them together. We let the bread machine make the dough; it rose beautifully. I then rolled them out, and DS cut them out. I put them on cookie sheets and let rise in the oven with the light on for 30 minutes. We didn't try the glaze but frosted instead with buttercream icing and sprinkles. Fun morning, and now my tummy hurts a bit from eating too many. ;) *Update- have made these several times now. My kids love them. I don't have a donut cutter, so per the cook's notes, I use a can and pill bottle. It works great!

This is a very good donut recipe! I made just as directed with no changes. Instead of 24, this recipe yielded 14 donuts with holes for me - I used a 4 inch donut cutter (instead of 3 1/2 inch) and didn't re-roll any of the holes. The yield was fine since I made these "just because" I felt like donuts! The glaze recipe is perfect also and makes just the right amount so you don't have waste left over. Per my daughter's request we rolled the holes in cinnamon-sugar. I would not have had enough glaze to do them as well, so if you're making the holes glazed then perhaps double the amount called for. I've been making donuts for years and this will become one of my regular recipes. Thanks, Peggi!

I followed this recipe exactly. This was my first time trying this recipe and it was a waste of 3 hours and ingredients. They weren't "amazing", nor were they even "K(C)rispy K(C)reme-like" as mentioned in the comments. To me, they simply tasted like sweetened yeast. My family said,"There's no flavor." Another commenter was spot on: the glaze in this recipe was unremarkable. Use a different glaze recipe. What I did: let dough rise for 1.5 hours. The dough doubled in size properly. The dough itself was perfect and easy to work with as stated in recipe. My overall issue is the flavor, or lack thereof, of the finished product. We each ate two doughnuts, hoping it was just 'us'.

amazing doughnuts!!! Very delicous!!!! Will make often for church gatherings. Thanks Peggianne

Wonderful..so easy, however I used my bread machine. I added a photo.

I made these with my friend and they turned out great! Just like Crispy Cream!

The best recipe I've tried. My husband said they were better than the one's he buys (Krispy Kreme). Have to admit, didn't like the glaze too much, so I made chocolate frosting instead. Added this to my recipe box. Gonna make these again and again and again! Thank you Peggianne!!!

Really like this recipe that produces doughnuts that aren't overly sweet & pop up nicely when frying. My family devoured them!

These were nice doughnuts. I am not a huge sweet tooth but the kids all thought that these were amazing! The dough itself is not very sweet, and it's the glaze that really adds that finishing touch you're looking for. I found that the glaze recipe was a bit thick as called for, and didn't make quite enough for the whole batch - I ended up mixing a second (smaller) thinner batch to finish them off and it was perfect. Not sure if I'll make these again, as I'm not a fan of feeding my family Crisco, or frying anything for that matter. I had to actually borrow some to make these, but since it was for a special occasion, I suppose once in awhile won't kill ya. Maybe I will try subbing a different more natural fat next time.

Needs more sifted flour. So light.

Good Recipe. I'm not sure if it was operator error, but my dough did not double in size in the bowl or when left cut on the counter to rise.

So delicious! My kids really love it. Thank you for the amazing recipe!

my family liked these a lot. i made boston creams with this dough as well.

I have been looking for a good donut recipe for a long time. This is it...Amazing, takes some time, but well worth it...

this is a fantastic recipe my time is limited so I just made the dough in bread maker on dough cycle.. they were perfect. I love glazed doughnuts on a Sunday Morning I can do this every time now. Thanks for the fantastic recipe and directions.

I love, love, LOVE this recipe! It's very easy, and the results are delicious. The only thing I think I'll do different is double the icing. But as far as changing anything, there's no need! :-)

One word! AMAZiING!!! I cant say enough about these!!! So light and fluffy! I did add 2tbs Of cornstarch to the dough and added vanilla extract Excellent this is a true doughnut! My daughter has eatin three already...lol

I was scared to try this recipe at first as a first time doughnut maker. Some were saying the dough didn't rise or was too sticky to work with. I followed the directions perfectly and mine turned out WONDERFUL! I will absolutely make these again. My kids loved them and my husband wants to take some to work for bragging rights. Thanks again! :)

SUPER SUPER EASY AND DELISH! I just finish making these. I followed the recipe exactly as it is - NO CHANGES!

GLUTEN FREE VERSION I followed this recipe exactly, except I exchanged the flour for gluten free all purpose banking flour, and added 1 teaspoon of Xanthan gum. They turned out DELICIOUS... they tasted just like real doughnuts.

O.M.G. This recipe is amazing. A recent episode of masterchef made donuts look approachable. They came out delicious, light, and DONUTS!! I don't own a nice stand mixer or deep fryer but was successful. Do buy a thermometer to watch the heat if frying in a pan/pot and make sure to properly proof your yeast. If your dough didn't rise, it's the yeast or area where you're letting it rise. I turn my oven on for a sec and let it get barely warmer than room temp. Close the door...voila! perfect spot to let the dough rise. Gotta go, donuts calling =)

Lovely well risen doughnuts. I used vegetable oil instead of the shortening (I avoid trans-fats)and cut them out using a 4" cutter and got about 17. I am not a fan of glazed doughnuts so I cooked and covered half of them in cinnamon sugar and have frozen the rest (once proofed) to cook fresh another day

My little brother decided he and I should make doughnuts after we came in from sledding. I hopped on this site, came across this recipe and we tried it out. We followed the directions to a tee and the doughnuts turned out fantastically! They were light and fluffy and delicious, just perfect for a snack, breakfast or whenever.

Yummy. Reminds me of when I was little making these in the kitchen with my mom. These made my kids very happy!

These doughnuts were delicious. We usually make the canned biscuit kind, but had some extra time on a Saturday and decided to try these. The kids said they tasted heavenly and were pretty impressed. I'll make these again for special occasions.

I don't now if its just me but my donuts were brown way before 2 minutes were up, but besides that these donuts were really good, thank you for the recipe.

Forgive those who criticize this recipe for they know not what they say. This is the best raised doughnut recipe that I have ever come across.... ever! They turned out so light and delicious.... not greasy. This will be a for sure item for our breakfast gathering when the kids and grandkids come in. I want to freeze a few before the final raising to see hoe well they hold up so that I will always have some on hand for immediate use. Thanks again for posting

so yummy!!!!

This was GREAT! The only thing that I changed was using butter instead of shortening because I don't have shortening and don't use it anyway. I did not sift the flour and it turned out fine. To save time, I let the dough rise for the first rising in an oven preheated to about 120 degrees and then turned off. It only took about 1/2 hour for the first rising. Everyone (there were 5 of us) said it tasted just like a donut shop! I have never made donuts before and was kind of afraid to but now I will make these often. They were perfect!

Amazing recipe. Amazing doughnuts! I never knew that I coud make such great doughnuts. It takes some effort but hey no pain no gain! My hubby n kids loved them.

I made these for my wife and myself and I can burn water but this recipe was simple, easy to fallow, and tasted great. I had to add a little milk to my frosting cause it got hard on me but I made the frosting before I started frying the doughnuts so maybe my fault. I can't multitask in the kitchen very well, but thank for the recipe it was awesome.

I made 1/2 the recipe. For making the dough, I used my bread machine. My dough turned out wonderful. I did use butter in place of shortening for the dough. Once the dough was ready, I punched it down and placed the dough on a floured surface. Rolled out once and cut using my doughnut cutter. I was able to get 12. I let them rise for approximately 45 min to an hour. I used my deep fryer and a chopstick to flip the doughnuts and remove them from the oil. I fried two doughnuts at a time. My doughnuts cooked less than 2 min. at 350 degrees. I used canola oil. So keep a watchful eye while frying. I used the glaze in the recipe too. Glaze was good. I had to add an additional two tablespoons of water to get the glaze the consistency I wanted. We all ate one doughnut immediately. Very good :) Very light and fluffy. The doughnuts were even good the next morning too. The glaze was not as pretty but still delicious. Thank you for the recipe cookiequeen!!

FANTASTIC! These are the lightest, fluffiest donuts I have ever tasted. I followed the recipe with the exception of the glaze. I frosted them with vanilla icing then dipped in coconut, chocolate icing, and cinnamon powdered sugar as I wanted a variety and Hubby claims he doesn't like glaze. My mother stopped in while they were being made and she agrees these are a five star recipe without a doubt. Thank you Peggi for sharing your recipe! My mom took the recipe home with her!

Easy to follow great taste for an extra something I added almond extract

One Word : Awesome!!!!!

Made these and loved them! the teens and husband approved too! Thanks for sharing!

heavenly donuts,after a day they tasted like crispy kreme's donuts.excellent recipe.

It was OK... but it took me long time to prepare it... I don't know why... I followed all the steps... It was OK for me... But my brother couldn't eat it...

made these today they are amazing

This recipe is simply amazing! Done it today and they are very tasty! Pay a lot of attention to the oil temperature: stay ALWAYS at 175! I suggest also to eat them with ham and cheese and (obviously) without the glaze! Greetings from Italy!

This is the perfect donut recipe! Crispy on the outside and airy and delicious on the inside. I made a half batch and got 12 donuts with several donut holes. They we devoured when I served them. I had two guests and they ate 11 donuts between the two of them!

These doughnuts came out faaaantastic! These doughnuts were fluffy and delicious. We added a couple of other variations. We also made munchkins and covered them with powdered sugar and cinnamon sugar. We also used the glaze recipe and added some cocoa to the batch to make a few chocolate topped. Watch out Dunkin Donuts.

In the past I had always been annoyed with homemade doughnuts being dense and dry. These I am happy to say are not! They're the best doughnuts I've ever made. I substituted pumpkin in place of the milk and added pumpkin pie spices. So yummy.

These turned out great and my family loved them. I will definitely make them again.

These were incredible! My son and boyfriend gobbled them up before they could even cool...

I woke this morning thinking how much my family would enjoy some homemade glazed donuts. This was the recipe I chose to try. I read several of the reviews beforehand. I'd just like to say that, especially for my first attempt, this recipe is incredibly easy to follow. I followed it to the letter and can't rave enough about it. For those that said it wasn't sweet enough in their reviews I am shocked because there was just the right amount of sweetness in the glaze for all of my family members (even those with a raging sweet tooth). I don't normally review things but I just had to on this recipe. Excellent!

I tried this recipe today. The doughnuts taste great, but the texture came out more bread-like than light and fluffy. I'll probably try again.

it's my first time making donuts or baking in general, i made a dozen today and filled them with strawberry jam, my parents looooved them thanks a lot for sharing this amazing recipe

Ok, so open your windows when you do this. Have a fire extinguisher ready, just in case. Make sure you wait an hour for the dough to rise, and you might have a sugar coma after so make sure you turn off the stove. GREAT RECIPE!

this recipe is amazing!!!! First time I have ever made home made homemade donuts and they were delicious!

These were absolutely the best donuts I've ever made!! They melted in my mouth. Very easy and a manageable recipe that didn't make too many. Thank you!

First to wake up this lazy Saturday, so I decided to surprise the family with doughnuts. It took all dang morning, but it was well worth it. I followed the recipe exactly and these came out wonderfully. Really light and fluffy. I made half with the vanilla glaze and half with cinnamon/sugar. I sent some over to the neighbors and they liked them too. Thanks for such a great recipe.

First try at donunts and they were a hit! Only problem was i couldnt measure the yeast and ended up adding a little more, hence a yeasty taste (nothing a dark chocolate dip cannot hide!!) Thank you.

My son has been having donut withdrawals since we moved to the country. I thought I would surprise him with these. They are awesome! Even my daughter, who hates donuts, loved them. I made them exactly as the instructions stated with no changes. Thank you for sharing!

Excellent. My family loved them. Can do a lot with this recipe. Put your own spin on it or make them as is.

Family opinion....AWESOME. I had to add 3/4 cup more flour to get "dough". Any less was just a glop of glue. Not a big deal. I was quite liberal with the yeast and proofed it well. I agree with Peggy Weaver Tebben, people must have bad yeast or they are (1) making the proof water too hot or (2) adding the yeast to the milk when the milk is too hot (killing the yeast) They were light and airy bites of a cloud, the glaze was pretty basic but I use home made vanilla ;) Made a few with cinnamon and sugar too. This recipe is a keeper. Future note, I might try a dash of nutmeg.

Tastes great! Worth the preparation!

My 12 year old son made these and they were wonderful! Perfect light and fluffy texture!

Great, a little labor intensive, but delicious. Good yeast donut. Would make again. The batter itself is pretty plain but tastes good. 350 seemed to be slightly too hot, they cooked really fast, but were good no matter how done they were. A few I added cinnamon to, and were amazing. Would try this again and maybe try some with small pieces of apple for fritters. Made some with vanilla glaze (milk, vanilla, pwd sugar), some with mom's choc glaze. Some we made without holes (cookie cutters) and filled with blackberry jelly, were delicious! Made 25-30.

Great recipe! I followed the directions exactly and they turned out perfectly. I didn't glaze them since we like them coated in powdered sugar. I'm sure I'll try them with glaze, filled with lemon filling or with cinnamon sugar. Thanks for the amazing recipe :)

I'm a decent home cook, nothing special. I moved to high elevation and have struggled with anything with yeast. This is my first time making donuts and this recipe is fabulous! Homemade food will not equal store food. Store and restaurant food has a ton of extra ingredients for shelf life, color, structure etc. Homemade is always better and I think people have been so accustomed to eating bad food that they forgot what good food really tastes like. Donuts are not supposed to be sweet as the icings and fillings make them sweet. Some notes from my first donut making experience- 1. I use pastry flour instead of all-purpose. I find that it is lighter and doesn't need sifting. 2. I didn't have shortening, I used butter and it seems fine. 3. I had to let rise for about 30 minutes longer each rise because I'm in high elevation. 4. Check the temperature of the oil before you start putting them in. I was able to get my oil at 350 then turned it down to low to maintain the temp. 5. I made a 1/2 recipe and smaller donuts and it worked fine. 6. After the second rise, be very gentle lifting the donuts as they will flatten, don't hold them long, immediately put them in the oil. 7. It only took my donuts about 30 seconds on each side to cook. I used a slotted metals spoon to transfer them to the paper towels. 8. I used the glaze, very basic, so I may try some others. All in all, very light, solid taste, family loves them!

Tried your doughnut recipe this morning, very easy to make but I didn't let them rise enough once they were cut out (my fault) they are good and I know that next time they will be better yet, Thank you Peggianne !!

Best donut recipe yet! They turned out delicious! Thanks so much for sharing! Can leave the glaze in the recipe out and dip in hoc plate ganache on top. Super yummy too!

This was first attempt at making doughnuts and working with yeast. The recipe and the instructions were easy to follow and the doughnuts were PERFECT!!!! My only modification was I mixed a strawberry compote to the glaze but that is because I love strawberries. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Everyone at my office LOVED these doughnuts and felt special that they were made for them.

I don't cook. I did make these for my annual effort and they were awesome. Very light and fluffy. I did make a small change to the recipe and that was to add more flower. The dough wouldn't unstick from the bowl. Other than that it worked perfect. Do it!

My first donuts and they turned out wonderful! I used mostly bread and whole wheat flours and butter as that was all I had. They were tender inside and tasty! Great recipe, thanks!

Wonderfully fluffy, everyone raved!

I thought the dough was too light and didn't have enough substance...they collapsed on me when transferring to hot oil. Taste was ok. Grandkids had fun icing but I was disappointed in outcome.

I have tried many doughnut recipes in the past and all have had some success to various degrees but they have never been as amazing as this recipe. OMG!! These doughnuts are to die for. So soft, mouth-wateringly good and not too sweet. I glazed them with the icing and it was perfection. The best doughnuts in my life. I will never use another recipe to make doughnuts ever again. I placed the dough in the fridge over night (8-12 hours) for it's first rise and took it out in the morning. i kneeded it a bit and then cut the doughnuts out. Placed them in a warm spot for an hour to rise (they doubled in size) then fried them. Came out perfect. Love this recipe to death!! Will never buy store brought doughnuts again

Fabulous!! This recipe came out perfectly. Better than Krispy Kreme, Dunkin' and if you added bacon, gummy bears, or Fruteloops, better than Voodoo!

Just tried this recipe today and absolutely loved it!!! The doughnuts turned out so delish and were so light and airy. The only thing that was a bummer for me was the glaze, after reading the reviews I doubled the recipe and thinned it out by adding more water to it; although next time I wont double the vanilla it seemed to overpower the doughnut. But I also made some whole doughnuts and rolled them in granulated sugar and filled them with raspberry jam and they were amazing!! Definitely a recipe I'm gonna keep in my repertoire! :D And note for those whose dough didn't turn out, usually for me when I under-knead the dough it will turn out just fine, as long as you don't over work the gluten in the flour and don't kill the yeast it will be able to create that light airy texture. And I like letting my dough's rise in the microwave so that way there is no draft and it will keep it warm.

Okay, these are terrific! I do bake a good deal, so leaving the donuts to rise again once they were cut out made sense to me, as did many other comments (make sure your yeast is fresh, etc.) The recipe is very similar to one in one of my mom's old church cookbooks, a standard yeasted donut, and if you follow the steps, you will end up with a light, moist, tasty donut. I upped the temperature on my deep fryer to 375 (as per Mark Bittman of the NYTimes) and flipped them after 1 minute. I needed twice the glaze suggested, and made cinnamon and sugar rolled donut holes with the extra. BTW, once you melt the shortening and heat the milk, you can complete the recipe in a breadmaker using the dough cycle. Add ingredients as you would for any dough recipe (ie.start with wet ingrdients and place the yeast on top of the flour. No need to "proof" the yeast to start) Afterwards, roll out, cut out and allow to rise again for 45 minutes or so. Thanks for a great recipe.

This recipe is amazing. Another trick I discovered for cutting them: I use a non-flared, smooth topped glass that is a little smaller than the size of donut I want and a soda bottle cap for the holes...this has worked perfectly for me!

I used this recipe to make filled long Johns and it worked perfectly! Just shape the donuts any way you like as long as you follow all the other general rules of the recipe.

I just made these today for my family and we all love them. These are light and delicious and I will definitely be making them again.

I made these before, following the directions, and they turned perfect! Tender, crispy, delicious! I made them again yesterday using my bread machine and bread machine instant yeast. When the dough cycle finished, I put the dough into a greased bowl, covered it with plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge overnight. The dough kept growing in the fridge and I had to transfer it to a larger bowl. By morning, it had grown again to the top of the bowl. I almost tossed the dough because I was afraid the yeast might have used up all of its "oomph" and the doughnuts wouldn't puff up when cooked. I rolled it out anyway, cut the doughnuts, let them rise for 45 minutes, then put them in the deep fryer. They came out great! Don't be afraid if you want to chill the dough overnight. Just do so after it rises in the bread machine or the bowl and before you roll it out. Great recipe, great doughnuts!

I made this recipe for Halloween treats for my daughter, and they came pretty good, even I made with pumpkin flavor. To give more flavor I use a teaspoon of vanilla extract and increase the sugar a 1/2 cup. My family love them specially the pumpkin flavor. The recipe is pretty easy to do it.

This is really good. Very airy. I made it with my bread machine and it turned out great.

Fabulous!!, I would give it 10 stars if I could.

my first attempt at making doughnuts. These were very good but not quite as fluffy as store bought. Perhaps I overmixed them as suggested by another poster. Guess I'll have to retry next Saturday, HAHA. I put orange flavoring in some of my glaze, you could use any flavor really, and that added a nice extra taste to them.

This is the most Amazing doughnut ever! The recipe made three dozen doughnut for me.

I tried this recipe and my family loved it!! AMAZING

wow! looks really delish!I've been searching for a good recipe and I almost forgot to search it in here!! so now I'll definitely give this recipe a try!

awsome then all donuts all together

No changes and I will definitely make them again.

Actually pretty easy. They definitely need the icing (which didn't seem to be enough), they aren't sweet enough to stand alone.

Have made this quite a few times every time delious! !!

made these per my son's request for his 12th bday..this was my 1st time making homemade doughnuts..he loved them! thank you for sharing this recipe

This recipe is exactly what I was looking for. I used to make donuts with my mom as a kid, and this recipe is even better :) I made it exactly as written, and wouldn't change a thing. They were crispy on the outside and light and melt-in -your-mouth-airy on the inside.

Best recipe, by far. My boys can't get enough of them. They like them even better with chocolate glaze.

This recipe is similar to mine yet I put a whole mashed up potato in mine. It helps with the fluffiness and gives it a great flavor. Got the idea from amish potato bread. It tastes just like Krispy Kreme. I also dip my doughnut in the icing to cover both sides. I also add about 1/4 of a cup of vanilla creamer to replace some of the milk. They are so good that I have even sold them!

Completely agree with Kapricorn. Disappointed :(