Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (2024)

Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (1)

Firstof all… there are doughnuts, and then there are DOUGHNUTS!!! I mean seriously, most doughnutrecipes don’t stand a chance in comparison toGrandma’s Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe. These doughnuts are light, fluffy, and absolutely delicious (hence the name)!! I’ll give you fair warning in advance, it’s hard to eat just one!

Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (3)

Along with Grandma’s Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe, we are delighted to share 5 other amazing recipes that feature beloved recipes from grandma. (Scroll to the very end to find them.)

To help support our blogging activities, our site contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase from a link on our site, we may receive a small percentage of that sale, at no extra cost to you. Blessed Beyond Crazy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (4)

When I was growing up, it wasn’t unusual to find mom either in thegarden or in the kitchen busy whipping up a batch of her yummy doughnuts on a Saturday morning. And, as time went on, she also treated her grandchildren to her scrumptious doughnuts. To tell you just how impressive these doughnuts are, my adult children still remember a doughnut-making day in Grandma King’s kitchen!

Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (5)
Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (6)

You can see the majority of steps involved in making Grandma’s Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe in the picture collage above, however, I will also highlight them for you below.

Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (7)

Grandma’s Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe:

Dissolve a packet of yeast in warm water until it doubles in size.

Warm milk + sugar + salt + butter in a saucepan over low heat until butter is melted; cool to room temperature.

Add activated yeast to milk mixture; gently stir together.

Next, add the liquid mixture to a slightly beaten egg and stir together. Add flour; mix together until well combined (dough will be slightly sticky). (I used my KitchenAidmixer with a KitchenAid dough hook attachment to mix my dough, although you can use a regular mixing bowl and mix the ingredients together by hand.)

  • Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (8)

On a well-floured working surface, knead the dough until it is soft and smooth (like a baby’s bottom).

  • Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (9)

Place dough in a large, lightly greased bowl. To the dough from drying out, give the top a light coating of melted butter and to help the dough rise quicker, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and place it in a sunny warm spot in your home.

  • Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (10)

Allow the dough to double in size. This process usually takes at least one hour, depending on how warm (and humid) its environment is.

When the dough has risen, use your fist to gently punch the center of the dough. This step helps remove some of the gas bubbles formed by the yeast during the rising process. It also helps the fermenting process the second time the dough rises.

Now flip the dough out ontoa well-floured working surface and knead again until it’s soft and smooth.

  • Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (11)

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/2-inch thickness (see the picture at the beginning of this post). You may need to add a light dusting of flour from time to time to keep the dough from sticking to your rolling pin and/or working surface.

  • Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (12)

Cut the dough into doughnut shapes using a doughnut cutter or two different sized (3-inch and 1 1/2-inch) biscuit cutters. Place doughnuts and holes onto two largebaking sheets lined with silicone baking mats or parchmentpaper.

Again, cover the dough with tea towels and allow it to rise until doubled in size.

Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (13)

Fill half of a smallstockpotwith melted shortening or canola oil. Heat oil to approximately 375 degrees F. (I suggest you use a deep-fry thermometer to check the temperature.)

Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (14)

Carefully drop doughnuts into the hot oil (I fry 3 at a time). When golden brown on the bottom, flip the doughnuts over. The frying process only takes approximately45 – 55 seconds on each side. Be careful not to over-fry them!

Using aslotted metal spoon, remove the doughnuts from the hot oil. In order to drain any excess oil, immediately place the doughnuts onto a stack of folded paper towels.

Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (15)

Repeat the process for frying the doughnut holes (the holes fry even faster so be careful to not over fry them!)

Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (16)

Place all of the ingredients for the glaze into a wide-mouth mixing bowl. Dip each doughnut into the glaze until it is submerged. Run an extra long handled stainless steel spoonor long-handledsilicone serving spoon through the center of the doughnut. Hold it up and allow any excess glaze to drain off for a few seconds. (If you’d like, go ahead anddip both sides of the doughnut into the glaze, although I personally only dip one side. To obtain thicker glaze, simply double-dip the doughnuts or drizzle any remaining glaze over the top of each doughnut.)

Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (17)

Place the doughnutson acooling rack(now is the time to add candy sprinkles, chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, etc…), until the glaze hardens.

Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (18)

Grandma’s Light-as-a-Feather Doughnuts are always best when served fresh, although they do freeze well up to 2 weeks. When ready to serve, thaw the doughnuts, then warm them in a microwave,toaster oven, or on the grill.Serve with a glass of milk or hot beverage.

Grandma’s Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe

Unknown

Yields 8 Large doughnuts + 8 doughnut holes

Grandma's homemade doughnuts that are delicious and truly, light-as-a-feather.

25 minPrep Time

5 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (19)Save Recipe

Print Recipe

Ingredients

    Doughnuts

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 package yeast (1/4-ounce OR 2 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 3/4 cup milk (whole)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • Glaze

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Knox gelatin (To prevent clumping, stir gelatin into the powdered sugar before adding the wet ingredients. The Knox gelatin helps solidify the glaze and resembles the glaze on Krispy Kreme doughnuts.)
  • 1/2 teaspoon butter, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup milk (or enough to make the glaze thin enough to drizzle)

Instructions

  1. Place water into a glass measuring cup and warm until it reaches the temperature of a baby's bottle. Add yeast and allow it to activate until it doubles in size. (You can add a pinch of sugar to help "kick start" and speed-up the activation process if you'd like.)
  2. In a medium saucepan heat milk, sugar, salt and butter over low heat just until butter is dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
  3. Gently stir yeast into cooled milk mixture. Add slightly beaten egg.
  4. Add flour (one cup at a time); incorporate well.
  5. Sprinkle a light dusting of flour onto dry, flat work surface. Knead dough until it resembles a soft baby's bottom.
  6. Place ball of dough into a large, lightly buttered mixing bowl and add a light coating of butter to the top of the dough. Cover with a clean tea towel and set in a sunny warm spot in your home.
  7. When dough has doubled in size, gently punch it in the center with your fist; roll it onto your floured working surface.
  8. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out to 1/2" thickness. (You may need to add additional sprinkles of flour to prevent sticking.) Cut doughnut shapes out using a doughnut cutter or two different sized biscuit cutters (3-inch and a 1 1/2-inch).
  9. Place doughnut on baking sheets lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Cover again with tea towel and place back in sunny warm spot.
  10. When doughnuts have doubled in size, remove tea towel.
  11. Fry in oil that has been preheated to 375 degrees F. approximately 45 - 55 seconds per side, or until golden brown. Remove doughnuts from oil and immediately place them onto folded paper towels.
  12. Repeat the frying process for the doughnut holes but shortening the frying time to approx. 30 - 40 seconds.
  13. In a separarte mixing bowl, combine all glaze ingredients; mix well. Dip each doughnut into the glaze, coating as evenly as possible (dip one, or both sides). Run a long handled spoon through the center of each doughnut, hold it up and allow excess glaze to drip for a couple seconds. Place doughnuts onto cooling rack. (Now is the time to add candy sprinkle, chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, etc...)
  14. When the glaze has harden, the doughnuts are ready to serve.

Notes

Doughnuts are best served fresh, however, they also freeze well up to 2 weeks. When ready to serve, thaw and warm in microwave, toaster oven or on the grill.

7.8.1.2

226

https://blessedbeyondcrazy.com/grandmas-light-as-a-feather-doughnut-recipe/

www.blessedbeyondcrazy.com

Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (20)

In the end, I believe that you’ll also love and cherish Grandma’s Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe as much as we do.

Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (21)

Check out all the delicious recipes from our Grandmas:

More great ideas:

Related

Grandma's Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you get the old fashioned donut shape? ›

Old-fashioned cake doughnuts were called sometimes called "fry cakes" back then: Doughnuts are made of pieces of raised dough, cut into circular pieces and set to rise. After rising they are dropped into a kettle of hot fat, where they puff up into balls and become brown on the surface.

Why are my mini donuts not fluffy? ›

Underproofed – leads to stiffer (denser) donuts that don't puff up well when fried. Cracked donuts – this may have happened if you used a cutter and it wasn't sharp enough to cut through the dough cleanly. Or the dough is underproofed or too cold.

Why did my donuts come out dense? ›

Proofing is the final rise when making bread. In this case it would be after the donuts have been cut out and they are waiting to be fried. It is important to proof them enough, otherwise they will turn out flat and dense. To check whether or not the donut is sufficiently proofed poke it with your finger.

How about some donut trivia in which century was the donut invented? ›

The first donuts were made in the early 1800s. They were called "oily cakes" because they were deep-fried and covered in oil. The donuts were meant to be a treat for those who couldn't afford luxuries like sugar and flour. Later the name was changed from "oily cakes" to "doughnuts".

What is the best flour for donuts? ›

Use real cake flour – not DIY cake flour!

DIY substitutions don't really cut it, and AP flour will not create doughnuts with that same soft texture. Also, bleached cake flour will work best. Unbleached (like King Arthur Baking) won't absorb as much moisture, and you may end up with doughnuts that crumble while frying.

What's the difference between old fashioned donuts and cake donuts? ›

Yeast donuts are lighter with a puffy, malleable quality and a slighly chewy texture. Cake donuts have a dense, more compact crumb and a sturdy, crisp exterior shell. Cake donuts are rich and buttery because of the amount of butter in the batter.

What makes doughnut soft and fluffy? ›

How to Make Super Soft and Fluffy Sugar Glazed Doughnuts | Fried or Baked. There's only one way to make doughnuts even softer and fluffier and that is by scalding some of the flour. Scalding is a technique used to not only make bread softer, but also to make it stay soft for longer.

Why are Krispy Kreme donuts so light and fluffy? ›

A batch of original glazed starts with Krispy Kreme doughnut mix, water and yeast, the same single-cell fungi used to make bread rise. The yeast is what makes the original glazed so light -- it puffs the dough up with air, so it's not dense like a cake doughnut (more on this later).

How thick should my donut dough be? ›

Unless the dough is completely relaxed, it will shrink and become misshapen as it is cut. When rolling out the dough, try to get the entire piece down to a uniform thickness (usually ¼" to ½", or 6.4 mm to 1.3 cm, thick).

Can I bake my doughnut instead of frying it? ›

Perfect your technique

Spoon the batter into the lightly greased doughnut pans, filling the wells to about 1/4" shy of the rim. Bake the doughnuts for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and wait 5 to 7 minutes before turning them out of the pans onto a rack.

What happens if you let donuts rise too long? ›

If the bench time is too long, volume could be lost in the proofing process; the donuts will shrink during frying; the texture will be coarse; and the flavor will not be up to your standards. Always let the dough rise on the bench for approximately 45 minutes before proofing.

What did Dunkin donuts used to be called? ›

Bill Rosenberg opened Open Kettle in 1948, a restaurant selling donuts and coffee in Quincy, Massachusetts (a suburb of Boston), but he changed the name in 1950 to Dunkin' Donuts after discussing with company executives.

What does the 🍩 mean? ›

It is commonly used to represent real and metaphorical doughnuts, breakfast, bakeries and baked foods, snacks, coffee breaks, The Simpsons, and negative stereotypes of police officers.

What were donuts called before they were called donuts? ›

They were originally called "oily cakes."

The early Americans took the fact that the treats were fried in oil quite literally, naming them olykoeks, translating to "oily cakes." The word 'donut' came soon after when a woman is said to have put nuts in the dough before frying it.

What shape is a traditional donut? ›

A doughnut is a deep-fried piece of enriched dough, traditionally (but not always) sweet and traditionally (but not always) ring-shaped. Once fried, that dough is often then finished with sugar, frosting, or glaze; or filled with cream, jelly, or another sweet element.

What is the shape that looks like a donut called? ›

The shape of a donut is called Torus. A torus is a mathematical name for a donut shape or rubber ring shape with a hole inside. Geometrically, a torus is a surface of revolution provoked by rotating a circle in three-dimensional space about an axis coplanar with the circle.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Carmelo Roob

Last Updated:

Views: 6374

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (45 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Carmelo Roob

Birthday: 1995-01-09

Address: Apt. 915 481 Sipes Cliff, New Gonzalobury, CO 80176

Phone: +6773780339780

Job: Sales Executive

Hobby: Gaming, Jogging, Rugby, Video gaming, Handball, Ice skating, Web surfing

Introduction: My name is Carmelo Roob, I am a modern, handsome, delightful, comfortable, attractive, vast, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.