Effortless Brioche Donuts (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Dough Prep

01 - ½ cup softened, unsalted butter at room temperature
02 - 2 large eggs with 1 extra yolk, also at room temperature
03 - 4½ cups bread flour
04 - 1 cup milk, warmed slightly
05 - 2 teaspoons fast-acting yeast
06 - 2 tablespoons white sugar
07 - ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Frying and Sugar Coating

08 - 1 cup white sugar for dusting
09 - Neutral oil like canola, sunflower, or vegetable oil for frying

# Instructions:

01 - Look over the steps and gather everything you'll need first. Weigh your ingredients if you've got a kitchen scale. Having eggs and butter at room temp will make the mixing easier, so don’t skip this step.
02 - Toss the flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast into your stand mixer bowl. Attach the dough hook, switch it to low, and start adding the warm milk. Follow up with the eggs, and then the softened butter a bit at a time. Let it knead for around 8-10 minutes until your dough feels stretchy with a little tackiness but doesn’t stick to your fingers. Add a spoonful of flour if it’s too sticky.
03 - Grease the bowl lightly and coat the dough in the same oil. Cover it up with plastic and lay a clean tea towel on top for extra warmth. Let it hang out in a cozy, draft-free spot for 1½ hours or until doubled. During this time, the yeast gets busy making your dough light and fluffy.
04 - Once the dough has doubled, lightly punch out the air. Divide it into 15 pieces if you want standard donuts, but do 20 for smaller ones or 12 for jumbo ones. Pull the edges of each piece toward the middle to form a pouch, flip it, and roll on the counter with your palm until smooth and round.
05 - Place each ball of dough on a square of parchment paper to keep handling easy. Cover them all with a fresh tea towel and leave them to rise for 30-40 minutes. They should puff up nicely, and if you press one, the dent should spring back slowly.
06 - As the donuts rise, get a deep, heavy pot or Dutch oven and pour in about 3 inches of oil. Heat it to 350°F–355°F (176°C–179°C) and keep a thermometer handy to ensure that temperature stays steady. This helps avoid greasy or burnt donuts.
07 - Gently slide in 2-3 donuts at a time, parchment paper and all—it’ll float loose as they cook. Fry for about 3-4 minutes per side until beautifully golden. Flip them carefully with a slotted spoon. Keep smaller sizes in for only around 2 minutes per side.
08 - Let the hot donuts rest on wire racks or paper towels to drain off extra oil. While they’re still a bit warm, toss them in sugar until completely covered. The sugar will stick perfectly while they’re warm but not too hot.
09 - Fresh is best! These fluffy, sugary donuts are perfect when warm, crispy on the outside, and soft inside with a chewy lightness that melts in your mouth.

# Notes:

01 - Using active dry yeast instead? Simply warm the milk, stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar, sprinkle on the yeast, and let it foam for 8-10 minutes before mixing it in.
02 - To avoid soggy or undercooked donuts, make sure your oil stays at 350°F–355°F! Too hot will burn them and too low will make them greasy.
03 - Eat these warm, but if you’ve got leftovers, they can last 1-2 days at room temp. Wrap them with plastic and a towel to keep them soft.
04 - Switch it up by rolling the donuts in powdered sugar or glazing them with your favorite icing instead of granulated sugar.

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