Wild Yeast

Notes from my kitchen, in which I bake bread and raise a few other matters

Time to Make the Baked Doughnuts

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Baked doughnuts with cinnamon sugar

I made these doughnuts (my first ever; don’t know what I was waiting for) for Tartelette and Peabody’s Time to Make the Doughnuts event. They allowed baked doughnuts, although they warned against making a habit of it. Still reeling from holiday fat overload, I couldn’t bring myself to deep fry anything right now. Next time.

These were inspired by Heidi’s Baked Dougnuts at 101 Cookbooks, and my recipe loosely based on hers.

I experimented with different sugar/spice mixtures for the coating, in which the doughnuts are dipped after baking. My favorites were 50/50 brown sugar and granulated sugar with cinnamon (pictured above), and granulated sugar with cardamom. Another interesting one was granulated sugar with chipotle powder. The possibilities are limitless.

Yeasted Baked Doughnuts

Yield: 18 – 24 doughnuts plus about 30 doughnut holes

Time:

  • Mix: 15 minutes
  • First fermentation: 1.25 hours
  • Shape: 15 minutes
  • Proof: 45 minutes – 1 hour, or 45 minutes plus overnight in refrigerator
  • Bake: 8 – 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 350 g flour
  • 350 g white whole wheat flour
  • 35 g nonfat milk powder
  • 330 g lukewarm water
  • 100 g (2) whole eggs
  • 30 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 g (1-1/3 t. table) salt
  • 6 g (1-3/4 t.) instant yeast
  • 150 g fine granulated sugar
  • 100 g (one stick) unsalted butter
  • sugars and spices for coating, in combinations and amounts to taste

Method:

  1. Combine flours, milk powder, water, eggs, 30 g butter, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
  2. Mix in low speed to incorporate the ingredients, about 4 minutes. The dough will still seem fairly stiff at this point.
  3. While continuing to mix in medium speed, add the 150 g of sugar in five or six increments, mixing for a minute or two between additions.
  4. Continue to mix until the dough reaches almost full development.
  5. Ferment the dough in a lightly-oiled container at room temperature (about 70F) for 1.25 hours.
  6. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured counter and roll it into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle.
  8. Using a round cutter about 2-3/4″ in diameter, cut dough circles and transfer them to two of the parchment-lined sheets.
  9. Use a 1-1/4″ cutter to cut out the holes. I also used this cutter to cut extra “holes” from the rolled dough left over when the large circles were cut. Place the holes on the third baking sheet.
  10. The scraps can also be re-rolled and cut, but try not to do this too many times or too much flour will be incorporated into the dough.
  11. Slip the baking sheets into a large plastic bag. Proof for 45 minutes, at which point they can be baked or refrigerated (covered) for 8 – 12 hours.
  12. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375F.
  13. Bake one sheet at a time, just until barley starting to brown. This will take about 10 minutes for the doughnuts, a little less for the holes. If the doughnuts have been refrigerated, they can be baked straight from the refrigerator.
  14. While the doughnuts are baking, melt the stick of butter and prepare your sugar/spice mixture to taste.
  15. While still hot, brush the doughnuts with butter and roll them in spiced sugar.
  16. Serve immediately, preferably with coffee.

CommentsLeave a comment

  1. I made Heidi’s donuts a while back and adapted the topping also. They are indeed delicious and I wish I had yours with my morning coffee! Thanks for your entry…they make me hungry again!

  2. Tartelette and Peabody’s event set me off too. I willpost mine soon.
    Have seen Heidi’s baked doughnuts and will try the recipe next time I make doughnuts.

  5. Oh wow Susan, baked not fried now that’s the ticket! And I’m a real lover of brown sugar so I’d try that with the chipotle powder! Wild toppings that tug at my heart strings. Beautiful!!

  6. oh wow, cardamom sugared donuts sound just amazing. and you didn’t use a donut pan, right? (as in, i could make these too!?!)

  7. wow, these look amazingly delish! i was tempted to partake in the donut marathon myself, but put off by the frying part. and a baked donut sounded just plain wrong. after seeing and reading your try with this, i may just see what happens!

  11. I used to buy baked donuts from the local health food store years ago back in the low fat diet craze days. They were so good! I totally forgot about baked donuts until I saw your blog post. I will definately need to try this recipe! Thanks for posting yet another delicious looking baked yummy.

  12. My dad always used to talk about and look for raised doughnuts. Thanks for reminding me. Thinking about my dad always makes me smile.

    I’m going to make some to remember him by.

  15. Tartelette, I don’t think I would have made these if not for you and Peabody’s event, so thank you! Now I am tryng to get my courage up for the fried variety. (I don’t think I’ve ever deep fried anything in my life.)

    Aparna, I’m looking forward to seeing your entry!

    Gretchen Noelle, I didn’t see your doughnuts on your blog so I hope you will show them to us.

    Deborah, the baked ones are so easy!

    Tanna, I think chipotle with brown sugar would be great!

    Katy, no doughnut pan, just a couple of round cutters.

    Mimi & Brilynn, still almost a week left — plenty of time to get in on the doughnut fest.

    Rhiannon & JEP, thanks!

    (Other) Mimi, I don’t know if I would go so far as to call these health food, but they’re definitely less unhealthy than Krispy Kremes.

    Donna, I think one of the best things about food is the memories it gives us.

    Jenny, hi, thanks for visiting!

    Happy Cook, they do look very much like fried, a little chewier though.

  19. Tracy, no Dunkin Doughnuts here in California. I used to love them when I lived back east though.

    Kristen, I really liked the brown sugar a lot. I wouldn’t have though of it except I had some leftover sugar mixture from cinnamon rolls.

    Peabody, thanks to you and Tartelette for hosting this fun event!

  21. These turned out so nicely…anything with cinnamon and sugar — especially cardamom and sugar is good by me. They look so perfect! I’m so surprised you’d never made them before (me neither…)with all the bread work you do. Congrats on a excellent turn out!

  22. Is it possible to make a baked donut not using sugar, but instead, agave nectar, which I always use in recipes that call for honey. Do you think these be made entirely whole wheat?

    Thanks!

  23. I really want to try this recipe; however I am having a hard time converting it into cups and my measuring cup does not have grams. Any ideas?

  24. These look utterly amazing! And as I have never yet tried making donuts (well, donut holes, yes) I would be less afraid of trying baked than fried. These look so scrumptious and worth any effort!

  25. To the above comment, as long as your recipe is right and your oil is the right temp your fried raised glazed won’t absorb any oil; but if you still prefer, you can make any fried donut in the oven even apple fritters.

  27. I want to make some doughnuts for Halloween, but dread the frying. Do the Baked Doughnuts come out with a tender bite?

    I would like to make an apple doughnut but have doubts as to how the moisture from chopped apples would affect the dough.

    (Maybe I should just make apple muffins?)

    I should also mention that we live at an elevation of about 7000 feet a.s.l. I’ve seldom let that fact modify my baking formulas. Things just take longer to bake, in my experience.

    Saludos,
    Don Cuevas

  29. I’ve never used milk powder before…what does it do to the dough? In other words, why use it instead of milk?

  32. I have tried your recipe and it was great but my problem was it turns stale after just an hour in room temp. Would you happen to know what additional ingredients we might add to the basic doughnut recipe so that the result would be donuts that stay soft even just for 8hrs in room temp. Please email me at Louelljoy@yahoo.com

  33. Tried them tonight…turned out like really good cinnamon bagels. Nice and hot and fresh, but not close to a donut. I wonder if the measurements were way off from the conversion (Although I used a conversion calculator), or if the density was to blame on the “white wheat flour.” I will try the inspiration recipe next, sans the wheat flour, or fried version. The brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon topping was great.

  34. I want to make this recipe, but it’s a little difficult trying to convert from grams to cups, ounces, teaspoons, etc. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

  37. I want to make these for the holidays but my daughter is allergic to eggs. Have you ever made anything with soy lecithin? Do you have any advice? I want to do stuffed doughnuts too with orange & ricotta. We are going to do a doughnut bar with all kinds of toppings for Christmas. Can’t wait!!

  38. Krista, I have never used soy lecithin in place of egg. I think your best bet is to search for a recipe that was specifically developed to be egg-free. Good luck!

  40. I’m seeing the whole negative effects of gluten debate more and more and I’m wondering is there a gluten free version? Also there is that new doco on Netflix about Food and I think it talks about a slower fermentation over days from wild yeast actually breaking down gluten and making nutrients much more bio-available. Is that right?

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