Breakfast / Donuts, danish & sticky buns
Yeast Glazed Donuts with Overnight Rise
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The dough rests overnight in the fridge, so the morning is just cutting, puffing and frying. Dip them while they're still warm for a thin, shiny glaze. The first one belongs to the cook, and nobody argues.
The short version
Knead a soft milk-and-butter dough, let it rise once, then chill it overnight. Roll ½ inch thick, cut, rise 30 to 45 minutes, and fry at 350°F for about 2 minutes total. Dip in glaze while warm.
What makes ours better
small changes, very loud compliments
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Chill the dough overnight. The cold dough is firm, so rolling and cutting are clean, and the slow rise builds a better, yeastier flavor. It also moves most of the work to the day before.
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Add a bit of vanilla and plenty of butter. Melted butter and vanilla make a rich, soft crumb that tastes like a bakery donut, not a plain roll.
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Watch the flour and the oil temperature. Too much flour makes a dense, dry donut, and oil away from 350°F turns them either greasy or pale. A thermometer and a light hand fix both.
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Dip them while still warm. A warm donut takes the glaze and sets a thin, glossy shell. A cold one lets it slide off.
What you need
check the pantry before you promise anyone
- Whole milk1 cup
- Active dry yeast2¼ teaspoons
- Granulated sugar⅓ cup
- Unsalted butter6 tablespoons
- Eggs2 large
- Vanilla extract1 teaspoon
- All-purpose flour4 cups
Dough
Glaze
yes, all of the butter
Steps
go slow. the good part can’t be rushed.
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Wake up the yeast
In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir the warm milk, yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let it stand 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy on top. If nothing happens, the yeast is dead, so start over with fresh.
About 10 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Mix and knead the dough
Add the remaining sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, salt and 3½ cups of the flour. Mix with the dough hook on low until combined, then knead on medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes, adding flour a tablespoon at a time only if the dough sticks to the bowl. It should be soft, smooth and slightly tacky. By hand, knead for 10 to 12 minutes on a lightly floured counter.
Hold back flour. A slightly sticky dough makes light donuts, and a stiff one makes dense ones.
About 10 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Let it rise, then chill
Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a lightly oiled bowl, and turn it to coat. Cover and let it rise at room temperature for 1 to 1½ hours, until doubled. Punch it down, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 16 hours.
About 90 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Roll and cut
Turn the cold dough onto a lightly floured counter. Roll it to ½ inch thick. Cut rings with a floured 3-inch cutter and a 1-inch center cutter. Lay them on floured parchment-lined sheets, 2 inches apart. Gather and re-roll the scraps once for more, and use the rest as holes.
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Let the donuts puff
Cover the sheets loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let the donuts rise at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes, until puffy and a gentle poke leaves a slow-fading dent. Start heating the oil when they're about halfway there.
Fry as soon as they've puffed. Overproofed donuts collapse in the oil and soak up fat.
About 40 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Fry
Heat the oil to 350°F in a Dutch oven, about 3 inches deep. Lower 2 or 3 donuts in, risen side down, and fry for 1 minute until golden. Flip and fry another minute until golden on the other side, with a pale ring around the middle. Fry the holes for about 1 minute total. Keep the oil at 350°F between batches.
Crowding drops the oil temperature. Two or three at a time keeps every batch crisp.
About 2 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Drain and glaze
Move the donuts to a paper-towel-lined sheet pan for 1 minute. Whisk the glaze ingredients until smooth and pourable like heavy cream. Dip each warm donut on both sides, let the extra drip off, and set it on a wire rack over a sheet pan. The glaze sets in about 10 minutes.
About 10 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
Good to know
the stuff I’d tell you over the phone
- Cut into the first donut to check the middle is cooked. If it's doughy, fry the next ones 15 to 30 seconds longer.
- Make the dough up to the overnight chill, then fry the next morning. If it has risen too much in the fridge, punch it down gently before rolling.
- For a cinnamon-sugar version, skip the glaze and toss warm donuts in ½ cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
- Instant yeast works too. Use the same amount, skip the blooming, and stir it in with the flour.
- Storage. Best the day they're made, in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 1 day. Warm a day-old donut in the microwave for 8 seconds. Unglazed donuts freeze for 1 month.
Questions, answered
asked and answered at the kitchen counter
Why are my yeast donuts dense?
Usually too much flour, or an underproofed dough. Keep the dough slightly tacky and wait until the cut donuts are puffy and slow to spring back before frying.
Why are they greasy or pale?
The oil was too cool. Fry at 350°F with a thermometer and keep the pot from getting crowded so the temperature stays steady between batches.
Can I skip the overnight chill?
Yes. After the first rise, chill the dough for 1 hour so it rolls cleanly, then continue. The overnight version has more flavor and is easier to handle, so we'd do it.
Can I bake yeast donuts instead of frying?
Baked yeast donuts turn out more like soft rolls than donuts, and the texture is different. For a baked version built for the oven, try cinnamon sugar baked donuts.
Why did my donuts shrink or deflate?
They rose too long before frying. Fry when they are just puffy, not doubled and wobbly.
How do I know when the oil is ready?
Use a thermometer. Without one, drop a small piece of dough into the oil. It should sizzle right away and float, and brown in about 1 minute.
From the table
Made it? I want the full report: first bite, best compliment, and who tried to take the leftovers home.
Made it?
tell me the truth, then tell me who had thirds
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Published October 29, 2026.