I love doughnuts and it really doesn’t get better than these pillowy-soft homemade doughnuts. It’s autumn right now and with an abundance of pumpkins in season, a pumpkin cream cheese filling is perfect for that oomph of autumnal flavour in one bite.
This right here is the ultimate recipe for soft doughnuts. Super easy to make – just like most of my recipes, with simple ingredients that you most likely already have available.
What you’ll need to make these soft doughnuts:
- Bread Flour – To make the fluffiest soft doughnuts, you’ll need bread flour.
- Yeast – 10grams of Instant Yeast. See my notes below on the difference between Active and Instant Yeast.
- Sugar – 60grams of caster sugar. You can also use granulated sugar.
- Butter – Room temperature unsalted butter.
- Milk – 125ml lukewarm milk. Feel free to substitute milk for water.
- Eggs – 4 large eggs at room temperature.
- Salt – 1/2 tsp of Salt.
- Oil for Frying
The yeast can be added in directly with the other ingredients because I am using fast action yeast (Instant Yeast) in this recipe. If you’re using active dry yeast, you must proof the yeast first by dissolving in warm water/milk before mixing in.
For the Pumpkin cream cheese filling, you’ll need:
- 1/3 cup Pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp Mixed Spice – also called Pumpkin Pie spice, is usually a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and allspice
- 260g of cream cheese – I use Philadelpia cream cheese.
- 2 Cups powdered sugar
Handy Tips for a successful outcome:
Use bread flour – the key ingredient in this recipe, for soft doughnuts, is bread flour. Using bread flour guarantees that your doughnut will come out fluffy.
Know your yeast – Follow the steps in the recipe notes if using active dry yeast. Instant yeast can be mixed in with the other ingredients.
Proof your dough twice – The first proofing will be right after you’ve mixed all the ingredients together in a stand mixer, or by hand, until you have a smooth stretchy dough. Leave to double in size.
The 2nd proofing would be soon after dividing the dough into individual rolls. You’ll want to leave it to rise again until doubled in size before frying.
Fry in low/medium heat – To make sure the doughnut cooks through, deep fry in heated oil at a temperature of 175-180 °C. Fry the doughnut for about 2-3 minutes on each side until it turns a light golden colour.
How to store your doughnuts
These doughnuts will keep fresh for up to 4 days in the fridge. To make sure the doughnut stays fresher for longer, seal in an airtight plastic container, cling film or foil.
Love this recipe? Then you must try our Cherry Almond Galette recipe, No-Churn Mascarpone Ice Cream recipe, or the very popular Easy Key Lime Pie recipe.
Fluffy Homemade Doughnut
Ingredients
Doughnut Ingredients
- 4 Eggs Free range
- 500 grams Bread Flour
- 60 grams Caster Sugar
- 125 grams Unsalted Butter
- 125 ml Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract (Optional)
- 10 grams Instant Yeast or Active Dry Yeast
- ½ tsp Salt
- Sunflower oil for frying
Pumpkin Filling Ingredients
- ⅓ Cup Pumpkin Puree
- 260 grams Cream Cheese
- 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Mixed Spice
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, using a dough hook, mix all the dry ingredients together until well combined.
- Add in one egg at a time and mix at low speed.
- Pour in the milk/ water and mix for 6-8 minutes on medium speed until a stretchy dough is formed.
- Add in the butter and knead for another 5 minutes.
- Transfer the dough into a lightly greased bowl and leave to rise for 2 hours (or until doubled in size)
- Divide the dough and use your hands to shape into little rolls (should make 20 doughnut rolls)
- Place the individual rolls on a baking sheet ( spaced evenly).
- Leave to rise for another hour.
- Once doubled in size, deep fry each roll in oil heated to 175°C. Use a thermometer to check the oil temperature. Then fry the doughnut for about 2-3 minutes on each side until it turns a light golden colour.
- Leave to cool slightly, coat in sugar and set aside.
To make the pumpkin filling
- In a stand mixer, whisk together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until all the sugar is mixed in thoroughly.
- Add in the mixed spice and pumpkin puree. Mix on medium speed for another 2-3 minutes.
- Tranfer the pumpkin filling into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Using a small knife, make a hole in the crease of each doughut
- Pipe the filling into each doughnut. Don't worry, you'll know when to stop.
Leave a Reply