Time to Make the Baked Doughnuts

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. :i:
  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.

Post a comment » 24 Comments

  1. Tartelette 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. Aparna 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.

  3. Gretchen Noelle 3

    These look great! I am trying my hand at some donuts today and thought about baking some just to see how they rise. Yours look delicious!

  4. Deborah 4

    These look and sound so good! I’ve never made baked donuts before.

  5. MyKitchenInHalfCups 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. katy 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. mimi 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!

  8. brilynn 8

    I wanted to join the donut event too but wasn’t sure I wanted to fry anything, this looks like a great option!

  9. Rhiannon 9

    Yum! This looks great

  10. JEP 10

    Soo good to look at! Baked, too!

  11. Mimi 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. Donna Whitlinger 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.

  13. Jenny 13

    Baked doughnuts! Oh, I must try this.

  14. Happy Cook 14

    I would have never know it was baked than fried.
    Looks so delicious.
    I am gonna try these

  15. Susan 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.

  16. Tracy 16

    Yum! I’ve never made donuts (of course I can easily walk to the closest Dunkin Donuts!). Yours look wonderful!

  17. Moewes.com » Blog Archive » links for 2008-02-09 17

    [...] Yeasted Baked Doughnuts Recipe | Wild Yeast [...]

  18. Kristen 18

    Oh yummy! I love the thought of using brown sugar mixture for the topping!

  19. Culinary Concoctions by Peabody » Time to Make the Doughnuts…. 19

    [...] Yeasted Baked Doughnuts [...]

  20. peabody 20

    I like that you used brown sugar…you don’t see that much.
    Thanks for participating.

  21. Susan 21

    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!

  22. eliza 22

    yummy! love to make this baked donuts one of these days.

  23. Detalhes » Blog Archive » Donuts no Forno 23

  24. kellypea 24

    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!

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