When it comes to enjoying fresh donuts, I have always had a soft spot for the classic old-fashioned variety. Their subtly sweet, tender texture never fails to delight my taste buds. My kids are drawn to the bouncy, airy yeast donuts. To me, there’s something undeniably indulgent about biting into a warm, softly crumbled old-fashioned donut. I often find myself preparing these delectable treats, and in truth, they vanish as quick as any other breakfast sweet in our home.
Saturdays transform into a special occasion as we gather in the kitchen for donut-making. The excitement is palpable; everyone eagerly wants to take part in the process. The kids first gravitate towards the nifty little donut cutter. They also take turns rolling out the dough or dipping the freshly fried rings into the glossy icing. I can see their mouths watering in eager anticipation as they wait for me to declare, “Okay—now you can eat it!” What a fun way to get the family together in the kitchen right away in the morning!
Using Natural Oil for Frying Old-fashioned Donuts
For frying my beloved old-fashioned donuts, I prefer using lard instead of highly processed oil. To begin with, this traditional frying oil is revered for its exceptional natural properties. With a high smoke point of 375°F, lard ensures that the donuts fry evenly, creating a wonderfully crisp exterior that contrasts with the soft inside.
Unfortunately, lard often gets a bad reputation, but it truly deserves more appreciation. Being a natural product, it is rich in essential vitamins A, D, E, and K. Unlike other oils, lard does not contain artificial trans fats and undergoes minimal processing. In fact, its unique composition includes healthy fats that support brain function and may even help reduce inflammation in the body. For those interested in a more facts about lard, I recommend checking out this enlightening article: 10 Reasons Why You Should Be Cooking With Lard.
Preparation, Servings, and Storage of Old-Fashioned Donuts
As for preparation, making these wonderful old-fashioned donuts is surprisingly straightforward. In just about an hour and forty-five minutes you can produce two dozen generously sized donuts along with two dozen bite sized donut holes. Most of this prep time is allowing the dough to chill in the refrigerator. Once they’ve been fried in hot oil and glazed to perfection, they are irresistible, especially when served fresh and warm. For those who wish to savor them later, these tasty delights can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, though I doubt they’ll last that long!
Like making breakfast sweets? Check out these other amazing recipes:
Old Fashioned Donuts
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Equipment
- Large stock pot
- slotted spoon
Ingredients
Donut ingredients
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 Egg yolks
- 1/2 cup Sour cream
- 2¼ cups Flour
- 1½ tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
- 2 lbs Lard (for frying)
Glaze ingredients
- 3 tbsp Butter, melted
- 1 tbsp Milk
- 3 tbsp Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1½ cups Powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp Sea salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add egg yolks and sour cream. Stir to combine.
- Add flour, baking powder, sea salt, and nutmeg. Gently stir to form a batter.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface.
- Roll the dough out to a 1/2 inch thick circle.
- Using the donut cutter, cut as many donuts out as possible, cutting close to each other so there is less to re-roll and cut.
- Re-roll the left-over dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut out more donuts. There should be a dozen donuts and a dozen donut holes cut total.
- Place the cut donuts on a parchment paper lined sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while heating the lard and making the glaze.
- Begin melting the lard in a large stock pot over medium heat.
- Monitor the temperature of the oil, it should maintain a temperature around 375℉.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine melted butter, milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and sea salt.
- Microwave the glaze for 20-30 seconds and stir. The glaze should be warm and slightly liquidy when glazing the donuts.
- Once the oil is hot, gently drop 4 full size donuts into the oil.
- Fry each side for about 2-3 minutes. Use the slotted spoon to flip the donuts halfway through frying and also to remove from the oil.
- Place donuts on a paper towel lined plate after removing from the oil to cool slightly.
- Continue frying the next batch.
- While the second batch is frying, dip one donut at a time into the glaze. Flip the donut to glaze both sides.
- Place the glazed donuts on a cooling rack to allow glaze to dry for at least 5 minutes before serving.
- These donuts are best fresh but are still good one day after preparing.
Nutrition
