Amazing Melt-in-Your-Mouth Brioche Donuts at Home
Melt in your mouth, buttery brioche donuts are fried in the dutch oven and then dipped into a simple vanilla glaze.
MElt-in-your-mouth Brioche Donuts
My mom and I both share a deep love for brioche. When she visits, I try to have a pan of savory brioche knots or pan au chocolat ready so that we can both indulge. According to my mom, there is nothing better than warm brioche! For Christmas one year, I actually gave these melt-in-your-mouth brioche donuts to my dad for a gift. He loved them so much he sent a brag photo out to all of his friends! Good food is my primary love language- if you know me, eventually I will bless you with a baked something. Ha! Of course, my kids also LOVE brioche, and these donuts are their absolute favorite choice.
I am never in the kitchen alone, so it is quite chaotic with six mini “helpers” running around and dipping fresh donuts into icing. They almost never make it onto plates! I think they would all agree that is a completely unnecessary step.
At our house, we try to eat healthy, real food made with simple ingredients. But we don’t restrict or “outlaw” any foods. We just focus on from-scratch, family style meals to make up the bulk of our diet while enjoying the occasional decadent treat! These donuts are so fluffy and delicate while retaining the perfect amount of chewiness. I’m always disappointed when we go out for donuts and I bite into a cold, two-hour old, dense, dry donut. A proper donut ought to be served warm!
To really get the full experience, be sure to pair these with a good cup of coffee… You won’t believe you made these melt-in-your-mouth brioche donuts at home!
HAVE YOU MADE THESE yet? tag me with a picture on instagram @good.to.gather
Homemade Brioche Donuts
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven *If you don't have a dutch oven, you can use a stock pot
- stainless steel strainer ladle
- 1 stand mixer
- 1 dough hook attachment
- 1 biscuit cutter OR a wide mouth mason jar lid *You could use the mason jar itself if you don't have a lid
- 1 lid to a spice jar
- 1 cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Cups Unbleached All purpose Flour 347 grams
- 2 Cups Bread Flour 308 grams
- 3 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast 28 grams or 1 1/2 packages
- 1/3 Cup table sugar 67 grams
- 1/2 Cup Cold Water 120 grams
- 5 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp Kosher salt 15 grams
- 2 3/4 Sticks salted butter 310 grams
Donut Glaze
- 3 Cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 Cup milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Oils for Frying: Two Options
- 1 container Peanut Oil
- 1 container Grapeseed oil For a healthier option: Make sure that the grapeseed oil is labeled suitable for frying. Not all grapeseed oil is!
Instructions
- Set up your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. In the bowl, combine both flours, the sugar, yeast, salt, cold water and eggs.2 1/2 Cups Unbleached All purpose Flour, 2 Cups Bread Flour, 3 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast, 1/3 Cup table sugar, 1/2 Cup Cold Water, 5 large eggs, 1 Tbsp Kosher salt
- Mix on low speed for 8 minutes. Stop periodically to scrap the dough down the sides. The dough will be very dry.
- With your mixer on low, add in the chopped butter one piece at a time until all is incorporated. Mix again for 8 minutes, making sure all the butter is disappearing into the dough.2 3/4 Sticks salted butter
- Once you can no longer see the butter, turn the mixer up to medium and mix for another 10-15 minutes- or until the dough becomes smooth and shiny. Once it begins to make a flopping sound against the side of the bowl, it is time to give it the window-pane test. Pinch off a tiny piece of the dough and stretch it out gently between your fingers. If it stretches without tearing and is thin enough for light to pass through, it is ready. If not, put the dough back in and continue mixing in 3-4 minutes increments until it passes. It should hold shape enough for you to pick it up as one solid piece of dough when it is done.
- Place the dough in a bowl and press down a piece of parchment paper directly onto the dough. Cover the whole bowl with a towel and place it into the refrigerator. The parchment keeps a skin from forming on the top of the dough. Let the dough ferment in the fridge for 6-12 hours.
- Once your dough is ready, take it out and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface. Dough should be 1/4 inch thick. Using a floured biscuit cutter OR a wide mouth mason jar(or its lid!), gently press down on the dough to cut out your donuts. Then, using the cap from a spice jar, cut out the center hole. Make sure that the spice jar lid is not too wide so that you keep your donut proportions correct.
- Place the donuts on a cookie sheet on parchment paper and place somewhere -warm but not hot- to proof for 4-5 hours or until doubled in size.
- When your dough is almost ready, fill the dutch oven halfway with oil and turn the heat to medium high. It will take a few minutes to get hot enough. If you have a thermometer, you want the oil to reach 375 degrees.1 container Peanut Oil, 1 container Grapeseed oil
- Once your oil is hot, crefully drop in one test donut. Let it cook 1-2 minutes or until golden brown, then flip. Cook for 1-2 more minutes. Scoop out donut with your ladle and let the oil drain off. Place the donut on the cooling rack.
- If your oil is ready, drop in several donuts and repeat the process.
- Allow the donuts to slightly cool before dipping them into the glaze or pouring it over the top with a spoon
Donut Glaze
- Mix together the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk until it is completely smooth. If you want a light glaze, add milk until you get the consistency you want. For a thicker glaze, use slightly less than 1/2 cup.3 Cups powdered sugar, 1/2 Cup milk, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla
Notes
- For a fun treat, add a drop or two of gel food coloring to the glaze to give your donuts some color! You can also add toppings like chopped nuts or sprinkles.
These look incredible. 🤤🤤
Hi! I have never made fried donuts. The frying process scares me, and I don’t know what you do with the oil afterwards. Store in the fridge ? Discard ? How many times can you use it ? Lastly, what amount of oil is meant by “one container “? Maybe I’m too old to start trying to make our own donuts 🥹 But my husband recalls being served freshly made donuts as a youngster, and loved them, and I would love to make new memories for him 😋 Thanks in advance for your advice!
Lorraine Nelson
Hi Lorraine!
I totally understand the frying process seeming a bit daunting. Once you do it a time or two, it will seem easy! To answer your questions… You can store the oil at room temperature and use it multiple times before discarding. I let it cool completely then transfer it to a gallon size mason jar with a screw on lid. Then, only throw it out when it begins to turn dark or if it has too much sediment, or if it begins to smell bad. As for how much oil to use, I fill my 6 quart Dutch oven a little over half full when I make these. That way the donuts have plenty of room. Hope this helps and that you make some fun memories!