Ring Doughnut Recipe (A Classic!)

Is there anything more beautiful than a hot, fresh donut in your hand? Preferably with a hot cup of coffee in the other hand. And even more preferable? A follow-up donut to the first donut.

In my humble, but plenty experienced opinion, donuts should be simple, light, airy, with a slightly toasty exterior and coated in cinnamon sugar. Classic and delicious. 

This recipe takes a bit of time because the batter requires two rises, but the hands-on time is pretty limited. And it’s all worth it! 

These donuts are somewhere in-between a cake donut and a Krispy Kreme ring donut. They are airier than a cake donut and denser than a Krispy Kreme donut.

So get some sunflower oil, a large pot, and give these donuts a try!

Tips For Making Classic Ring Doughnuts (Deep Fried)

I suggest keeping this recipe on hand for a Saturday morning when you have risen early and have some time on your hands.

It’s an easy, methodical process with plenty of rest time (for you and the dough) to sip coffee or start a fire and enjoy the morning knowing donuts will be accompanying you shortly.

In a large bowl, combine your ingredients together (except the oil).

Starting with all the dry ingredients and then adding the softened butter and the warm milk. The milk does not need to be hot, it should just feel warm to the touch, which you can do on the stovetop in or in a milk frother by removing the whisk part so it only heats. 

Mix the dough until a dough ball forms and then knead it well, until the dough becomes soft and elastic. Put it back in the bowl and cover it with a damp cloth.

Place the bowl in a warm place. If your kitchen is warm, leave it there. If you have your fireplace on, place it next to you on the couch. Or, like me, place it on the floor with the sun coming in through the window. 

Let it rest for 40 minutes. 

Dump the dough out on a floured surface and roll it out to about ⅓ inch. This will probably seem rather thin but be sure to roll it out well, keeping in mind the donuts still need another rise and will puff up while cooking. 

With the dough rolled out you can begin cutting out the donuts. If you have a round donut cutter, now would be the time to use it. If you don’t, get creative!

Here I used a small cocktail glass and a screw-top lid from a syrup bottle. It made a perfect donut shape. Put the cut out donuts onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Keep the donut holes too, of course. 

With all your donuts cut out and placed on the pan, loosely lay a piece of saran wrap over them. Let them rise for 30 more minutes. 

While the donuts rest, mix together the ⅓ cup sugar and one teaspoon cinnamon. Hint, this will become the best part. 

When the dough’s rest time is almost done, begin to heat the oil. In our opinion, refined sunflower oil is the absolute best oil for deep frying donuts. For more options, you can check out this article: The Best Oils For Deep Frying Donuts

You will want a large, sturdy pot. Dump the whole bottle of oil and begin heating it on medium-high heat. You will want to keep an eye on it, turning down the heat as needed.

You can use either a candy thermometer or a meat thermometer to check the heat periodically. You want to keep the oil around 365 F. It will begin to glisten when it reaches the correct temperature. 

Test the oil and cooking process with a donut hole or two. They will cook much quicker, of course.

When ready to cook a donut, slide it in the oil and let it sit for about 30 seconds, it will sizzle and puff as it cooks. Flip it and let it cook for 30 more seconds. It should be a light, toasty brown. 

Place the hot donut on a paper towel lined plate to soak up the excess grease. This step is brief as you want to get the donuts in the cinnamon sugar while they are still hot. 

Repeat with each of the donuts. 

Serve and enjoy! With a cup of coffee, of course. 

How To Make Classic Ring Doughnuts

Step 1

Gather your ingredients.

Place the flour, sugar, butter, eggs, yeast, and warm milk in a bowl. This can be done by hand with a bit of effort or in a stand mixer.

Step 2

Once it is combined a ball should form, turn this out on a floured surface and knead for 10 or so minutes. The ball should be smooth and elastic.

Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place the batter in a warm location to rise. 

Let it sit for 40 minutes. 

Step 3

Roll out the dough to about ⅓ inch thick and cut out donuts. If you don’t have a donut cutter, use whatever you have around the house to get the desired shape.

Place your rings and the holes on a cookie sheet and loosely cover them in saran wrap. Place them in a warm spot to rise again for 30 minutes. 

Step 4

While the donuts rise, mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. 

Heat the oil in a large, sturdy pot to about 365 degrees. Check the temperature often to make sure you are ready to go when the temperature is right.

Step 5

You can test the process with the donut holes first. They should take about 15 seconds per side and the full donuts about 30 seconds per side.

Cook the doughnuts one or two at a time, flipping with tongs. 

Step 6

As you pull out each donut place it on a paper towel lined plate and then dunk generously in the cinnamon sugar mixture. 

Continue each step for the remainder of the dough. 

Step 7

Serve and enjoy!

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