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glazed old fashioned doughnuts on a wire rack with glass of milk

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Doughnuts

Print Recipe
Homemade doughnuts with a doughnut shop taste!
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 8 doughnuts
Calories 288
Author Annalise

Ingredients

For the doughnuts:

  • 2 ¼ cup cake flour (255 grams)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly ground preferred)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , cubed
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • cup buttermilk (80 ml)
  • Canola or vegetable oil , for frying

For the vanilla glaze:

  • 3 ½ cup powdered sugar , sifted (350 grams)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon light corn syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • cup hot water (80 ml)

Instructions

To make the doughnuts:

  • In a bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until mixture resembles coarse wet sand (see Notes). Add the egg yolks and mix until thick and pale yellow in color, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the flour mixture to the bowl in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, scraping the sides of the bowl down as necessary. The dough will be sticky.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
  • On a floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about ½ inch thick. Use a doughnut cutter or two differently sized round cutters to cut out 3-4 inch doughnuts, dipping the cutters into flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
  • Pour the oil into a heavy bottomed pot to at least 2-4 inches deep. Insert a thermometer and heat to 350°F over medium-high heat.
  • Add the donuts to the heated oil a few at a time, careful not to overcrowd the pot. Fry on each side about 2 minutes until golden brown, and watch to make sure they don’t burn. Doughnut holes will fry about 1 minute on each side.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain.
  • Fry remaining doughnuts, adjusting heat as needed to maintain 350°F.

To make the glaze:

  • Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a whisk until smooth. Dip each donut into the glaze, flipping to cover both sides, making sure they are covered completely. Place on a wire rack above a sheet pan to catch any excess glaze. Let sit for 10-20 minutes until glaze is set.
  • Doughnuts are best the day they are made, but will keep in an air tight container at room temperature for a few days.

Notes

Notes:

  • The addition of nutmeg adds something extra to these doughnuts. You can leave it out, but I highly recommend you include it. If you have it, freshly ground nutmeg is preferred.
  • If you have a larger mixer like I do, it can be hard to mix the butter and sugar together since it's such a small amount. If you find that the beater isn't reaching very well, you can do this step by hand with a fork. Mash butter and sugar together to make a coarse sandy mixture.
Recipe adapted from Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts.

Nutrition

Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 113IU | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg