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Homemade Sugar Donuts
5 from 12 votes

Homemade Sugar Donuts

These Homemade Sugar Donuts are made using the tangzhong method, a water roux technique that results in soft, fluffy doughnuts with a tender crumb. The dough combines milk, sugar, butter, egg, yeast, and flour, enriched by the tangzhong for moisture retention. After rising, the dough is shaped into rounds with a hole in the center, deep-fried until golden, and dusted with sugar for a sweet, delicate finish.

Prep Time
1 hr 10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 257 kcal
Course: Dessert, Snacks, Bread
Cuisine: Asian, American

Ingredients

Tangzhong 湯種 (water roux):
  • ¼ cup flour (Bread flour or all purpose flour)
  • ¾ cup water
Dough:
  • ½ cup milk
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter (Softened)
  • 1 egg (Large)
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 2.5 cups flour (Bread flour or all purpose flour)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
Other:
  • 2 cups vegetable oil (For deep fry the doughnuts)
  • ¼ cup sugar (For dusting the doughnuts)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Put ¼ cup of flour (bread flour or all purpose flour) into the pot. Pour ¾ cup of water. Mix it very well.
  2. Turn on medium small fire. Keep stirring until the mixture becomes thickened. Then, put it aside and let it cool off.
  3. Pour ½ cup of milk (warm or room temperature) into the Bosch mixer.
  4. Next, add 4 tablespoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons of butter (softened), 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons of active dry yeast into the Bosch mixer.
  5. Turn on the Bosch mixer to # 1 the lowest setting. Let it mix a little bit and wait for 5 minutes.
  6. In the meanwhile, put 2.5 cups of flour (bread flour or all purpose flour) into the bowl and add ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix it well.
  7. After that, turn on the mixer to #1 the lowest setting. Slowly add the flour mixture from step 6 into the yeast mixture. Let it mix a little bit. Then, add the warm tangzhong from step 2. ( Remember the tangzhong needs to be cooled off. Not too hot, just a little warm.)
  8. After, change the Bosch mixer speed to #3 the medium high speed setting. Let the mixer run for 8-10 minutes.
  9. Put the dough into a bowl and cover with a wet cloth. Let it rise for 45 minutes to an hour at room temperature. (To speed up the rising time. Normally, I preheat the oven to 200F. Then, turn off the oven and put the dough in for 30 minutes.)
  10. The dough rises to double its size.
  11. Roughly divide the dough into 12 pieces.
  12. Roll the dough into a ball shape.
  13. Take a ball shaped dough, use your palm to press the dough.
  14. Use a small circle cutter, put in the middle of the flatten dough and cut the middle part out. Repeat steps 13 and 14 for the rest of the dough.
  15. Cover the doughnut dough with wet cloth. Let it rise for 30 minutes at room temperature. (To speed up the rising time. Normally, I preheat the oven to 200F. Then, turn off the oven and put the dough in for 15 minutes.)
  16. While waiting for doughnut dough to rise, pour 2 cups of vegetable oil into the wok. Turn on a small fire, heat up the oil temperature around 360-375F. You can use a thermometer or wooden chopsticks to test the temperature. When you put the wooden chopsticks into the oil, if there are little bubbles around the chopsticks. It's a sign to show that the oil is hot enough.
  17. Slowly put the dough into the oil and deep fry for around 1 minute. Then, flip the other side and deep fry for around 1 minute.
  18. Repeat step 17 until all the dough is deep fried.
  19. Lastly, put ¼ cup of sugar on a plate. Then, put the deep fried doughnuts on the plate. Cover and dust the doughnuts with sugar.

Notes

  • Tangzhong must be cooled before adding to dough to protect yeast activity.
  • Use softened, not melted, butter to maintain dough texture.
  • Bread flour is preferred for better structure but all-purpose flour works with tangzhong method.
  • Maintain oil temperature between 360°F–375°F; fry donuts about 1 minute per side.
  • Let dough rise in a warm, moist place; 30 minutes in an oven at 200°F turned off works well.
  • Cut-out doughnut centers can be fried as small treats.

Nutrition Information

Calories 257kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 31g (10%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 13g (20%) Saturated Fat 10g (50%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 22mg (7%) Sodium 134mg (6%) Potassium 69mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 9g (18%) Vitamin A 124IU (2%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 20mg (2%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 257

% Daily Value*

Calories 257kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 31g 10%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 22mg 7%
Sodium 134mg 6%
Potassium 69mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 9g 18%
Vitamin A 124IU 2%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 20mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.