The Taste of an Amish Donut
The taste of an Amish Donut lingers in my taste buds since the last time I ate one at the Florida State Fair. As I was going through the various stands at the fair, I noticed a long queue of people ending up at the Amish Baking Co Stand.
The sweet smell of frying doughnuts wafting through the air invited me to join the queue. In the end, it was worth the wait. The Amish donuts tasted indeed like heaven my!
I longed to recreate this recipe at home. Recreating Amish donut recipes is a great hobby. At least I do not have to wait till the next Florida State fair.
Amish Businesses
Most Amish families, begin their businesses in their homes and later spread out. The Amish value family ties and nurture relationships among themselves.
They support each other’s businesses ensuring success for many generations. Studies show that Amish businesses are very successful; very few of them collapse.
The owner of Amish Bakery Co, Peachey a former Amish says he was literary born in a bakery. He started the bakery in 2007 with his siblings on a mobile truck. Their exquisite donuts have gained popularity increasing their sales every year.
Amish Pumpkin Custard Pie Recipe. Click to Read.
Why this Amish Donut Recipe works
I love this recipe because most of the ingredients are easy to find in your pantry. The dough is leavened by yeast, taking a little longer to make, but yields lighter and fluffier doughnuts that are rich in flavor.
The use of egg yolk instead of whole eggs elevates the level of deliciousness of these baked goods. Egg yolks have higher fat content adding extra rich flavor and giving the doughnuts a unique velvety texture.
We added mashed potatoes for the first time and the flavor was extremely unforgettable. You do not want to miss this unlikely ingredient in your recipe.
I love the simple sweet glaze that the doughnuts are tossed into! Try out our simple step-by-step recipe and you will be making doughnuts more often than you have been.
Ingredients and Substitutions
All Purpose flour
All-purpose flour works well in this recipe however, you could substitute it with bread flour. Bread flour contains more protein, suitable for yeast leavening. You can also use half white flour and half whole wheat if you desire more fiber in your doughnuts.
Yeast
Yeast is the leavening agent used in the Amish Donut recipe. Yeast makes the donuts lighter and fluffier as well as adds a rich flavor. Make sure to use fresh yeast for the best proofing result. If you substitute yeast you will be making cake doughnuts. I do not suggest substituting this ingredient.
Egg yolks
Egg yolks act as an emulsifier in the recipe. This yellow part of the egg can bind fats and liquids together. This binding creates an emulsion that prevents the fats and liquids from separating. The result is smooth tenderized crumbs in the donuts. Unless you're allergic to eggs, it is not worthwhile to substitute egg yolks with other ingredients…my take.
Butter
Butter moisturizes the doughnut mixture adding a rich milky flavor. You could substitute this with lard that's rendered from pork.
Mashed potatoes
This secret ingredient adds moisture to the dough and helps to make them light and fluffy. As an adventurous home chef, I would not omit mashed potatoes as long as I am making Amish Doughnuts.
Nutmeg
I used nutmeg instead of vanilla that the recipe calls for. Nutmeg is an incredibly intense spice with a distinctive, strong aroma. It adds to the doughnuts a woody, nutty, sweet, and warm flavor. Nutmeg is great in comforting sweet and savory dishes.
Milk
Milk adds a sweet flavor and richness to the Amish donuts as well as perfectly moisturizes the dough. You could substitute with water but you will compromise on the richness of the dough.
Sugar
Sugar sweetens the Amish donuts but not to a very sweet level. The recipe calls for only half a cup of sugar. You may substitute sugar with honey, maple syrup, or stevia powder.
Salt
Though a little amount is added to the dough, salt plays a great role in enhancing the other flavors to “pop out” when you take a bite of the doughnuts.
Powdered sugar
Powdered sugar is mixed with milk or lime juice making the sweet glaze that coats the Amish doughnuts.
Lime juice
In this recipe, we used lime juice to dissolve the powdered sugar making the sweet glaze. The citric and tangy flavor amazingly blends with the other ingredients in the doughnut. This non-dairy glaze keeps the donuts longer! You can substitute lime juice with milk or water.
You can make other toppings such as the addictive caramel and cinnamon powdered sugar. This gives you the popular Amish Donuts nicknamed "Amish Crack". Really delicious.
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Rolling pin
- Bench scraper
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Doughnut cutter or round cookie cutter
- Kitchen towels
FAQ Amish Donuts
Amish doughnuts keep fresh at room temperature for about 4 days. They will store longer in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
If your filling is made of dairy ingredients, the donuts could grow molds faster if left at room temperature.
Oh yes, these delights freeze wonderfully. Freeze them in a freezer-friendly container.
It is advisable to freeze your doughnuts before you glaze them.
They make my favorite breakfast treats on a busy morning.
You could thaw them on the kitchen counter overnight. Warm them in the microwave for 30 seconds and top them as desired.
Heat the oil to 365F. Use an oil thermometer to get the precise temperature for frying the donuts.
You could also test your oil by carefully dropping a plug into the oil.
If the plug rises and floats with bubbles around it, your oil is hot enough.
Amish Donuts are made of regular ingredients: flour, yeast, eggs, and milk.
What sets them apart is the additional mashed potatoes and the need for kneading the dough.
Also, Check out; Amish Homemade Ice Cream
Expert Tips
Plan ahead
You need enough time to prepare this comfort food. Plan in order to have sufficient time for kneading and proofing. If you rush the process you will compromise on the texture of the donuts. Start early and enjoy the process. Trust me, your labor of love will pay off.
Fresh yeast
Yeast is a very crucial ingredient in this donut recipe. It feeds on the sugars releasing carbon dioxide gas that makes the dough rise. It will help to carry out a simple freshness test.
Add a teaspoon of yeast to a small bowl containing a mixture of water and sugar. Let it sit for about 6 to 8 minutes. If you find bubbles on top of the mixture, your yeast is fresh enough to be used.
Tip: Salt affects yeast and makes the yeast cells inactive. As you mix the dry ingredients, mix the yeast and sugar into the flour then once they are thoroughly mixed, add the salt.
Amish Donuts
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Rolling Pin
- Bench scraper
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Doughnut cutter or round cookie cutter
- Kitchen towels
Ingredients
- 6 cups All Purpose Flour
- 3 Egg yolks
- 2 ½ teaspoon Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 2 cups Milk
- ½ cup Butter
- ½ cup Sugar
Glaze
- 1 cup Powdered sugar
- ⅛ cup Lime juice
Instructions
- In a stand mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and nutmeg. Attach the dough hook and mix until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan containing hot milk. As the butter melts, the milk should begin to cool and become warm. Add the melted butter and warm milk to the flour mixture. Watch out, hot milk kills the yeast.
- Lightly beat the egg yolks and add them into the mixing bowl as well, add the warm water. Mix the dough using the dough hook for about 10 minutes. ( If you are kneading by hand, you will for about 15 minutes)
- A soft dough should form. Transfer the dough to greased bowl and cover the top of the bowl with a damp towel. Let it sit and rise for about 40 minutes. Once double in size, punch down on a clean counter.
- Let it relax for about 2 minutes. Divide the dough into four pieces using a bench scraper. Roll each ball into a rectangle measuring 30cm by 15cm.
- Use a doughnut cutter to cut out donuts, and set the donuts and plugs aside to rise on a parchment-lined tray. Cover them with a clean damp kitchen towel for their second rise. Mark the first tray. (That should have the first doughnuts to be fried)
- In a large skillet, heat the oil to 365F or check the oil temperature by dipping a plug into the oil. If it rises, your oil is hot enough for use.
- Carefully fry about three to four doughnuts at the same time for about 6 minutes on one side then flip them gently to fry on the other side.
- Once your doughnuts are golden brown, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil. Absorb any extra oil from the fried doughnuts by placing the doughnuts on a kitchen paper towel.
- Continue frying all the donuts. As the donuts cool, prepare the glaze by mixing the lime juice and sifted powdered sugar in a mixing bowl.
- Once a smooth and almost runny glaze is formed, toss a donut at a time into the glaze. Let the glaze dry for about 10 minutes on a cooling rack.
- Enjoy the exquisite Amish donuts with an expresso, it will be hard to stop reaching out for the next one. Tip: quickly freeze half of the batch before they are all eaten up at once.
Leave a Reply