donuts from scratch?! yes! this may seem like a daunting task, but it is surprisingly easy. with this recipe, you actually make the dough the night before which makes “donuts for breakfast” an easy reality. i didn’t have a donut cutter the first time i made these, so i used a 2″ biscuit cutter and just didn’t have the added joy of donut holes. the second time, i splurged for a donut cutter and made chocolate and raspberry glazes. both ways were fabulous, but i think i actually liked the non-hole donuts better. give it a try!

donuts with orange-cinnamon sugar
makes about 16 donuts

1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 package active dry yeast
1 egg, beaten with a splash of water
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 quart canola oil

orange-cinnamon sugar

1 cup sugar
the zest from 1 large orange
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
mix all the ingredients in a bowl; large enough to toss the donuts in.

for the donuts:

in a small saucepan, warm the milk slightly with 1 teaspoon sugar. add the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes to proof.
in a small bowl, beat the egg with the water.
in the bowl of a standing mixer whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and nutmeg. add the proofed yeast mixture, beaten egg mixture, and melted butter. with a dough hook, mix until well-blended and kneaded (this will take about 10 minutes). you may need to add more flour if the dough is too sticky. (the dough should be smooth and elastic, and not too sticky). transfer the dough to a large, oiled mixing bowl. cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
on a floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thick and with a 2” biscuit cutter, cut out your donuts. place the cut donuts on a cookie sheet that has been covered in parchment and also oiled. (donuts get very sticky as they rise)
cover the donuts with a clean kitchen towel, and let them rise in a warm spot for about an hour. this may take a little longer depending on the temperature of the room. the donuts should double in size.
heat your oil in a heavy bottomed pan to 375 degrees. gently lower your donuts (i do 4 at a time) into the oil and cook about 3 minutes per side, just until they are golden brown.
with a spider or slotted spoon, remove the donuts and toss them immediately in the orange cinnamon sugar. shake off the excess sugar and move to a serving platter.

my husband woke up to these little beauties on the morning of his birthday. needless to say, the man was happy all day and suddenly, turning another year older didn’t matter as much! there really is nothing like a freshly made donut for breakfast. they don’t taste quite as spectacular the next day, but if you do have any left over, store them in a zip top bag on your kitchen counter.