Fried Donuts with Sugar

17/11/2023

Fried donuts with sugar are a much-loved dessert, perfect for a delightful snack or a sweet moment of conviviality. Here is the recipe to make them.

Ingredients

500 g of 00 flour
100 g of sugar
100 g of butter
25 g of fresh brewer’s yeast
2 eggs
200 ml of milk
Zest of 1 lemon, grated
1 pinch of salt
Oil for frying (as needed)
Granulated sugar (to garnish the donuts after frying)

Preparation

Dissolve the brewer’s yeast in a little warm milk.
In a bowl, mix the flour with the sugar, grated lemon zest, and the pinch of salt.
Add the melted butter and eggs. Start to knead and while doing so, pour in the warm milk in which you’ve dissolved the yeast.
Work the dough until it becomes a smooth, homogeneous mixture. If necessary, add more flour or milk to achieve the desired consistency. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
Cover the dough with a clean cloth and let it rise in a warm place away from drafts for about 2 hours or until it has doubled in volume.
After rising, take the dough and on a floured surface, roll it out with a rolling pin to about 1 cm thick.
Using a round cutter and a smaller one (or a specific donut cutter), cut out the donuts from the dough and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between each one.
Allow the donuts to rise again for about 30 minutes.
Heat a generous amount of oil in a frying pan and, once the right temperature is reached (about 170 °C), fry the donuts for a few minutes on each side until they are evenly golden.
Drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil and coat them still warm in granulated sugar.
Serve the donuts immediately while warm or at room temperature.

A curiosity: fried donuts with sugar are a typical specialty during Carnival time in Italy, but they are so loved that they are prepared all year round. Although the ring shape is the most known, you will find them in different shapes in some regional variations, like the famous “chiacchiere” or “frappe”.