With this Air Fryer Donut recipe on your hands, you can make super soft, light, and fluffy donut rings and holes without deep frying.
Prepare them the day before, let them rise overnight, and bake in the morning for breakfast or brunch. It's like having your favorite Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts for breakfast without leaving home.
This small-batch recipe makes about 6 holes and rings. If you prefer a dozen, you can use the air fryer to bake my homemade doughnuts.
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Video Tutorial
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
- Bread flour - Although I prefer using bread flour for donuts because it gives the dough a great chew and texture, you'll get great results with plain all-purpose flour. The flour I used has 13.4g of protein.
- Egg - This recipe only uses egg yolk. Don't waste the egg white. If you don't have an immediate use for it, freeze it.
- Yeast - add it directly to the flour. It doesn't need to be activated before mixing into the dough. If you prefer to use active dry yeast for your yeast dough, use 1 teaspoon (4g). When using active dry yeast you will need a little more, as these two types of yeast are different.
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, milk, egg yolk, and yeast and knead until it comes together. Then let rest.
Then knead on high speed until the dough releases from the sides of the bowl and passes the windowpane test.
How to Do the Windowpane Test?
To do the windowpane test, let the dough rest for about 1 minute after mixing. Then take a small portion of the dough between your fingers and slowly stretch it until the center is very thin and light can shine through without tearing.
This means that you have kneaded and developed the dough sufficiently. If it doesn't pass the windowpane test and it tears, knead for 1-2 minutes longer. Do not over-knead either, or the dough will become liquid and soupy.
Gradually add the butter and knead until the butter is fully incorporated. Once all of the butter has been added, increase the speed to high and knead until the dough is smooth and releases from the sides of the bowl. It's a soft, smooth dough that is slightly sticky.
Lightly spray a medium-sized bowl with nonstick spray or oil and transfer the dough to the bowl; lightly oil the top of the dough as well. Cover and let rest in a warm spot for 1 hour.
Then transfer the dough to the refrigerator and chill for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
On a very lightly floured surface (use as little flour as possible - just enough so that the dough doesn't stick to the rolling pin and surface), shape the dough into a square with your hands and roll it out.
Using a very lightly floured donut cutter or two round glasses of different sizes, cut out rings and holes.
Place the rings and holes on a lightly oiled tray. Reroll and cut until you run out of dough. Lightly spray a piece of plastic foil with nonstick spray or oil and cover the donuts. Let rise in the refrigerator overnight.
Take the donuts out of the fridge and let them sit on the kitchen counter while preheating the air fryer.
Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil or nonstick spray and place 3-4 donut rings (depending on the size of your air fryer basket) in the air fryer basket and bake on each side until golden brown.
In a medium bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla until combined. Then add the hot water and whisk until smooth.
Dip the warm rings and on both sides in the glaze and allow to drip off. Then glaze the baked holes with the remaining glaze.
Transfer to a wire rack, allow the glaze to set and harden for about 15-30 minutes and serve.
Expert Tips
- Please resist the urge to add more flour to the dough. If the dough is still sticky and doesn't release from the sides of the bowl after mixing on high speed for 6-8 minutes, add 1 teaspoon of flour at a time until you reach that point. Depending on the protein content and the absorption rate of the flour, the altitude, humidity, and temperature, you may need more or less flour.
- Use as little flour as possible when rolling out the dough. When rolling out the dough again, do not keep adding more flour. Otherwise, the donuts will be tough and won't rise properly. Flour the surface and the rolling pin just very lightly.
- Bake a test donut to see if you need to adjust the baking time for your air fryer. Every model and brand is different, and baking times can vary. Bake one ring until lightly browned and break to see if it is baked through. If necessary, adjust the time to suit your needs.
- My top tip to recreate the amazing texture of fried doughnuts with soft and fluffy centers and a slightly crispy outside is to lightly spray the donuts with oil on both sides. This coating makes the outside of the donuts brown and slightly crispy, similar to deep-frying.
Same Day Preparation
Rising overnight adds a more complex flavor profile and texture, but the same-day preparation is perfectly fine and the results are great and delicious. After you've cut the rings and holes, let them rise covered at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size. Then bake as described in the recipe.
Freezing Instructions
- Raw dough: Prepare the dough, let it rise and cut. After cutting, place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Let rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before baking.
- Air fried donuts: Allow the air fried rings and holes to cool completely. Then freeze unglazed for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Then reheat for 1-2 minutes in the air fryer and glaze.
More Air Fryer Recipes
If you love air fryer baking as much as I do, you've come to the right place. Try some classics specially designed to bake in the fryer.
- French Toast
- Apple Pie
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Cookies
- Brownies
- Peach Cobbler
- Cheesecake
- Banana Bread
- Chocolate Cake
Recipe
Air Fryer Donuts From Scratch
Ingredients
- 1 cup bread flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- â…“ cup milk
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 1 ½ tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ tablespoon hot water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with a hook attachment, add the flour, sugar, salt, milk, egg yolk, and yeast and knead on low speed until it comes together about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Let rest for 20-30 minutes.
- Then knead on high speed for about 6-8 minutes until the dough releases from the sides of the bowl and passes the windowpane test.* Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the butter and knead until the butter is fully incorporated. Once all of the butter has been added, increase the speed to high and knead until the dough is smooth and releases from the sides of the bowl. It's a soft, smooth dough, that is slightly sticky.
- Lightly spray a medium-sized bowl with nonstick spray or oil and transfer the dough to the bowl; lightly oil the top of the dough as well. Cover and let rest in a warm spot (68-75°F / 20-24°C) for 1 hour. Then transfer the dough to the refrigerator and chill for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
- Lightly spray a 9x13-inch (23x33cm) sheet with nonstick spray or oil and set aside.
- On a very lightly floured surface (use as little flour as possible - just enough so that the dough doesn't stick to the rolling pin and surface), flatten and shape the dough into a square with your hands and roll it out until it is between ¼-1/2 inch (0.6-1.3 cm) thick. Using a very lightly floured donut cutter, cut out 3-inch (7.5-cm) donuts. Place the rings and holes about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared sheet. Reroll and cut until you run out of dough.
- Lightly spray a piece of plastic foil with nonstick spray and cover the donuts. The non-stick spray ensures that the dough does not stick to the plastic foil after it has risen. Let rise in the refrigerator overnight.
- Take the donuts out of the fridge and let sit on the kitchen counter for 10 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C) for 5-10 minutes.
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil or nonstick spray and place 3-4 donut rings (depending on the size of your air fryer basket) in the air fryer basket and bake for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Bake the holes for 1-2 minutes on each side. While the donuts are baking, prepare the glaze.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla until combined. Then add the hot water and whisk until smooth. Dip the warm rings on both sides in the glaze and allow to drip off. Then glaze the holes with the remaining glaze. Transfer to a wire rack, allow the glaze to set and harden for about 15-30 minutes and serve. They are best eaten fresh on the same day but you can store them in a container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
- If you don't have an air fryer, you can absolutely make this donut recipe in the oven by baking the rings at 400°F (204°C) for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Bake the holes on each side for about 2 minutes.
- It's also possible to deep-fry the rings at 360°F - 370°F (180°C -185°C) for 60-90 seconds on each side and the holes for about 30-60 seconds.
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