Strawberry donuts
Serves 18
30 mins prep
15 mins cook
80 mins Rest Time
45 mins total
These no knead strawberry donuts are filled with an easy strawberry and custard filling, and are covered in a pink glaze. The dough is so easy to make and you literally just need 3 minutes to throw it together. The donuts turn out so soft and fluffy! They’re packed with a mixture of homemade strawberry sauce and homemade custard.
2 servings
Strawberry Filling
Custard
Donuts
Glaze
Strawberry Filling
Combine strawberries, sugar, salt, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Place on medium heat and stir until the strawberries release their juice. Keep stirring as it thickens. Add a tablespoon of water if it’s too thick.
⅕ 1 strawberries⅕ 3 granulated sugar⅕ ⅛ sea salt⅕ 1 lemon juice⅕ 1 cornstarchWhen strawberries are very soft, take off the heat and add butter. Stir until melted. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to mash the strawberry pieces so they don’t get stuck in the piping bag when filling the donuts. Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate until chilled.
⅕ 1 unsalted butter
Custard
Cut vanilla bean in half longwise. Use the blunt side of your knife to scrape out the seeds. Add seeds and vanilla pod to a medium saucepan. Add milk and bring to a simmer. Once simmering turn off and let steep for 5 minutes.
⅕ 1 whole vanilla bean⅕ 1 milkWhile the milk heats, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Add flour and whisk to remove any lumps.
⅕ 3 large egg yolks⅕ ¼ sugar⅕ ⅓ all purpose flourPour half of the milk into the egg mixture, whisking until smooth. This tempers the eggs so they don’t scramble. Pour the mixture back into the pot and heat on medium-low until thickens.
Strain the custard by pushing it through a mesh sieve and take out the vanilla bean pod. Cover the surface of the custard with cling wrap or parchment paper so that it doesn’t form a skin. Let cool completely before refrigerating until cold.
Before filling the donuts the day of serving, whisk cream to medium-stiff peaks. It should hold its peak well enough but not be stiff so that it doesn’t overwhip when mixing with the custard.
⅕ 1 heavy whipping creamGently fold the cream into the chilled custard in two additions. It’s easiest to gently fold with a wire whisk. The
Donuts
In a medium bowl combine yeast, warm water, and sugar. Mix together until yeast dissolves and let sit for 5-10 minutes until you start to see foam on top. If that doesn’t happen, try again with a different packet or container of yeast.
⅕ 1 packet activated dry yeast⅕ 1 sugar⅕ ½ waterIn a large bowl combine flour, salt, and sugar. Make a well in the flour and add yeast mixture, whisked eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla. Stir just until a very wet dough forms. Let rise in a warm place (see notes) until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.
⅕ 5 all purpose flour⅕ ⅛ sea salt⅕ ½ granulated sugar⅕ ¾ unsalted butter⅕ 2 large eggs⅕ ¾ milk⅕ ¾ sour cream⅕ 1 pure vanilla extractLine two baking sheets with parchment paper. Dump the dough out onto a generously floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour and roll out to ¾” thick. Cut out 3” hearts and/or circles with a cookie cutter or the bottom of a glass. Reroll and cut more shapes. Save a few scrap pieces for testing the oil.
Transfer the cut out dough onto the lined baking sheets, leaving 2” of space between each dough shape. Let rise in a warm place until puffed and doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Pour the oil into a large, wide, heavy bottomed pot. Make sure there is enough space between the oil and the top edge of the pot. I leave at least 3” of space from the top so that there’s enough space for the donuts and in case some oil splashes.
⅕ 100 vegetable oil I used canola 3 L or 0.8 gallonClip a thermometer to the side of the pot. Heat the oil until it reaches 370°F (190°C). While the oil is heating, prepare a tray lined with 4 layers of paper towel and a seperate cooling rack beside.
Once the oil is hot, drop the pieces of scrap dough into the hot oil. Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil with tongs or a spider, gently shake for a few seconds to remove excess oil and place onto the paper towel lined sheet. Once cooled enough, check the inside to make sure it’s cooked through.
Drop the first few donuts into the oil gently, being careful not to touch the oil. Use a metal spatula or tongs to help. Continue frying them as before. Once the paper towel lined tray fills up, transfer the cooled donuts to the cooling rack. Let all of the donuts cool completely before filling.
Assembly
In a clean medium bowl, stir together powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream. Add water until you get a thick, dippable consistency. Add food colouring to get a pastel pink shade.
⅕ 1 powdered sugar⅕ 2 heavy whipping cream⅕ ½ pure vanilla extract⅕- ⅕ 1-4 milkPink food colouringFill a piping bag with custard and another piping bag with the strawberry sauce. Cut the tops off both the bags and place them into a larger piping bag or large zippered bag. Cut the end off.
Poke a chopstick through the tops of all the donuts and move it around inside so that it makes a pocket. Insert the piping bag as far into the donut as you can and fill the donut, moving the piping bag up and out as it fills. Fill all of the donuts.
Dip each of the donuts into the glaze, wiggle it around and shake off any excess glaze. Transfer to a cooling rack and let any excess glaze drip off. Enjoy!
