One Basic Donut Recipe - Endless Possibilities

A basic donut recipe unlocks a world of possibilities, glazed, powdered, filled, bright and frivolous or sophisticated and indulgent. What's your favourite?

The Ultimate Childhood Favourite

Whilst I don't really have a sweet tooth, I find it impossible to turn down a good old-fashioned doughnut!

It would be very easy to take this recipe and spin it out into dozens of recipes, but that would be cheating you guys and a case of writing for writing's sake.

By the way, I don't care if you spell it doughnuts or donuts, I use both interchangeably.

Whether you like them stuffed or glazed or even both, this recipe just works!

It is a proper old-fashioned leavened recipe that you drop into a fryer, and they come out just the way you remember them as a child.

If you want a ring doughnut, just stick your finger in the middle and start to spin the donut.

Just watch it form the perfect ring!

The Best Way to Fill a Donut

I find the best way to stuff donuts is using a piping bag.

Even a baking numpty who "never" uses a piping bag can do it, so you will be fine!

Fit a long and fairly broad nozzle and just squeeze until there ain't no more room. 

You should do it whilst they are still warm because when they are warm, they firm up.

This means that they do not give way, and you get less filling.

You should also warm the stuffing a little, particularly if it is a stuffing of jam or compote.

Fillings and Glazes

As a Brit, the classic doughnut is coated in sugar, and if filled, it is stuffed with strawberry jam.

But you can go in any direction you want, stuff with chocolate, custard or jam.

You can glaze with your favourite topping and add sprinkles if you want. As you may be able to tell, I am not a "sprinkles" type of guy.

A couple of ideas out of left field that feature in my pictures are an "apple pie donut".

I cook down diced sharp apples with brown sugar and nutmeg until they are soft but still have a bit of texture.

Dice them pretty small so that they still fit through a nozzle. Then drop them into some cinnamon sugar!

The other is a really simple lemon glaze using powdered sugar and lemon juice. I always zest the lemons and sprinkle some zest in the glaze before it sets.