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Air Fryer Donuts
Here is a recipe for homemade donuts using an air fryer. These heavenly mini donuts are glazed with aromatic saffron with a hint of lemon
Servings: 12 Donuts
Calories: 209kcal
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ cup warm milk
- 3 tablespoons sugar plus ½ teaspoon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 to 2 tablespoons for kneading
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom use more if its store-bought
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 egg
Glaze
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup sifted powdered sugar confectioners icing sugar
- 1 pinch saffron + 1 tablespoon warm water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Optional garnish
- 2 tablespoons pistachios thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon dried rose petals optional
Instructions
Activate Yeast
- Warm the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds. Give a quick stir and check the temperature with a digital thermometer. The milk should be lukewarm, around 100 F.
- Stir in yeast and ½ teaspoon sugar, and mix well. Allow the yeast to activate for 10 minutes, which will make the milk foamy. If that does not happen, your yeast may be too old or the milk was too hot. You may have to start over.
Make the dough
- In a medium bowl, add all the dry ingredients - flour, salt, cardamom, and sugar and mix well.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yeast and milk mixture, melted butter, and egg. Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix with a silicone spatula or by hand to mix everything well.
- Knead by hand until a smooth dough is formed. If the dough is too sticky to form a ball, add up to 1 tablespoon of dry flour. Do not add too much flour, the dough will be soft but you should be able to make a ball.
Proof the dough
- Spray the bottom of the Instant Pot insert with oil spray or place parchment paper inside. Place the dough ball in the Instant Pot insert. Place a non-locking lid on top and press yogurt(low).
- Allow the dough to proof for 30 minutes which will double in size. If the dough has not doubled, allow extra 10 minutes.
- Note: If you do not have an Instant pot, cover the dough with a kitchen towel and keep in a warm place for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
Roll the dough and shape the donuts and holes
- Once the dough has doubled, take out the dough and knead again. Sprinkle a little bit of dry flour, up to 1 tablespoon if needed. Roll into a 9 x 9 inch round and ½ inch thick circle. Using a 2.5 inch round circle biscuit or cookie cutter cut round disks. Make a hole in each circle with a small 1-inch biscuit cutter or use a plastic bottle cap.
- Pick up the cut donut circles and the round holes and line them on parchment paper-lined baking trays. Knead the leftover dough and repeat rolling and cutting out the donuts.
Proof the donuts and holes
- Cover the baking trays with saran wrap and keep the trays in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes or until the donuts have doubled in size. I usually keep my trays inside a warm oven. Remember not to overheat the oven, we just want warm temperature not hot. After the second proofing, the donuts and holes will look airy from the sides and double in volume.
Air fry the Donuts and holes
- Preheat the Air Fryer at 350°F. Spray the Air Fryer basket with cooking spray and place 4 donuts and 4 donut holes inside. Lightly spray oil over. Cook at 330°F for 4 minutes.
- While the donuts are cooking, make the glaze. In a medium saucepan melt butter. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Turn the heat off. Add bloomed saffron and lemon juice. Add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time to thin out the glaze but don't make it too watery.
Glaze the donuts
- Using a fork, dip the top of the donut into the glaze and then place the glazed side up on a baking rack. Sprinkle with pistachios and rose petals. Allow glaze to harden, about 10 minutes.
- You can also dip the whole donut in the glaze and coat all over. This will keep the inside donut soft for a longer time. Just make sure to double up the glaze.
Video
Notes
Take the exact flour amount - Weigh the flour using a weighing scale. It should be 240 grams or 8 ½ ounces
Glaze
Sift the powdered sugar for a smooth glaze
You may skip the butter in the glaze and make a simple glaze with the remaining ingredients. Add an extra 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to get a flowy consistency
If you enjoy fully glazed donuts, double the ingredients for the glaze and dip the donuts on both sides so they are fully coated with glaze
For nut-free donuts, skip the pistachios
Don't have an Air Fryer?
Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 10 to 15 mins turning the tray halfway through.
Nutrition
Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 109mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 247IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
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