Glazed Lemon Doughnuts

angled shot of lemon doughnuts in antique cake pan with parchment paper. Cheesecloth, white flowers, and lemon halves around on marble surface.

These Glazed Lemon Doughnuts are the perfect way to start your day! Every bite is sweet without being TOO sweet, bright, lemon-y, and truly melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 15

Proofing Time: 1 15

Total Time: 1 55

Servings: doughnuts

Calories: 274kcal

Ingredients

Doughnuts

3½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1¾ teaspoons baking powder
5 teaspoons granulated sugar
1⅛ teaspoons kosher salt
1½ teaspoons lemon zest
1 cup whole milk room temperature
2 large eggs room temperature
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
7 Tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
vegetable oil for frying

Glaze

3 cups confectioners sugar sifted
½ cup lemon juice

Instructions

Doughnuts

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, yeast, baking powder, sugar, salt, and lemon zest.
Add milk, eggs, vanilla, and butter.
Knead on low speed until dough comes together, 2-3 minutes.
Increase speed to medium high.
Knead until dough is smooth and pulls away from the bowl, about 10 minutes.
Place in a covered container that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (Alternately, place uncovered in a proofing box with water tray set to 78℉/26℃.)
Allow to rise at warm room temperature for 1 hour.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface.
Roll to ½ inch thick.
Use a doughnut cutter to cut out doughnuts. (You can use a small cookie cutter to cut doughnut holes from the leftover dough.)
Cover.
Pour 2 inches of vegetable oil in bottom of dutch oven.
Heat over medium heat to 350℉/177℃.
Fry doughnuts 3-4 at a time, cooking 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown.
Drain on paper towels.

Glaze

In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice.
Beat with a whisk until smooth.
Dip doughnuts into glaze, flipping to coat.
Place on cooling rack placed over a sheet pan to dry.

Notes

Check your yeast and make sure it’s active. Instant yeast can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer, so the expiration date doesn't really matter. The date is meant for commercial bakeries who leave their yeast out.
Make sure the butter, milk, and eggs are all at room temperature before beginning this recipe.
Room temperature is about 70℉/21℃.
Don’t have a big enough lidded container to allow the dough to rise? You can put the dough in a glass bowl and cover it with plastic wrap!
You can actually re-roll the dough scraps. Just don’t add any extra flour! The doughnuts from the dough scraps won’t be quite as pretty and may be a little tougher.
If dough is difficult to work with when re-rolling, cover it, and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten.
Use a thermometer to keep oil at a steady temperature.
If there are a lot of bubbles in your glaze, the doughnuts will dry with bubbles!
To glaze the doughnuts, place the doughnut in the bowl of glaze and use a fork (or your fingers) to flip it over. Then, place glazed doughnuts on sheet pan with a cooling rack to dry.

Nutrition