Easy Bread Machine Donuts
This Easy Bread Machine Donuts recipe is a simple method for making fresh homemade donuts using your bread machine! A tasty combination of flour, yeast, and sugar and you will have homemade donuts in no time.
What are Bread Machine Donuts?
Using a bread machine is such an easy way to make donuts and saves a ton of time. This great recipe lets you skip the step of kneading the dough, and lets the machine do the work for you! It really is the easiest bread machine donut dough recipe and results in fluffy, sweet homemade goodness.
How to Make Bread Machine Donuts
The butter, water and egg should be at room temperature and the milk slightly warm.
To begin place all ingredients into bread machine pan in the following order (dry ingredients last!). Milk, water, butter, egg, sugar, salt, flour and yeast. Do not stir! Set the bread machine to “Dough Cycle” and push start.
When the cycle is complete you will have soft risen dough, perfect for making donuts!
Remove dough from bread machine and place on lightly floured surface.
Sprinkle the rolling pin with flour and roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness.
Dust donut cutter or circle cookie cutter with flour and cut into perfect donut circles.
Transfer to a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Place another layer of wax paper on top and cover with a tea towel. Let the dough rise for 30-40 minutes until slightly raised.
While the donuts are rising, heat vegetable oil to 375º. Fahrenheit, (190ºC) in a deep fryer or large heavy pot. Fry 2-3 donuts at a time until golden brown on both sides.
Drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle with granulated or confectioners sugar.
A tasty homemade treat that will fly off the plate!
More bread machine recipes
A bread machine is a great kitchen appliance that makes it easy to create tasty recipes.
Bread Machine Donuts
Ingredients
- 2/3 cups milk slightly warmed
- 1/4 cup water room temperature
- 1/4 cup butter soft (room temperature)
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups bread machine flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoon bread machine yeast
- 1 quart oil for deep frying
- 1/4 cup confectioners sugar optional
Instructions
- Place milk, water, butter, egg, sugar, salt, flour and yeast into bread machine pan in exact order listed. Do not stir!
- Insert baking pan securely into baking unit, close lid, select dough setting and push start.
- When cycle is complete, remove dough from pan and transfer to lightly floured surface.
- Using rolling pin lightly dusted with flour, roll dough to ½ inch thickness.
- Cut with floured dusted donut cutter or circle cookie cutter.
- Transfer donuts to baking sheet that has been covered with wax paper. Place another layer of wax paper on top, then cover with clean tea towel. Let rise 30-40 minutes until slightly raised.
- While donuts are rising heat vegetable oil to 375º (190ºCº) in deep fryer or large heavy pot.
- Fry donuts 2-3 at a time until golden brown on both sides. About 3 minutes.
- Drain on paper towel.
- Sprinkle with granulated or confectioners sugar
Nutrition
Bread machines make our lives so much easier! Especially since there are so many recipes to make with it, looking forward to try this one too!
I love using my bread machine to make all kinds of things, pretzels, bagels, pizza dough, and of course bread!
Is bread machine flour the same as bread flour? Can you use either?
Elizabeth, I have found both kinds of flour work. Bread machine flour may result in a bit fluffier donuts.
Yes you can use either. I did start buying some bread flour to use with white bread recipes. I use regular many times. Bread flour is said to have more volume.
Is it possible to use olive oil instead of vegetable oil? Might be a silly question but I’m learning! I try to stay away from any oils except olive oil. (:
Yes you can use olive oil Sarah
I have had several bread machines and always made bread rolls etc, I found that I couldn’t get a good prove hopefully my new one will take care of that
Question….Can I make this dough and then bake the donuts as opposed to deep frying. I have been looking all over for a recipe for bread machine dough for jelly filled baked donuts…..am at a loss in finding one. Can you help.
Hi Charlotte, this recipe is for donuts that need to be deep fried, I don’t have a recipe for baked donuts. I’ll let you know if I find one.
Thank you….hubby can’t have deep fried, but loves jelly filled donuts….thought I could make some, The only ones I can find are made with canned biscuits….not really what I want. I wanted to use the bread machine because kneading is almost impossible for me. Arthritis and really crooked fingers….
Air fryers are great if you can’t have deep fried
Do this same recipe in an air fryer should yeild the same result just no oil 😁
Hi, Charlotte and Laureen.
You may havr found a baked doughnut recipe by now, but if not, Cookbooks 101 website has an excellent doughnut yeast dough for baking.
However, I have both baked and fried same doughnut dough with no issues.
Light, soft, and fluffy and stayed fresh and tender up to four days. I do tend to chill all dough ovetnight for ease of rolling and enhanced flavor next fay. I also tend to work with hydration up to 70%, but 65% is pretty standard for this type of dough.
Hope this helps!
Try a air fryer
Thank you! My batch turned out great. Better than what the doughnut shops nearby make. I used an Oster bread machine.
Better than donut shops, now thats a compliment, thanks!
can the dough be frozen if I don’t want to use it all at once?
Hi Richard, I have never froze the dough so unsure, but my guess is that bread machine dough doesn’t freeze well.
Hi Laureen! this recipe looks so gret , my friend tried it with great success! Now only small thing we don’t consume eggs – is there any way to make this without the egg? Will any egg substitue work?
Hi Sivakami, I think you may just have to experiment to see if an egg substitute would work. I, myself have not tried it. Let me know if you try and the outcome.
Can you make the dough the night before then cut and fry then the next morning?
Hi Bethany, I don’t think the donuts would turn out well overnighting the dough. But I have never tried.
Hello 👋 from South America I tried this recipe today in my bread maker and it was a hit….my kids loved them…I’m now this moment also trying the bread machine bagels recipe I’m hoping those came out as great as my doughnuts thank you!!!!!
I know this is an old post but to anyone else wondering, Bob’s Red Mail egg replacer works great in this recipe!
Hi Karah and Lauren! Delicious recipe. I used Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer too as well as my homemade Vegan butter, unsweerened Almond Milk and organic cane sugar and they turned out great. I also added 1Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract and 1 Tsp Cinnamon to the dough mixture in bread machine pan (per Sally’s comment) and Baked them at 375 degrees for about 13 minutes (per Danielle’s comment.) I made a slightly thick glaze of organic powdered sugar and water in which I rolled the donuts and donut holes in and sprinkled some with colored sprinkles and rolled other glazed ones in a cinnamon- sugar mixture. I freeze some on small plates and then place the frozen donuts and plate in a vacuum sealer bag and do a manual seal using machine, label and freeze for 3 months. Hope this info helps others. Thanks Lauren!
This was a super easy recipe. I would probably use only egg white next time I feel like it was still too doughy when I was done frying them. Also I used peanut oil and it was good.
Can you use AP flour and regular yeast for this recipe? It’s all I have and really want to try making these.
Yes regular flour and yeast will work.
First time trying…..was delcious and super soft……..added cinnamon a vanilla to my mixture though…..was a big hit and will definitely make again
Hi can I use bread flourm I cant find bread machine flour. And really would like to try this.
Yes bread flour will work. I have even made them with regular all purpose flour, which are a bit denser.
I made these with regular yeast and all purpose flour. They were very light and fluffy. I had a hard time frying the holes. They were difficult to roll over and got a bit over cooked. I will definitely make these again. Thanks Laureen!
Thank you Karen, you could try carefully laddling the oil over the donuts holes.
This is an excellent recipe. Thank you.
Thank you Linda for taking the time to comment and rate my recipe. Glad you enjoyed it!
How long will these keep? Thanks
They should keep for a couple of days, although I find they taste the best the day they are made.
Absolutely phenomenal!! I’ve tried many times thru the years and these are the absolute BEST! Delish donuts have been on my baking bucket list for many years (like 30!!) I can now check it off. Thank you thank you!! Donuts for dinner!!
Made these doughnuts yesterday and they turned out fantastic! I baked them in my oven instead of frying them (375° for around 13 minutes) and instead of using the confectioners sugar (since mine didn’t have the oil on them due to baking method) followed a different recipe for vanilla frosting and added rainbow sprinkles for my kids. I think next time I may try adding a little vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste and maybe a touch of nutmeg or something to the dough for just a little more flavor, but the texture on the inside of these doughnuts was so soft and squishy and delightful! Warm them up for 8-10 seconds in the microwave for a nice warm second-day doughnut… if you even have any left the next day!
Could I use self rising flour? Want to try this recipe but I want them to be on the fluffy side! I have bread flour and all purpose too.
I have and didn’t find much difference.
Hello, I made your recipe today and dressed the donuts (and holes!) using glaze, icing with sprinkles, chocolate icing with sprinkles, cinnamon/sugar, and powdered sugar. I re-rolled the dough after cutting donuts and made cinnamon rolls, as well. They all turned out brilliant. Thank you.
Turned out great! I baked them in air fryer for 7mins at 360 on parchment. Dipped them while hot into vanilla glaze and sprinkled tops. Yum! 😋
Tara, what a great idea using an air fryer.
These made the ugliest doughnuts I have ever seen. I really am awful at making things neat. I made them in the air fryer (thanks Tara for the directions) and dipped them in chocolate glaze. Ugly but delicious. I am planning on making them with my granddaughter and adding sprinkles. What fun!!!! Thanks for the recipe
I air-fried them without parchment. I can’t believe how great they turned out. Thanks for the recipe and the courage to try this.
Absolutely THE best donut recipe I have ever tried & I’ve tried countless over my 55 years of baking. Not only delicious but easy. Thank you for sharing!!
I have been making this recipe for a few years now! At first it started out in my bread machine(I had no idea about donuts), until it stopped working and I wanted to double the batch anyways- so I started making it in my stand mixer! For anyone wondering this recipe worked perfectly in a stand mixer too! I let my bowl with my dough rise near my oven and they work out perfectly every time. I have gotten a million compliments on these, I fill them with custards and jams and they work wonderfully! Thank you so much for such a great recipe that really boosted me forward in my baking journey!
Could I use my air fryer to cook these donuts? I’m not a fan of cooking in oil ?
Hi Meghan, I have never tried to make these donuts in an air fryer, so I am not much help, sorry.
i made them and they were terrific
How do I store leftovers?
Liz, in an airtight container room temperature for 1-2 days. I have always found just like a bakery donut they always taste best the day they are cooked.
Can’t wait. To try these.
What bread maker do you use?
I’m currently in the market for a new one!
Hi Kate, my bread maker is Cuisinart. I bought it about 6 years ago.
My family loved these donuts! Easy and will definitely be making more!
Awesome Shelby, thank you, so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Can you use an air fryer to finish the donuts instead of oil?
Hi Kate, I’m not sure as I have never tested this out with an air fryer.
Wonderful recipe!
Can these be made the night before? I want to make them Christmas morning!
Hi Kylene, homemade donuts always taste better fresh, but I’m sure they would still be good made the day before. Just do not refrigerate them.
I meant whether the dough can be made the night before. How would I go about doing that?
Hi Kylene, I honestly can’t tell you, as I have never made the dough ahead of time.