I have made these yogurt donuts dozens of times, especially when I have a busy day and need something quick for guests or family. The recipe is simple, but it yields many small donuts, which are good both warm and after cooling down. I usually roll them in vanilla powdered sugar right after taking them out of the pan.
Quick Info
Total time: about 2 hours
Effective preparation time: about 25-30 minutes (excluding rising time)
Rising time: 1 hour
Frying time: depending on the size of the pan and the number of donuts, about 30-40 minutes
Number of servings: about 70 small donuts (depends on the diameter of the glass)
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: quick family dessert
Ingredients
approx. 1 kg flour (I use type 550, it works well with all-purpose flour)
50 g fresh yeast
100 ml lukewarm mineral water
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 packets vanilla sugar
zest of one orange (washed)
zest of one lemon (washed)
300 g full-fat yogurt (10% or 3.5% fat versions also work)
3 eggs
100 ml lukewarm milk
60 g melted butter
60 ml oil (for the dough)
1/2 teaspoon salt
oil for frying
vanilla powdered sugar for decoration
Preparation method
1. In a large bowl, I put the flour and mix the salt with it. I make a well in the middle.
2. Separately, I mix the fresh yeast with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 100 ml of lukewarm mineral water. I mix until the yeast completely liquefies.
3. I pour the yeast mixture into the well in the flour and let the bowl covered in a warm place for 10-15 minutes to rise a little.
4. I add the remaining sugar, vanilla sugar, grated orange and lemon zest, yogurt, beaten eggs with a pinch of salt, lukewarm milk, and melted butter. I mix slowly until everything is incorporated into a sticky dough.
5. I take the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. I start kneading and gradually add the 60 ml of oil (for the dough) until absorbed. If it's too sticky, I add flour, but just enough so it doesn't stick too badly – the dough should remain soft and elastic, not tough.
6. I grease with a little oil and let it rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place (without drafts) for about 1 hour. The dough will double in volume.
7. After rising, I knead it briefly, just enough to release the air. I divide the dough into two pieces.
8. I roll each piece on a floured surface to a thickness of 1-1.5 cm. I use a small glass to cut out circles. With my small glass, I got about 70 donuts.
9. I heat a deep pan with oil. I fry the donuts on low to medium heat, so they cook evenly. I turn them on both sides until they get a golden color.
10. I take them out onto paper towels to get rid of the excess oil.
11. While they are still warm, I generously dust them with vanilla sugar.
Why I make this recipe often
Many small donuts come from one dough, and I don’t need expensive ingredients. They stay soft even after cooling, and the citrus zest flavors stand out nicely. It’s a quick dessert, especially when I have leftover yogurt in the fridge.
Tips and variations
Tips
Knead the dough only until it is smooth and elastic. Don’t overload with extra flour, or they will turn out dense.
When frying, don’t put too many donuts at once, or the oil temperature will drop, and they will absorb too much.
If the dough seems too soft and sticks a lot, sprinkle flour on the work surface, not in the dough.
Use enough oil for frying so they can float easily – don’t fry them in a pan with little oil; they won’t rise nicely.
Substitutions
If you don’t have full-fat yogurt, thin sour cream can be used, but the texture will be slightly different.
I don’t recommend plant milk in this recipe – the dough won’t turn out as fluffy.
Brown sugar can be used for a slightly caramelized flavor, but the color will be different.
Variations
A little vanilla or rum essence can be added if you don’t have citrus on hand.
If you don’t want so many donuts, you can make half the recipe while keeping the proportions.
When I want a different look, I cut the dough into rectangles or irregular shapes, not just circles.
Serving ideas
The simplest – dusted with vanilla sugar while warm.
For kids, they can be rolled in cinnamon sugar.
They can be served with jam or sour cream.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can I use dry yeast?
Yes, but use the equivalent (about 15-17 g of dry yeast). Add it directly to the flour without hydrating it separately.
2. How long should it rise?
At least one hour or until the dough doubles in volume. In cooler rooms, it may take longer.
3. Why are they raw inside?
Probably the heat is too high, and they brown only on the outside. Fry on low to medium heat and don’t make the donuts too thick.
4. Can I freeze the dough or the fried donuts?
The risen dough doesn’t freeze well. Fried donuts can be frozen, but they won’t have the same texture after thawing.
5. Can I bake the donuts in the oven?
The texture won’t be the same; they will turn out more like rolls. The recipe is designed for frying.
Nutritional values
Estimate per serving (1 donut from 70): approximately 70 kcal, 2 g fat, 12 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g protein. It depends a lot on how much oil they absorb while frying and how large they are cut. The powdered sugar adds a few extra calories.
Storage and reheating
The donuts can be stored covered at room temperature for up to two days. If you want them warm, they can be reheated for a few seconds in the microwave or 2-3 minutes in the oven, but they will be slightly drier than freshly fried. I do not recommend storing them in the fridge – they lose their texture.
Quick Info
Total time: about 2 hours
Effective preparation time: about 25-30 minutes (excluding rising time)
Rising time: 1 hour
Frying time: depending on the size of the pan and the number of donuts, about 30-40 minutes
Number of servings: about 70 small donuts (depends on the diameter of the glass)
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: quick family dessert
Ingredients
approx. 1 kg flour (I use type 550, it works well with all-purpose flour)
50 g fresh yeast
100 ml lukewarm mineral water
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 packets vanilla sugar
zest of one orange (washed)
zest of one lemon (washed)
300 g full-fat yogurt (10% or 3.5% fat versions also work)
3 eggs
100 ml lukewarm milk
60 g melted butter
60 ml oil (for the dough)
1/2 teaspoon salt
oil for frying
vanilla powdered sugar for decoration
Preparation method
1. In a large bowl, I put the flour and mix the salt with it. I make a well in the middle.
2. Separately, I mix the fresh yeast with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 100 ml of lukewarm mineral water. I mix until the yeast completely liquefies.
3. I pour the yeast mixture into the well in the flour and let the bowl covered in a warm place for 10-15 minutes to rise a little.
4. I add the remaining sugar, vanilla sugar, grated orange and lemon zest, yogurt, beaten eggs with a pinch of salt, lukewarm milk, and melted butter. I mix slowly until everything is incorporated into a sticky dough.
5. I take the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. I start kneading and gradually add the 60 ml of oil (for the dough) until absorbed. If it's too sticky, I add flour, but just enough so it doesn't stick too badly – the dough should remain soft and elastic, not tough.
6. I grease with a little oil and let it rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place (without drafts) for about 1 hour. The dough will double in volume.
7. After rising, I knead it briefly, just enough to release the air. I divide the dough into two pieces.
8. I roll each piece on a floured surface to a thickness of 1-1.5 cm. I use a small glass to cut out circles. With my small glass, I got about 70 donuts.
9. I heat a deep pan with oil. I fry the donuts on low to medium heat, so they cook evenly. I turn them on both sides until they get a golden color.
10. I take them out onto paper towels to get rid of the excess oil.
11. While they are still warm, I generously dust them with vanilla sugar.
Why I make this recipe often
Many small donuts come from one dough, and I don’t need expensive ingredients. They stay soft even after cooling, and the citrus zest flavors stand out nicely. It’s a quick dessert, especially when I have leftover yogurt in the fridge.
Tips and variations
Tips
Knead the dough only until it is smooth and elastic. Don’t overload with extra flour, or they will turn out dense.
When frying, don’t put too many donuts at once, or the oil temperature will drop, and they will absorb too much.
If the dough seems too soft and sticks a lot, sprinkle flour on the work surface, not in the dough.
Use enough oil for frying so they can float easily – don’t fry them in a pan with little oil; they won’t rise nicely.
Substitutions
If you don’t have full-fat yogurt, thin sour cream can be used, but the texture will be slightly different.
I don’t recommend plant milk in this recipe – the dough won’t turn out as fluffy.
Brown sugar can be used for a slightly caramelized flavor, but the color will be different.
Variations
A little vanilla or rum essence can be added if you don’t have citrus on hand.
If you don’t want so many donuts, you can make half the recipe while keeping the proportions.
When I want a different look, I cut the dough into rectangles or irregular shapes, not just circles.
Serving ideas
The simplest – dusted with vanilla sugar while warm.
For kids, they can be rolled in cinnamon sugar.
They can be served with jam or sour cream.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can I use dry yeast?
Yes, but use the equivalent (about 15-17 g of dry yeast). Add it directly to the flour without hydrating it separately.
2. How long should it rise?
At least one hour or until the dough doubles in volume. In cooler rooms, it may take longer.
3. Why are they raw inside?
Probably the heat is too high, and they brown only on the outside. Fry on low to medium heat and don’t make the donuts too thick.
4. Can I freeze the dough or the fried donuts?
The risen dough doesn’t freeze well. Fried donuts can be frozen, but they won’t have the same texture after thawing.
5. Can I bake the donuts in the oven?
The texture won’t be the same; they will turn out more like rolls. The recipe is designed for frying.
Nutritional values
Estimate per serving (1 donut from 70): approximately 70 kcal, 2 g fat, 12 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g protein. It depends a lot on how much oil they absorb while frying and how large they are cut. The powdered sugar adds a few extra calories.
Storage and reheating
The donuts can be stored covered at room temperature for up to two days. If you want them warm, they can be reheated for a few seconds in the microwave or 2-3 minutes in the oven, but they will be slightly drier than freshly fried. I do not recommend storing them in the fridge – they lose their texture.