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These glazed twisted donuts with freshly milled flour are light, fluffy, and perfectly sweet! They taste just like a glazed fried donut, but are oven-baked for a lighter, easier-to-make treat.
Donuts are such a fun and tasty option when we need a special breakfast! Even as a treat, I prefer to stick with homemade, freshly milled donuts rather than stopping by the local donut shop.
We certainly aren’t missing out! Homemade donuts, like my fresh milled long john donuts and cinnamon sugar donuts, are fresher and more flavorful than anything I’ve bought at a store.
My kids go crazy for them, and I love that I get to choose every ingredient. Plus, making donuts is simply fun!
My daughter and I developed this recipe together when we were experimenting in the kitchen. I wanted to try a soft pastry with a long rise and soft white wheat flour.
We didn’t know we would accidentally make a delicious treat that tastes exactly like a classic glazed donut!
You can twist these or braid them — my daughter likes them braided, so that’s what we do. No matter how you shape them, you are going to love these donuts!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Baked donuts: I’m not opposed to frying my own donuts, but baking them is so much easier and a bit healthier. You won’t even know these aren’t fried! They have the exact same texture and flavor as a classic glazed donut.
- Fresh milled flour: With this recipe, you get all of the freshness and flavor of fresh milled flour, without any of the graininess or density you might expect.
- Worth the wait: There is a lot of rise time involved in this recipe, but let me tell you: it’s worth it! The long rise helps the gluten form and gives the donuts a delightful soft and airy texture.
Ingredients
- Soft white wheat flour: I typically don’t use soft white wheat flour for yeasted dough, but it really works in this recipe! The long rise time helps the gluten develop well, and it creates a pillowy-soft pastry.
- Heavy cream: Works as a natural dough conditioner by adding fat that improves the texture and flavor of the donuts.
- Glaze: Don’t skip the glaze! A mixture of milk and powdered sugar gives the donuts a sweet finish, softer texture, and makes them taste like a true glazed donut.
Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients with measurements.
How to Make Glazed Twisted Donuts
Step 1. To start, in a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup warm water and the yeast until foamy. Cover with a damp towel and let sit for 5 minutes.
Step 2. In a separate bowl, beat together the remaining 1/4 cup of water, heavy cream, and egg.
Step 3. In a blender, add the sugar, salt, butter, and flour and pulse until the butter pieces are about the size of peas. If they become smaller, the dough will start to resemble pie dough.
Step 4. Pour the yeast water into the bowl with the water, cream, and egg and stir. Then, add the ingredients from the blender and mix well. The dough will be very sticky; do not add more flour.
Step 5. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours. Then, transfer to the refrigerator and let it finish rising for 8 hours, or overnight.
Step 6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and transfer it to a well-floured surface. Knead, adding small amounts of flour until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.
Step 7. Cut the dough in half. Roll one half into a rectangle, as thin as possible. Fold the dough into thirds to form a packet. Roll it back out and repeat this process two more times (three folds total), but do not roll it out after the final fold.
Step 6. Cover with plastic wrap and return the dough to the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
Step 7. Remove the plastic from the dough and place it on a floured surface. Roll it into a long, thin rectangle and cut it lengthwise into 3 strips. Roll each strip into long ropes.
Step 8. Take the ends on one side of the strips and gently pinch them together (only at the ends). Twist the rolls together, or braid the dough like you would braid hair. When you reach the other end, pinch the ends together to secure. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Step 9. Place the braided dough on the baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.
Step 10. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet (preferably one with edges, as butter may drip while baking) with parchment paper.
Step 11. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Step 12. While the donuts cool, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over the donuts and serve.
Tips + Notes
- I recommend checking out the video in the recipe card below for step-by-step visuals!
- The glaze will melt if you pour it on the donuts while they are piping hot. You want to let the donuts cool a bit before glazing, so that it creates a nice layer on the surface of the bread.
- Be sure not to overbake these — you want to pull them out as soon as they are golden brown. That will keep them soft and chewy and prevent a hard crust from forming.
- We braided our donuts because my daughter preferred it, but you can twist them too.
- New to fresh milled flour? Check out my posts on how to mill your own flour and the basics of baking with whole grains before you get started!
- I strongly recommend measuring your flour by weight, not volume, for the most accurate measurement. Always be sure to weigh fresh milled flour after it’s been milled; don’t weigh the wheat berries.
Recipe FAQs
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They should last 3-5 days, but the fresher they are, the better they taste.
Yes, you can. I actually made this recipe with lemon glaze originally, but ultimately decided I prefer the classic glazed donut flavor. To make a flavored glaze, just use fruit juice (like lemon or orange) instead of milk.
Yep! You can definitely freeze these donuts to enjoy later. I do recommend freezing them unglazed, though, and adding the glaze once you thaw them. Simply put the donuts in a freezer-safe plastic bag, squeeze all of the air out, and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. You may need to cut them in half to fit them in the bag.
Related Recipes
- Fresh Milled Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Waffles with Freshly Milled Flour
- Fresh Milled Strawberry Sweet Rolls
- Freshly Milled Blueberry Bagels
- Cranberry Orange Scones With Fresh Milled Flour
If you tried these Glazed Twisted Donuts with Freshly Milled Flour or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Glazed Twisted Donuts with Freshly Milled Flour
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 1/2 cup warm water divided
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 14 tablespoons butter cubed
- 2 1/2 cups soft white flour (313g)*
For the egg wash
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon of water
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- To start, in a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup warm water and the yeast until foamy. Cover with a damp towel and let sit for 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the remaining 1/4 cup of water, heavy cream, and egg.
- In a blender, add the sugar, salt, butter, and flour and pulse until the butter pieces are about the size of peas. If they become smaller, the dough will start to resemble pie dough.
- Pour the yeast water into the bowl with the water, cream and egg and stir. Then, add the ingredients from the blender and mix well. The dough will be very sticky; do not add more flour.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours. Then, transfer to the refrigerator and let it finish rising for 8 hours, or overnight.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and transfer it to a well-floured surface. Knead, adding small amounts of flour until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.
- Cut the dough in half. Roll one half into a rectangle, as thin as possible. Fold the dough into thirds to form a packet. Roll it back out and repeat this process two more times (three folds total), but do not roll it out after the final fold.
- Cover with plastic wrap and return the dough to the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
- Remove the plastic from the dough and place it on a floured surface. Roll it into a long, thin rectangle and cut it lengthwise into 3 strips. Roll each strip into long ropes.
- Take the ends on one side of the strips and gently pinch them together (only at the ends). Twist the rolls together, or braid the dough like you would braid hair. When you reach the other end, pinch the ends together to secure. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet (preferably one with edges, as butter may drip while baking) with parchment paper.
- Place the braided dough on the baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.
- Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- While the donuts cool, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over the donuts and serve.
Video
Notes
- I recommend checking out the video here in the recipe card for step-by-step visuals!
- The glaze will melt if you pour it on the donuts while they are piping hot. You want to let the donuts cool a bit before glazing, so that it creates a nice layer on the surface of the bread.
- Be sure not to overbake these — you want to pull them out as soon as they are golden brown. That will keep them soft and chewy and prevent a hard crust from forming.
- We braided our donuts because my daughter preferred it, but you can twist them too.
- New to fresh milled flour? Check out my posts on how to mill your own flour and the basics of baking with whole grains before you get started!
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I may have done something wrong…but mine came out tasting like bread:( They didn’t really look like the pictures, more like pretzel braids when they were done baking. Could that have been from over baking? They actually weren’t even in for a full 18 min but our oven has been running hot!
Oh no! Were you able to use soft white wheat flour? If so, I would say they were likely overbaked!
Best donuts ever!
So happy to hear you loved them!