But how soft are these sweet milk donuts!
Yes they are sweet, but mildly sweet because they belong to that category I call “not-too-sweet desserts” which I absolutely adore. They are delicious as they are, plain, or cut in half and spread with hazelnut cream or jam. Perfect for breakfast, they are also ideal for a simple and wholesome snack. Save the recipe, try it yourself and let me know how you filled them: team jam or team hazelnut?
Other similar ideas you might like:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 16Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for 16 sweet milk donuts
If you can’t find vanilla powder you can substitute it with a packet of vanillin or one teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- 3 5/8 cups type 1 flour (+ plus extra for the work surface)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup milk (+ plus extra for brushing)
- 1 egg (medium)
- 3 tbsp butter
- vanilla powder (the tip of a teaspoon)
- 1 tsp fresh baker's yeast (about 10 g (or about 1 tsp active dry yeast))
- 1 pinch salt
- brown sugar
- powdered sugar (for dusting)
Tools
I kneaded these donuts with a Bimby (Thermomix), but you can use any other kitchen mixer or proceed by hand. I’ll explain how to do it in the recipe.
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Mixer (I used a Bimby)
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Cookie cutter with a diameter of 3 1/2 in
- 1 Cookie cutter with a diameter of 1 3/16 in
- 2 Baking sheet
- 1 Pastry brush
Preparation of the sweet milk donuts
Dissolve the fresh yeast in about 3.4 fl oz (100 ml) of warm milk taken from the total.
Place the flour and sugar in the bowl and mix for 10 seconds at speed 3.
Then add the milk-and-yeast mixture and knead for 1 minute on the knead setting, adding the remaining milk in a thin stream (always warm, be careful).
Finally add the softened butter, the egg, the vanilla (or vanillin) and the pinch of salt.
Knead for 3 minutes on the knead setting: if the dough is sticky, add a little more flour. If, instead, it is too firm, add a few tablespoons of milk.
Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface, work it briefly with your hands, shape it into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in a warm place away from drafts. The time can vary from 2 to 3 hours depending on the room temperature.
WITHOUT A BIMBY: sift the flour into a bowl, add the sugar and mix. Add the milk-and-yeast mixture and begin to knead, adding the rest of the milk a little at a time. Add the remaining ingredients and knead well until the dough is smooth and uniform.
After the first rise, transfer the dough to a floured work surface and roll it out with the rolling pin. Then use the large cutter to cut out circles and punch the centers with the smaller cutter (you can also use a thin-rimmed glass and a bottle cap).
Transfer the donuts, as you form them, to two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between them (I also placed the small dough pieces trimmed from the donuts) and let them rise again until doubled.
Before baking, brush the surface with a little warm milk and sprinkle with brown sugar.
Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 356°F for 12–15 minutes (they should be golden).
Remove the sweet milk donuts from the oven and let them cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar. If you have leftovers, the next day just warm them in the oven for a few minutes. Enjoy! PaolaI take the opportunity to remind you that you can follow me on various social platforms to stay updated on the new recipes I publish. You can find me on Facebook (HERE), on Twitter (HERE), on Pinterest (HERE), on Instagram (HERE) and also on TikTok (@zenzero_limone). Thank you ♥!
