These doughnuts are sooo easy to make and they taste delicious too! And you can mix and match with different toppings.

Step 1: Making the Doughnuts - Ingredients

1 and 1/8 cup whole milk

1/4 cup sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons (one package) Instant Or Active Dry Yeast

2 whole large eggs, lightly beaten

1 and 1/4 stick unsalted butter (10 tablespoons), melted

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Shortening/oil for frying

Step 2: Make the Dough

Warm the milk until its warm to the touch.

Put the milk into a mixing bowl or standing mixer and the sugar and mix till dissolved.

Add the yeast and stir to combine, let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the beaten eggs and melted butter mixing till combined.

Add the flour and salt mix until it comes together, mix the dough for 5 minutes to work it.

Let the dough sit for 10 minutes.

Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl over with plastic wrap and let rest in fridge for 8 hours or overnight.

Step 3: Creating Doughnut Shapes!

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface till its about 1/2-1/3 of an inch.

If dough gets to soft/sticky put it back in the fridge for a few minutes.

Use a doughnut cutter to cut out shapes.

(If you don't have one you can use a circle cookie cutter or thing edge glass for the outside and a straw or piping tip for the center.)

Place cut doughnuts onto a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with a towel.

Let them rise till puffy and airy around an hour.

Step 4: Frying the Doughnuts

Heat up oil or shortening in a medium sized pot, 350-375 degrees. (use a thermometer)

Carefully add a few doughnuts,

Fry until golden brown, time varies on size of doughnuts but usually around 1 minute for each side.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the doughnuts and place them onto a drying rack over a backing sheet to catch oil.

Step 5: Toppings!

all of the toppings should be ready/prepared before you fry the doughnuts.

some suggestions:

normal sugar: use as much as you think you'll need to cover as many doughnuts as you'd like, placing the sugar in a shallow bowl. after the doughnuts have cooled for a bit but are still warm place them into the bowl flipping on both sides to cover every inch.

cinnamon sugar: 1:2 ratio cinnamon : sugar. do same steps as above

powered sugar: put powered sugar into a plastic bag and put doughnuts in when warm, shaking around to cover the whole doughnut.

plain glaze: 1:5 ratio milk: powered sugar mix together sifting the powered sugar for a smoother glaze, add some vanilla for extra flavor. dip doughnuts or pour over. (the runny-ness of the glaze depends on the amount of powered sugar added.) let solidify on a drying rack so the glaze doesn't pool at the bottom.

chocolate ganache: in a microwave safe bowl add chocolate (the amount added usually determine the amount of ganache you end up with) add a little butter and a splash of milk. microwave for 30 seconds or melt over a double boiler mixing till smooth. then dip or drizzle onto doughnuts.