Air Fryer Donuts Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the milk, melted butter, yeast, 1 tsp of the sugar and the vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer. Leave for 8-10 mins for the yeast to activate.
• In a separate bowl, combine the remaining sugar, flour, ½ tsp salt and the cinnamon, if using. Mix the beaten egg into the milk mixture, then fold in the dry ingredients. Knead with a dough hook on a medium speed for 5-8 mins until the dough is smooth and elastic. You can also knead by hand for 10-12 mins, until smooth. It's a very sticky dough, so be patient with it.
• Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hr 30 mins until the dough has doubled in size. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to around 1.5cm thick. Cut out your doughnuts using a doughnut cutter or two cutters (1 x 7.5cm and 1 x 2.5cm for the middle). Put the doughnuts on a lined baking sheet, along with the doughnut centres, if you like, and cover with a clean tea towel. Leave to rise for 40 mins or overnight in the fridge (the doughnuts will hold their shape better if proved in the fridge).
• When ready to cook, place 2-3 doughnuts (and their centres, if keeping) in the air-fryer basket and cook at 180C for 5-6 mins, following manufacturer's instructions, until golden. (Bear in mind that some air fryers generate more intense heat, so keep checking to make sure the doughnuts don't burn.) Remove from the basket and leave to cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining doughnuts. You can place a sheet of baking parchment at the bottom of your basket if you're worried about the doughnuts sticking and to prevent indents from the basket forming on the doughnuts.
• While the final batch is cooking, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in the milk and vanilla extract. When the doughnuts have cooled, dip the top of each one in the glaze. Leave on the wire rack for the glaze to set. Best eaten on the day but will keep for up to 24 hours in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk in a liquid measuring cup. Let stand until foamy on top, about 10 minutes.
• Beat the egg and oil using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until combined. Add the vanilla, 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, and the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed until combined.
• Whisk the all-purpose flour, cake flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the salt in a medium bowl. Add to the stand mixer in two additions, mixing on low speed after each addition until combined. Continue beating on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the dough is no longer sticky to the touch, about 1 minute.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead into a smooth ball. Brush a large bowl with melted butter. Add the dough and cover with a clean kitchen cloth. Let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out 8 doughnuts with a doughnut cutter (or use a wide-mouth Mason jar to create the outer edge and the wide end of a metal pastry tip or a shot glass for the inner edge). Reserve the smaller rounds for making doughnut holes. Cover with the clean cloth and let rise for 30 minutes more.
• Place half of the doughnuts in a 6-quart air fryer and cook at 350 degrees F until golden brown all over, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining doughnuts and doughnut holes.
• Brush the doughnuts on all sides with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Place the doughnuts into the cinnamon sugar and sprinkle to coat on all sides. Serve warm or at room temperature.