Raspberry Jelly Donuts
Bloom yeast in warm milk with a little sugar until foamy, then build a soft, sticky dough with flour, eggs whisked with sugar, vanilla and salt, and melted butter. Let it double in a warm place, roll it ½-inch thick, cut 3-inch rounds, and let them rise again. Fry 2 to 3 at a time in 350° oil until golden on both sides, drain, pipe raspberry preserves into the center of each, and dust with confectioners' sugar.
A homemade jelly donut is a revelation — pillowy, tender, and warm, filled with bright raspberry jelly and dusted with sugar, a world away from anything a shop can offer. These take the patience of a proper yeasted dough and the small adventure of frying, but the reward is a donut so good it justifies every minute. This is heritage baking, the kind that carries the warmth of old kitchens and turns a morning into an occasion.
The Yeasted Dough
Build an enriched, yeasted dough with eggs and butter, and give it a full, patient rise until it is soft and puffed. This dough is the foundation of a great jelly donut — a proper proof is what makes them pillowy and light, so give it the time and warmth it needs to double.
Frying and Filling
Fry the risen donuts until golden and puffed, then fill them with bright raspberry jelly and dust them with confectioners’ sugar. Frying at a steady temperature gives them their tender, even crumb, and filling them generously with jelly makes each bite the classic it should be — sweet, warm, and irresistible.
Raspberry Jelly Donuts
Ingredients
Method
- Pour the warm milk into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle.
- Add the yeast and about 1 teaspoon of the sugar and stir once or twice.
- Wait until the liquid is foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in 2 cups of flour on low speed.
- Whisk together the eggs and egg yolk in a separate bowl until they are pale and frothy.
- Whisk in the remaining sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Add the egg mixture to the mixing bowl.
- Stir in the melted butter.
- Switch the paddle to a dough hook and stir in the remaining 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time. The dough will come together around the hook. You can add up to a cup more of flour until the dough comes together. This dough is sticky, so it will be rather loose.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl that has been sprayed with vegetable oil spray. Roll the dough around in the bowl to coat all sides.
- Spray one side of a piece of plastic wrap and lay it, sprayed side down, onto the bowl.
- Place the bowl with the dough into a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Sprinkle your work surface and rolling pin with flour.
- Roll out the dough to about ½-inch thick.
- Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out the donuts.
- Gather up the scraps and re-roll to use up the remaining dough.
- Place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Cover the donuts with sprayed plastic wrap and place into a warm spot until the donuts roughly double in size, about 30 minutes more.
- Heat the oil to 350° in an electric fryer, deep pot, or Dutch oven about one-third up the sides. The oil will expand as it heats and fries, so you don’t want too much oil in the pot.
- Put 2 to 3 donuts into the oil, depending on the size of your pot. You want them to swim freely.
- Once they are golden, use a slotted spoon to flip them and brown them on the other side. This only takes a few minutes.
- Transfer the donuts to a baking sheet or cooling rack lined with paper towels.
- Once they are cool enough to handle, use a squeeze bottle or a piping bag fitted with a long filling tip to gently squeeze a burst of jelly filling into the center of each donut.
- Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.
The Heart of the Table
A batch of fresh jelly donuts is pure, warm generosity — the kind of from-scratch treat that makes people feel truly cared for. There is a nostalgic, heartfelt warmth in taking the time to fry donuts by hand, a labor of love that turns an ordinary morning into something people remember.
The Art of the Host
Give the dough a full rise and keep the frying oil at a steady temperature for tender, evenly cooked donuts. Fill and sugar them while they are still warm so the sugar clings and the jelly is soft, and serve them soon after for the best experience.
Neighborly Grace
- The Preparation: The dough can be made and given a slow, overnight rise in the refrigerator so you can fry fresh donuts in the morning. They are truly best eaten the day they are fried, so save the frying and filling for close to serving.
- The Pour: A cup of strong coffee is the timeless partner to a jelly donut; for a non-alcoholic pairing, a glass of cold milk or a raspberry-infused sparkling water echoes the fruit inside.
- The Vibe: Serve them warm and sugar-dusted for a special breakfast or a weekend treat, piled on a plate for eager hands. These are heritage, from-scratch donuts — pillowy and indulgent, made to turn a morning into a small celebration.