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potato donuts piled on rack.
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Potato Donuts

Adding mashed potatoes to dough makes for a light, fluffy donut that is hard to resist. We keep things simple with a classic glaze, but you can top these with just about anything.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rise Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings 12 donuts
Calories 270kcal

Ingredients

For the donuts:

  • 2 medium russet potatoes peeled
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour see note
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons potato cooking water divided use
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • Vegetable Oil for deep frying

For the glaze:

  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

To make the donuts:

  • Quarter the potatoes and place in a sauce pan. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil over medium heat.
  • Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain the potatoes, reserving the potato water.
  • Push the potatoes through a food mill or mash by hand, leaving no lumps. Measure out 3/4 cup of mashed potatoes and place in the bowl of a stand mixer. Discard remaining potatoes or reserve for another use.
  • Add 1/2 cup of flour and the egg and mix, using the dough hook, until just combined.
  • In a small pot, heat 3/4 cup of potato water, sugar, butter, and salt over low heat until the butter has melted.
  • While the butter is melting, add 2 tablespoons of the warm potato water (between 100-120 degrees) to a small bowl with the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes to bloom.
  • Add the potato water and butter mixture to the mixer along with the yeast mixture, mace, and nutmeg.
  • Turn the mixer to low and start adding the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a firm dough forms. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl. Continue kneading until smooth and elastic, 5-10 minutes.
  • Remove dough to a greased bowl and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in bulk, about one hour. We like to proof our dough in the oven with the light turned on to keep it a bit warmer than room temperature.
  • Once dough has doubled in size, punch the dough down and turn onto a floured surface. Roll to 1/2 inch thickness.
  • Cut the dough with a floured biscuit or donut cutter.
  • Cut small pieces, 3-4 inches each, of parchment paper and arrange on baking sheets. Dust lightly with flour. Place cut donuts on the parchment sheets to help make transferring the dough to the oil easier. This will help you from deflating the dough during transfer.
  • Transfer the cookie sheets to the oven or cover with a tea towel to rise. Let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Heat a deep skillet or pot with 2 inches of oil to 375 degrees.
  • Gently slide the donuts off the parchment sheets and into the hot oil. Fry the donuts in batches (don't overcrowd the pan), flipping as needed until golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Let donuts cool on a paper towel lined plate until easy to handle.

To make the glaze:

  • To make the glaze, heat the milk in a small saucepan until warm. Remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Whisk together to form a glaze.
  • Place a wire rack over a sheet pan to catch the glaze as it drips off the donuts.
  • Dunk the warm donuts in the glaze and place on the wire rack. Let set for 5-10 minutes for glaze to firm up.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

Add the flour a 1/2 cup at a time until a dough forms. You want it to be somewhat stiff, but not overly so. You may not need the full 3 cups or you may need a bit more, depending on the humidity. Some days will need more flour than others. 
This recipe could be made without a stand mixer, but will require a lot of kneading by hand. We've never tried it this way, though it can certainly be done.
We have not tested this recipe in the air fryer and I'm not sure how it would turn out. This recipe was made to be deep fried. 
Glaze the donuts while they're still slightly warm, but not too hot. They should be easy to handle. We only dunk the tops of the donuts in glaze and let it drip down the sides. You can fully coat the donut in glaze, if preferred.

Nutrition

Serving: 1donut | Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 2mg