Category: Breads, Muffins & Rolls

Best Recipe for Zucchini Bread

All the tips and tricks you need to make the BEST Zucchini Bread recipe of your life! This easy bread bakes up moist, tender, and super flavorful! Easily turn it into chocolate chip zucchini bread, or add nuts! Originally published June 15, 2021. I’m sitting here working on this zucchini bread post and Eric (who…

All the tips and tricks you need to make the BEST Zucchini Bread recipe of your life! This easy bread bakes up moist, tender, and super flavorful! Easily turn it into chocolate chip zucchini bread, or add nuts! Originally published June 15, 2021.

zucchini bread topped with a pat of butter.
Table of Contents
  1. This is the best recipe for Zucchini Bread
  2. Best Zucchini Bread ingredients
  3. How to make the best Zucchini Bread Recipe
  4. How to know when your bread is done
  5. Zucchini Bread Recipe tips
  6. Best Zucchini Bread Recipe Variations
  7. Zucchini Bread Recipe Serving Suggestions
  8. How to store the best Zucchini Bread
  9. FAQs
  10. More quick bread recipes you will love!
  11. More breakfast ideas!
  12. More Zucchini recipes! (savory ideas)
  13. BEST Zucchini Bread Recipe

I’m sitting here working on this zucchini bread post and Eric (who is still working from home #covid) walks in to change his shirt. He was wearing a pink button up shirt, and he proceeded to change into another pink button up shirt.

I said, “I’m sorry, did you just change from a pink button up shirt…into another pink button up shirt?” Long silence. I’m laughing. He looks up.

overhead shot of a sliced loaf of moist zucchini bread recipe.

“Did you just say something?” I realize he was purposefully ignoring me. “Yes, I asked why you changed from a pink…”

“I HEARD YOU. I was wearing a long sleeve shirt. A white shirt with purple stripes on it. [They are not. They are pink].

He continued defiantly, “THIS one has short sleeves. THIS one is linen. Perfect for SUMMER because it’s HOT outside.”

closeup side view of a few pieces of zucchini bread stacked.

Uh huh. A few minutes go by and I’m continuing my work, chuckling still. Then I heard something and looked up.

“Are you STEAMING YOUR SHIRT?”

“Of course. It’s new, and it’s got all those new-shirt-wrinkles in it.”

This, for our Friday afternoon at home, where we will see no one but each other and various neighborhood children.

overhead shot of a slice of zucchini bread topped with melting butter.

He’s confused because I’m still laughing.

“You’re not writing about this are you? Why are you still laughing? I won’t approve this one!”

Well friends, guess what, he did. And now you know that you can show up at my house anytime day or night and Eric is going to be PRESSED AND READY. He even wears a collared shirt to bed. Not really, I’m kidding, but it is true that he wore a collared shirt with a classy sweater over the top when I went in to the hospital to have our son, and the nurses nicknamed him “Dapper Dad.” Oh Eric, how I love you!

moist zucchini bread with mini chocolate chips in slices.

Is summer in full swing in your neck of the woods? I know it’s summertime when traffic on these Rhubarb Shortbread Bars starts going crazy. Bring on the summer bounty!

Have you planted any zucchini? Do you have a ton?? I am what you might call “gardening challenged” so I usually don’t bother. Even zucchini, globally known as the easiest vegetable to grow, has proven too difficult for us. Thank you, farmers of America, for being good at your jobs so that I can make this zucchini bread!

This is the best recipe for Zucchini Bread

If you have never taken a glorious bite of warm, buttered zucchini bread, you are missing out on one of life’s greatest pleasures. Zucchini bread is a quick bread, meaning it has no yeast and is leavened with baking soda or baking powder (kind of like a muffin, but in loaf shape). It is made with grated zucchini and is usually spiced with cinnamon.

closeup of a slice of moist zucchini bread with a full loaf in the background.

My mom has been making zucchini bread for as long as I can remember. She has a recipe in the family recipe book that she gave all of us kids when we left for college. The title reads, “Zucchini Bread Recipe (you can’t taste the zucchini, I swear!)” Which begs the question…

Why even bake with zucchini?

I mean if you can’t taste it, what’s the point in adding it to your quick bread?? It’s a valid question. The answer is moisture and texture. And abundance, if we’re being honest, right? Who here is looking for a zucchini bread recipe because you have a bajillion zucchini in your garden and don’t know what to do with it all??

two slices of zucchini bread stacked.

Zucchini is mostly water, so it brings tons of moisture to baked goods. Not just any moisture though: flavorless moisture that is basically calorie free. You really can’t taste the zucchini in zucchini bread, just the same way your carrot cake doesn’t really taste like carrots. All you taste is moist delicious cake, and moist delicious zucchini bread!

Best Zucchini Bread ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need for the best zucchini bread recipe! Full recipe can be found in the recipe card below!

  • all-purpose flour
  • granulated sugar
  • baking soda and baking powder
  • Kosher salt
  • cinnamon
  • nutmeg
  • cardamom
  • zucchini
  • butter
  • neutral oil (vegetable oil, canola oil, light olive oil, etc)
  • brown sugar
  • sour cream
  • eggs
  • vanilla
  • optional add-ins (try chocolate chips, toasted walnuts or pecans, or raw sugar or granulated sugar to top it off)

How to make the best Zucchini Bread Recipe

There are so many things to consider when making zucchini bread. I tested a whole bunch of different variations of several recipes to see what I liked best. Here are some of the conclusions I came to that help us get to the very best bread!

four loaves of zucchini bread on a counter with slices cut off.
here are a few of my test loaves. please ignore the carnage, apparently we are animals

A mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar. Many classic zucchini bread recipes call for only white sugar. I found that I like to use a mix of both white and brown to bring in that carmel-y flavor, and of course the extra moistness that brown sugar brings! This does make the bread a bit darker, but I didn’t hear any complaints from my testers.

a glass bowl with flour and other dry ingredients showing how to make zucchini bread.

What spices should we add for flavor? Cinnamon is standard. I tested several spice mixes and landed on a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. I’m a cardamom lover and add it to almost any recipe that has cinnamon (like this Apple Pie), but you can totally skip it if you want. Don’t leave out the nutmeg though! It really rounds out the flavor of this zucchini bread.

A glass bowl with wet ingredients for quick bread.
I like to add the brown sugar to my wet ingredients so that it’s easier to whisk out lumps.

Moisten the bread with a combination of oil and butter. Two of my biggest issues with quick bread are dryness and lack of flavor. Many recipes call for just oil or just butter. Oil makes cakes and bread supremely moist (it it 100% fat; butter is about 80% fat). But butter brings that rich flavor we all love. Solution? Use both! Ultimate moist texture and delicious buttery flavor. We’re also adding in a little sour cream for moisture!

cross section of zucchini bread.
Just look at that moist texture!

Mix ins. Do you add chocolate chips to your zucchini bread? Nuts? I love it both ways (but not combined.) The photos today show one batch with chocolate chips and one batch with walnuts. If you add chocolate chips, your bread is going to feel more like a slice of cake (no complaints here). If you add nuts, it’s going to taste more like a traditional quick bread.

adding chocolate chips to zucchini bread batter; adding nuts to batter.

The squeeze. Texture is everything for me when it comes to zucchini bread. The secret to getting the right texture is squeezing some of the water out of the shredded zucchini before adding it to your bread. Squeezing is kind of annoying, I know. Blotting with a paper towel achieves almost the same effect and is easier. More on that below.

Do you peel zucchini for bread?

No, there’s really no need. The peel on zucchini is thin and soft, so it incorporates easily into zucchini bread without messing with the texture.

How do you grate zucchini for bread without a grater?

No grater? No problem! There are plenty of other ways you can create perfect zucchini shreds for this zucchini bread recipe:

  • Food processor: If you have a food processor with a grater attachment, you can easily feed the zucchini through that to create shreds.
  • Vegetable peeler: This one is a little more labor intensive, but will work great if that’s what you have. After peeling, use a knife to chop into shred-size pieces.
  • Spiralizer: A spiralizer won’t create small shreds, but you can use it in a pinch to create longer spirals, then use a knife to chop it up into smaller pieces.

    How to know when your bread is done

    There is nothing sadder than slicing into your loaf of bread to find that it’s raw in the middle. Usually zucchini bread takes about an hour to bake, but sometimes it takes even longer.

    Zucchini bread is kind of tricky because there are so many variables, like the type of pan you’re using, the temperature of your oven, the level of moisture in your bread.

    My favorite method for testing doneness is a regular old toothpick. Poke it deep into the center of your bread. If it comes out with any wet batter, add another 4-5 minutes to your bake time. You might have to repeat this process several times! (Especially since every time you open your oven to check, you’re lowering the temperature.) Don’t take your bread out until there is no batter on the toothpick. If the top of your bread is over browning, cover it with foil.

    The only thing you need to worry about is if you added chocolate chips to your bread. Poke it in a few places to make sure it’s just chocolate on the toothpick, not wet batter. Zucchini bread is quite moist because of all the liquid from the zucchini, so I always err on the side of over baking slightly rather than risking a raw center (I will happily eat over baked bread. I will throw raw bread directly in the trash.)

    Pro tip: I tried baking this using the convection setting on my oven and I found that it had absolutely no effect. Usually convection helps bake things faster, but zucchini bread is so dense that even if that oven air is being fanned around, it’s going to take just as long.

    one pan of zucchini bread topped with chocolate chips; one pan topped with cinnamon sugar.

    Don’t forget to sprinkle the top of your bread with a little somethin somethin. For the chocolate chip bread, I sprinkled on mini chips. For the walnut bread, I sprinkled on raw sugar.

    Zucchini Bread Recipe tips

    How to shred zucchini for bread

    A regular old box grater works just fine. No need to peel it first.

    shredding zucchini with a box grater; shredding zucchini in a food processor.

    Pro tip: don’t chop off the little knobby end. Use it as a handle! Then you don’t accidentally grate your fingers. (Been there!) Or you can use the grating tool on a food processor. Either way works great!

    shredded zucchini on a scale; pressing down zucchini in a glass measuring cup.

    You are going to want 12 ounces of zucchini for this recipe. That’s about 2 cups. Make sure you pack the zucchini into the measuring cup if you are not weighing it. If you have huge zucchini with seeds in it, scrape out and discard the seeds before grating.

    Do you squeeze out the liquid from zucchini for bread?

    To squeeze or not to squeeze, that is the question. The answer is maybe, maybe not; it depends entirely on what texture you prefer in your zucchini bread.

    I tested it both ways, all things being equal except I squeezed one and didn’t squeeze the other. Both resultant breads were delicious, but the one that hadn’t been squeezed had my least favorite quick bread quality: gumminess.

    a fist squeezing shredded zucchini in a paper towel.

    All that moisture from the zucchini gets baked into the bread. The edges don’t get as crispy, and it has a heavier weight.

    The squozen bread, on the other hand, is light and airy. It is fluffy, and, well, bread-like, with perfectly crispy edges. The ultimate goal for a quick bread, right? The bread was not dry at all. I definitely recommend blotting or squeezing liquid out of your zucchini before adding it to your bread!

    (Last year I did a bunch of testing with banana bread. I found that the main thing that defines good banana bread vs. bad banana bread is a gummy texture. The trick is to not add too much banana. You can read all about it on my Banana Bread post. For zucchini, the amount that you add is not as important as making sure you blot or squeeze out some of the liquid.)

    blotting shredded zucchini with paper towels.

    Here’s how I like to blot shredded zucchini. Layer it between two paper towels and press until both towels are wet. Blotting and squeezing are both effective ways of removing excess moisture from zucchini!

    Quick tip to avoid squeezing

    Even if you skip blotting or squeezing the zucchini, there is still one thing you can do to help absorb some of the moisture from the zucchini:

    mixing shredded zucchini into dry ingredients; adding to wet ingredients.

    Toss your zucchini into your flour mixture and stir it up. The flour will absorb some of the liquid. This is a must for improved texture! I always toss with the flour whether or not I squeeze/blot.

    barely combined wet and dry ingredients for zucchini bread.

    Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Do not over mix your batter. This will make the finished bread tough instead of soft and tender.

    sliced loaf of zucchini bread with mini chocolate chips.

    Best Zucchini Bread Recipe Variations

    I love this zucchini bread just the way it is, but you can mix it up with mix-ins.

    • Add chocolate chips (or a high quality bar of chocolate, chopped).
    • Sprinkle the top with raw sugar, granulated sugar, or, if you’re really livin’ it up, cinnamon sugar (no, you don’t need to buy a shaker of cinnamon sugar, just mix some cinnamon with your sugar).
    • Add nuts. Chopped walnuts or pecans are a sure bet (toast them first if you know what’s good for you).

    Cool zucchini bread on its side for crispier edges

    We all know the best part of zucchini bread is the crispy crackly top. The other 3 edges tend to get soggy pretty fast. The faster you take it out of the pan, the crispier your edges will be, but another trick is to cool bread on it’s side (on a cooling rack, once you’ve removed it from the pan). The bottom of the bread is the hottest part, and cooling on it’s side can help the bread cool down faster, resulting in crispier edges. This can also help prevent your bread from falling in the center (although you shouldn’t have a problem at all with today’s recipe.)

    Once the bread is completely cool (okay well, maybe not ALLL the way cool), use a sharp serrated knife and use a sawing motion to slice the bread.

    sliced zucchini bread with crackly crust.

    Zucchini Bread Recipe Serving Suggestions

    Spread your zucchini bread with butter!

    Why? Because it’s bread. And butter goes on bread. I feel a little silly adding this here, but one of my food blogger friends (hi Dorothy) posted on Instagram recently about buttering zucchini bread, and someone commented that they had never thought to try it with butter. This blew my mind, because of COURSE you butter zucchini bread, and I just want to make sure that if there is even a tiny tiny percentage of you out there who don’t know about slathering massive thick slices of zucchini bread with copious soft, melty butter…

    a slice of zucchini bread with melted butter on it.

    then I need to educate you. I just want you to live your best life here guys. Buttered zucchini bread forever!

    How to store the best Zucchini Bread

    How long does it take for zucchini bread to cool?

    I like to wait about 15-30 minutes before slicing into my zucchini bread. If you do it too early your bread can collapse.

    Take the pan out of the oven and immediately set on a cooling rack so the bottom of the bread can start cooling. After 15-30 minutes, remove from the pan. If you have lined the pan with parchment paper or foil, you can lift the bread out of the pan easily. If not, gently flip the bread over into your hand (or on a plate), remove the pan, and set the bread on a cooling rack.

    close up of sliced zucchini bread with mini chocolate chips.

    Can this Moist Zucchini Bread Recipe be frozen?

    Yes! Bread freezes beautifully and zucchini bread is no exception. Make sure that it is completely cool, then wrap the entire loaf in plastic. Stick it in ziplock bag and store in the freezer. Or to stash individual slices, wrap each cooled slice in plastic wrap, and store them all in a large ziplock. Then you can have a pre-portioned slice as a little breakfast gift to yourself anytime you want! Let thaw (still wrapped) at room temperature on the counter.

    If you are in a hurry you can try heating it up in the microwave at a lower power level, or using the defrost button. Once thaw, we love to toast individual slices of zucchini bread to get them nice and toasty on the edges. And then of course…

    chocolate chip zucchini bread sliced.

    FAQs

    Why does zucchini bread crack on top?

    Quick bread like zucchini bread and banana bread often come out of the oven with a big crack down the center of the top of the bread.

    Don’t panic! This is a good thing! Quick breads crack as steam from the bread escapes from the center. The other reason is because the edges of the bread set faster than the center, so as the unbaked center rises, the edges pull on the top of the loaf, resulting in a crack. A crack is a sign of a well baked loaf, because it means that the bread has risen properly. The center will be fluffy and tender instead of dense. Embrace it!

    Why is my zucchini bread soggy?

    It’s because your bread still needs more time in the oven! Sometimes it can take over an hour to bake thoroughly. Zucchini bread is a diva, okay? Give it some TLC. The best way to know if it’s done is to use a thermometer to test that the internal temperature of the bread has reached 200 degrees F. 

    How can I make my bread more moist?

    The best way to ensure that your quick bread turns out supremely moist is to add sour cream and oil to your batter. In today’s recipe, we are using sour cream, oil, AND butter to get the perfect level of moisture in our bread. 

    Why is my zucchini bread too moist?

    Say no to gummy zucchini bread! Too-moist bread is usually the result of not squeezing the extra liquid out of your zucchini before adding it to the batter. Don’t skip it!

    Can you taste zucchini in zucchini bread?

    Nope! Zucchini has a pretty mild flavor, so all it does in baked goods is add moisture. No zucchini flavor. Just delicious sweet bread. 

    melting butter on zucchini bread slice with a bite taken out.

    More quick bread recipes you will love!

    More breakfast ideas!

    More Zucchini recipes! (savory ideas)

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    BEST Zucchini Bread

    All the tips and tricks you need to make the BEST Zucchini Bread recipe of your life! It's so easy to make, with consistent results every time. The bread bakes up moist, tender, and super flavorful! Easily turn it into chocolate chip zucchini bread, or add nuts!
    Course Snack
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour
    Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
    Servings 12
    Calories 380kcal
    Author The Food Charlatan

    Equipment

    Ingredients

    Bowl 1

    Bowl 2

    • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) melted
    • 1/4 cup neutral oil vegetable oil, canola oil, light olive oil, etc
    • 3/4 cup brown sugar* packed
    • 1/4 cup sour cream
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla

    Optional

    • 1 cup chocolate chips I used half mini, half dark chocolate chopped
    • 3/4 cup toasted walnuts or pecans
    • 1 tablespoon raw sugar or granulated sugar, to top bread

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line one 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, or grease well with nonstick spray.
    • If you plan to add nuts to your bread, toast them now. Spread about 3/4 cup chopped nuts on a dry baking sheet. Toast at 350 for about 5 minutes. Stir the nuts and continue baking in 2 minute intervals, stirring every time, until the nuts are browned and very fragrant.** Set aside to cool.
    • Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled), 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom. Whisk together and set aside.
    • Mix the wet ingredients. Add 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) to a large microwave safe bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave.
    • Add 1/4 cup oil, 3/4 cup brown sugar*, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Whisk together until combined.
    • Shred the zucchini. Shred your zucchini using the side of your box grater with the largest holes. (Don't chop off the knobby end of your zucchini; use it as a handle!) You can also use the grating tool on a food processor to shred your zucchini.
      You need 12 ounces of zucchini. If you don't have a scale, measure out 2 cups, making sure to pack it in so you get the full amount. Usually this is about 2 smallish-medium zucchini.***
    • Blot/ Squeeze the zucchini. Once your zucchini is grated, take the time to blot it on a paper towel, or squeeze it out. I like to lay a few paper towels on the counter, spread out the zucchini, then top with another layer of paper towels and press it down until both paper towels are soaked. Blotting your zucchini will keep your bread from being gummy. If you skip this step, you are still going to get great zucchini bread. I prefer the texture when the zucchini is blotted or squeezed.
    • Add the zucchini to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix only until just combined.
    • If you plan to add (1 cup) chocolate chips*** or (3/4 cup) nuts, add them to the batter before the flour is even all the way mixed in, see photos. Then stir together with a spatula with as few strokes as possible. Over mixing the batter will result in tough bread.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top your loaf with 1 tablespoon raw or granulated sugar, or a scatter of chocolate chips (or both! But use sparingly, if you add too much it will weigh down your loaf so that it doesn't rise well.)
    • Bake the bread in the center of the oven at 350 for about 60 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out with no batter on it.
      You may need to bake the bread for up to 70 or even 80 minutes, so prepare to be patient. Do not take it out of the oven until a toothpick comes out clean. (Be sure that you're not seeing chocolate if you used chocolate chips) Cover your bread with foil as it finishes baking if it is getting over browned.
    • Let your bread cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 15 minutes. At this point, if you used parchment paper, lift your bread out of the pan and let finish cooling on a wire rack. If you didn't use parchment paper, let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then flip the bread into your hand or a plate, then transfer back to the cooling rack. Let finish cooling on it's side for extra crispy edges.
    • Store zucchini bread in a sealed container on the counter for up to 5 days.
    • Freezer instructions: Make sure that your bread is completely cool, then wrap the entire loaf in plastic. Stick it in ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Or to stash individual slices, wrap each cooled slice in plastic wrap, and store them all in a large ziplock. Let thaw (still wrapped) at room temperature on the counter. If you are in a hurry you can try heating it up in the microwave at a lower power level, or using the defrost button. Once thaw, we love to toast individual slices of zucchini bread to get them nice and toasty on the edges. And then slather in butter of course.

    Notes

    *Yes, technically brown sugar is a dry ingredient. I like to add it in with the wet ingredients so that I have a better chance of whisking out any brown sugar lumps. 
    **I read in a Bouchon cookbook a few months ago that one of the chef’s pet peeves is when cooks under toast their nuts. Since then I’ve made sure to toast nuts until they are turning brown, not just fragrant. It makes them so flavorful!
    ***If you are using a giant guitar-sized zucchini that got buried in the recesses of your garden, be sure to scrape out any seeds and discard before shredding. 
    ****For the loaf you see in the photos, I used 1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips that I roughly chopped. Milk chocolate will make your bread much sweeter. Cinnamon chips are also a delicious option if you can find them! I like to stock up on these at Christmas time.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 349IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg

    2-Minute Maple Butter

    This easy maple butter is your toast or dinner roll’s new favorite topping! It is so easy to whip up (seriously, 2 minutes) and can be made ahead of time. It makes a great (easy! fast!) gift for neighbors, coworkers, or your holiday hostess. Originally published December 13, 2016. “Eric, my nose is so cold.…

    This easy maple butter is your toast or dinner roll’s new favorite topping! It is so easy to whip up (seriously, 2 minutes) and can be made ahead of time. It makes a great (easy! fast!) gift for neighbors, coworkers, or your holiday hostess. Originally published December 13, 2016.

    maple butter in a glass jar.
    Table of Contents
    1. Ingredients
    2. How to make maple butter
    3. Does maple butter expire?
    4. What to serve with maple butter
    5. Here are some other Christmas gift ideas!
    6. 2-Minute Maple Butter Recipe

    “Eric, my nose is so cold. Is your nose cold? Feel my nose, it’s freezing.” (Eric feels nose)

    Then he says lovingly, “You know what you need, Karen?” I look up with stars in my eyes.

    “A clown nose. An insulated clown nose. That would solve your problem,” he says.

    Spoon drizzling maple syrup onto butter.

    THANKS A LOT ERIC. Good to know my trials are being taken seriously.

    In other news, today I sent a care package to someone that had trash stuffed in it. The tupperware of cookies that I was sending was a bit smaller than the box that I picked to send it in, and I was already at the post office, with no filler paper or bubble wrap. I looked around to see if there was anything I could use and spotted the full trash can. I could see what was in it: a brand-new discarded priority envelope, and some crumpled Christmas wrapping paper. No gum. No food. Just paper, as far as the eye could see, exactly what I needed…

    Nothing says “I care about you” more than a stranger’s discarded post office paper. Anything for intact cookies, right? I’ve reached a whole new level of classy. Please add a screaming newborn, a meandering 3-year-old, and a 5-year-old singing at the top of her lungs (to “calm” said newborn) to this scene, and try not to judge me too harshly for dumpster diving.

    Maple butter in a glass jar with extra syrup on a spoon.

    Speaking of classy. Have you figured out what you’re giving your neighbors for Christmas this year? Last year I did these Caramel Nougat Pecan Rolls, which are super fun to make but take some doing. This year I have a newborn baby who has this habit of demanding basically every moment of my life, so I’m thinking less homemade candy and more 2-minute maple butter.

    maple butter and a knife to spread the butter.

    This maple butter recipe was inspired by this classic Cinnamon Honey Butter Recipe, which is just as easy and quick (and delicious!!). I was going to share this recipe before Thanksgiving so that you could serve it with your dinner rolls, but then I had a baby and didn’t have time. Oops! Save it for next year! Or just make it right now and keep it all for yourself, because this stuff is amazing. It’s begging to be spread on your morning English muffin.

    Maple butter on top of a baked good.

    Ingredients

    Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!

    • butter
    • maple syrup, Grade A
    • powdered sugar
    • Kosher salt

    How to make maple butter

    To get started you’ll want to soften your butter. If you’re super on top of it, leave the butter out on the counter for a couple hours. If you’re not super on top of it, microwave in 10-20 increments on low power. We don’t want to melt it so watch carefully!

    Maple has a pretty mild flavor, so I used quite a bit in this maple butter recipe because I wanted the maple flavor to pack a punch. Feel free to adjust according to your taste. The small amount of powdered sugar is there to help with the texture.

    Make sure you add the maple syrup gradually so that the butter stays nice and fluffy.

    Add the amount of salt you like! For me that’s a LOT of salt. You do you.

    pure maple syrup for maple butter with a knife.

    I love that you can make it ahead and it’s ready to go whenever you need it, especially if you plan to gift it.

    Does maple butter expire?

    While butter does expire, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that. I’m pretty sure this will be eaten within a few days. But let’s say, for some crazy reason, it’s not.  If stored properly, maple butter can last about 1 month in the refrigerator. Just keep it tightly wrapped to prevent it from absorbing other odors and flavors from the fridge. You can also throw it in the freezer for up to 6 to 9 months. Just make sure it’s well-wrapped or stored in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn.

    What to serve with maple butter

    Breads, muffins, pancakes, scones!  Seriously, dream big with this one. Maple butter is amazing on so many things. You know what would be totally amazing, you could spread maple butter on crackers and top it with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese. YUM. Don’t limit yourself to just these suggestions.

    Soft and Fluffy Parker House Roll Recipe >> a must for your Thanksgiving table

    Best Banana Bread >> you´ll go bananas for this flavor combo of maple and bananas

    Sweet and Moist Cornbread >> try topping the cornbread with maple butter while still warm

    Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits >> try maple butter instead of regular butter for a fun twist on a classic

    Truly The Best Crepes I´ve Ever Had >> my mouth is watering thinking about warm, soft crepes topped with maple butter

    French Toast Bake from Living with Landyn

    Vanilla Muffins from Sweets by Elise

    Here are some other Christmas gift ideas!

    Cinnamon Honey Butter >> this is the one that inspired today’s recipe

    Sticky Sweet-and-Salty Chex Mix (Christmas Crack) >> this is easy to throw together and sooo addictive

    Caramel Nougat Pecan Rolls >> this homemade candy is not quick but it is worth every second. A fun Christmas project! I love giving these away as gifts to neighbors and friends.

    Thick & SOFT Sugar Cookie Recipe >> try these for your holiday cookie exchange

    Mom’s Easy Fudge Recipe >> if you need a last-minute gift, try this easy fudge recipe

    White Christmas Slice from Bake Play Smile

    Peppermint Whoopie Pies from The Happy Flammily

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    2-Minute Maple Butter from The Food Charlatan
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    2-Minute Maple Butter

    This easy maple butter is your toast or dinner roll’s new favorite topping! It is so easy to whip up (seriously, 2 minutes) and can be made ahead of time. It makes a great (easy! fast!) gift for neighbors, coworkers, or your holiday hostess.
     
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 0 minutes
    Total Time 10 minutes
    Servings 8 Servings
    Calories 354kcal
    Author The Food Charlatan

    Ingredients

    Instructions

    • In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy.
    • Very gradually add about half of the maple syrup and all the powdered sugar. Beat well.
    • Add the remaining maple syrup in small increments, beating well. Start to taste it towards the end. You might prefer less maple syrup!
    • Add salt (cautiously) and beat again.
    • Makes about 2 and 2/3 cup. Enough to fill 2 half-pint jars (or a 1 pint jar) and have enough leftover for you to scarf it down with your toast for a few days.
    • You can store this on the counter for a couple days, but since real maple syrup must be refrigerated after opening, I would throw it in the fridge if you don’t think you’ll use it up in a week or so.

    Notes

    *The amount of salt you add is up to you. I used 1/4 of kosher salt. If you use table salt, start with 1/8 teaspoon. Also you can totally use unsalted butter in the recipe; just add a pinch or two more salt.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.3cup | Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 120mg | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 709IU | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg

    One Hour Cinnamon Rolls

    From zero to hot cinnamon rolls in one hour flat! These one-hour cinnamon rolls do not skimp on flavor even though they are so easy. The dough is soft and tender, the brown sugar filling is just right. It doesn’t get any better than cinnamon rolls for breakfast! Originally published February 08, 2013. This one’s…

    From zero to hot cinnamon rolls in one hour flat! These one-hour cinnamon rolls do not skimp on flavor even though they are so easy. The dough is soft and tender, the brown sugar filling is just right. It doesn’t get any better than cinnamon rolls for breakfast! Originally published February 08, 2013.

    cinnamon roll with icing on a white plate.
    Table of Contents
    1. Ingredients for fast cinnamon rolls
    2. How to make quick cinnamon rolls
    3. What to serve with these cinnamon rolls
    4. Other sweet breakfast pastry recipes you´ll love
    5. One Hour Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

    This one’s for you, Saturday morning. One hour cinnamon rolls. Seriously, I timed myself. I was stuffing my face with cinnamony goodness almost exactly one hour after I started. Sometimes I crave cinnamon rolls but then I’m like hm, can I wait 3 hours? No, I guess this spoonful of Nutella will have to make do. (Sometimes it kinda scares me how much my body craves sugar. Good thing no one ever offered me heroin as a youngster, otherwise I’d be in the back of an alley somewhere. I’m joking. Kinda.)

    a pan of baked cinnamon rolls without the glazed topping.


    My mother-in-law Kris makes these cinnamon rolls whenever all of us come to visit for the holidays. She is one of those on-top-of-it kind of people who is up and dressed by 6 every morning. She is always busy rolling out delightful pastries while the rest of us are barely rolling out of bed. I feel guilty when I finally stumble bleary-eyed down the stairs and she is fully dressed, smiling perkily, breakfast all ready for us. When I tell her thank you, (huge bite of third roll) these are amazing (chug chug chug milk) she always says “It’s no big deal. It’s not hard.”

    a pan of fresh baked cinnamon rolls with icing.

    Kris actually says that a lot, and I’ve taken it to heart. Sometimes I start to complain about things in my head, usually about everyday things, like dishes (shudder), or wiping Charlotte up after she eats, or making the bed. And then I hear Kris, “It’s not hard! It’s easy!!” She’s like my own personal Richard Simmons for housework. And then I don’t feel so grumpy about the laundry I’m folding. Thanks Kris! Next time maybe you could dance around like Richard Simmons though, it might make me even more motivated.

    Cinnamon roll on a white plate with icing.

    Ingredients for fast cinnamon rolls

    I´ll bet you have most of these ingredients already at home. That´s why I love this cinnamon roll recipe. They are perfect for last-minute cravings. Wake up craving cinnamon rolls? No problem. One hour from now you´ll be in cinnamon sugar bliss. 

    Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!

    • sugar
    • active dry yeast
    • oil
    • eggs
    • flour
    • salt
    • butter
    • cinnamon
    • brown sugar
    • milk
    • powdered sugar

    How to make quick cinnamon rolls

    This is a quick cinnamon roll recipe, meaning the dough´s rise time is short and sweet–only a few minutes. To make fast cinnamon rolls, combine the sugar, yeast, and oil with warm water and let rest in a warm place for 15 minutes. I turned my oven on to warm (170˚), turned it off, then put the bowl inside and set the timer. You can start to sift your flour while you wait. After 15 minutes, add the eggs and flour mix to the yeast. Just know that this is a sticky, soft dough. Don´t add too much flour–you want these cinnamon rolls to be nice and soft. Knead for 5 minutes then shape the rolls and let rise for 10 minutes in a greased pan before you bake them. 

    Of course, cinnamon rolls are nothing without glaze. To make the glaze, combine the hot milk and butter with a whisk, then add the powdered sugar gradually, whisking as you go. Drizzle over the hot rolls and serve immediately.

    What to serve with these cinnamon rolls

    These quick cinnamon rolls are good enough to serve on their own. But sometimes I´ll make a fruit salad to balance things out a bit. If you are cooking for a group like on Mother´s Day or Easter, I´d serve them alongside a big breakfast dish like a Cheesy Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole with Ham or an easy quiche recipe or even just some bacon.

    Other sweet breakfast pastry recipes you´ll love

    If you’re a fan of sweet breakfast treats, boy have I got you covered! Here are some of my favorite breakfast sweet treats. 

    Homemade Doughnuts >> the BEST fluffy glazed donuts of your life!

    The Best Crepes >> surprisingly easy to make at home

    The Best Scone >> crispy on the edges but tender on the inside, yes please

    Best Banana Bread Recipe >> super moist (thank you sour cream) and perfectly fluffy

    Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins >> irresistible pumpkin-y muffins with a surprise inside

    Easy Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Muffins from Practically Homemade

    Peach Danish from Crazy for Crust

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    One Hour Cinnamon Rolls from TheFoodCharlatan.com
    Print

    One Hour Cinnamon Rolls

    From zero to hot cinnamon rolls in one hour flat! These one-hour cinnamon rolls do not skimp on flavor even though they are so easy. The dough is soft and tender, the brown sugar filling is just right. It doesn’t get any better than cinnamon rolls for breakfast!
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 40 minutes
    Cook Time 12 minutes
    Total Time 55 minutes
    Servings 12 rolls
    Calories 474kcal
    Author The Food Charlatan

    Ingredients

    For the dough

    • 1/3 cup sugar
    • 3 tablespoon active dry yeast
    • 1/2 cup oil
    • 1 & 1/4 cup warm water
    • 2 beaten eggs
    • 5 & 1/4 cups flour spooned and leveled
    • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt
    • 1/4 cup butter melted (1/2 stick)
    • 1 & 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
    • 1/2 cup granulated OR brown sugar I like brown

    For the glaze

    • 1/4 cup hot water or milk
    • 1 tablespoon butter softened
    • 2 cups powdered sugar

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, mix 1/3 cup sugar, yeast, and oil with warm water until dissolved. Cover and let stand in warm place for 15 minutes. I turned my oven on to warm (170˚), turned it off, then put the bowl inside and set the timer. Sift your flour while you wait.
    • Blend eggs into yeast mixture. Add salt to sifted flour, then gradually add to yeast mixture to make a very soft dough. Resist the urge to add more flour.
    • Knead dough for 5 minutes on lightly floured surface, or switch to the dough hook on your mixer and let a machine do the work. Roll dough into rectangular shape, about 1/4 inch thick.
    • Brush dough with melted butter. Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over dough.
    • Roll up dough and slice into 12. Place in a greased 9×13 pan. Let rest 10 minutes.
    • Bake at 425˚ for 12-17 minutes. You want them to be nice and brown on top–it’s easy to under bake this recipe.
    • You can see how brown mine were when I took them out, and I probably should have let them go another minute or two.
    • To make glaze, combine the hot water (or milk) and butter with a whisk. Add the powdered sugar gradually, whisking as you go. If you’re butter isn’t getting incorporated, just stick it in the microwave for a few seconds. Drizzle over the hot rolls and serve immediately! And everyone will love you!

    Notes

    Source: Marilyn Chapple, Jean McCray, and Sharon Hansen

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1roll | Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 349mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 3mg

    Roti – The Best Buttery Indian Flatbread

    I can’t get enough of this Roti recipe! Roti is a super easy and delicious Indian flatbread. It is amazing when served with curry, totally perfect for sopping up extra sauce! I have all the tips you need to make sure this Indian bread turns out super soft. I will show you just how to…

    I can’t get enough of this Roti recipe! Roti is a super easy and delicious Indian flatbread. It is amazing when served with curry, totally perfect for sopping up extra sauce! I have all the tips you need to make sure this Indian bread turns out super soft. I will show you just how to make roti, step by step! Originally posted March 28, 2012.

    Indian flatbread stacked and folded over.
    Table of Contents
    1. What is Roti?
    2. Roti vs Naan
    3. Roti Recipe Ingredients
    4. How to make Roti (Indian Bread)
    5. What do you serve Indian Flatbread with?
    6. Storing Indian Bread
    7. More bread recipes you are going to love!
    8. Roti Recipe (Buttery Indian Flatbread) Recipe
    9. Check out some of my other top recipes!

    I was over at my parents house the other day and checked the fridge, obviously. I don’t think I will ever grow out of this habit. Mom’s fridge has Mom’s Food in it, and there’s just something nostalgic about your mother feeding you, even if you are in your 30s and have kids of your own. And even if all Mom has in there are some unrecognizable leftovers, I’m still going to check them out. Just to make sure, you know.

    rolled indian flatbread on a plate with yellow curry.

    But last week I was over there and opened up the fridge to find a Little Caesar’s gift card on the shelf, propped up front and center. I asked my dad, what the heck is there a gift card in your fridge for??

    close up photo of roti Indian bread folded over.

    He said, “oh, yeah, someone gave it to us and we keep forgetting to use it. So we put it in the fridge to help us remember. Next time we’re hungry, we will open the fridge and remember, hey, pizza!”

    hand moving roti Indian bread to show softness.

    I feel like this is the opposite of most people?? I’m pretty sure if someone offered me a free pizza I wouldn’t have to be reminded that I have a free pizza on the line. I mean right? More like, “I’m definitely not eating anything else or even opening my fridge until I have hot pizza in my mouth.” Or maybe this is just me and my scavenging ways. Free food or bust, man.

    You know what I can’t get for free? Roti bread. Have you tried this stuff? I’M OBSESSED. I can’t even find it on the menu in most Indian restaurants where I live in California (all hail the Naan, apparently, sheesh talk about a diva).

    Indian bread stacked and folded over on a metal plate with blue napkin.

    I love me some Homemade Naan but I feel like the world needs to know about Naan’s skinny kid brother Roti, who could totally take Naan down in an arm wrestling match, I’m just saying. He might be skinny but he’s smooth. He might not have that yeasty Naan puff but he’s soft and pliable for days. Okay this analogy is going downhill fast, let’s get into the details:

    What is Roti?

    Roti is an Indian flatbread traditionally eaten alongside curry or other saucy Indian dishes.

    roti Indian bread dipped into yellow curry in wood bowl.

    Roti is unleavened, meaning it doesn’t have any yeast or baking powder to give it that springy texture. It is traditionally made with just two ingredients, Indian whole wheat flour (“atta”) and water. When made correctly, it is soft and buttery and chewy and tender, similar to a Mexican tortilla.

    rolled up Indian flatbread on parchment paper with jalapeno and red onion.

    Roti also is sometimes called Chapati. Roti is traditionally made with just flour and water, some define chapati as a version with flour, water, salt and oil (or butter, as in today’s recipe). Some regions or families might roll theirs out to different thickness levels. There’s always more than one way to make a classic recipe like Roti! But the result is always a soft, pliable, deliciously flavorful vehicle to get even more saucy curry into your mouth. Yum.

    Roti vs Naan

    No it’s not the same, although they are usually eaten in the same way: alongside curry. Naan is another type of Indian bread, but it is made with dairy (like butter, sour cream, or yogurt) and has yeast in it. It rises a couple times before you roll it out and fry it, just like roti.

    roti bread stacked in a wooden bowl with parchment paper.

    It’s really hard to choose between roti and naan, let me just say. They are both SO good!

    My brother was over this week and was enjoying some of my test Roti, and was going on about how he likes it so much more than Naan. He lived in India for a summer, so has a lot more first hand experience with legit Roti than I do. I don’t pick favorites, give me Roti or give me Naan and I will be double time excited about my curry!

    Indian roti bread on a metal plate with blue napkin and parchment paper.

    Roti Recipe Ingredients

    Here’s everything you need!

    • Bread flour. You can substitute all-purpose flour in a pinch, but your roti won’t be as chewy. More about flour choices below!
    • Salt. I like to use kosher salt, but table salt is fine too.
    • Butter. I use salted butter. Vegan variation: use oil!
    • Water. I like to use warm water to make the dough nice and pliable.

    Which flour is best for Roti?

    Traditional Roti bread made in India is made with just two ingredients, Atta flour and water. Atta is a type of Indian whole wheat flour. It has a high protein content, which makes your dough nice and strong, meaning it won’t fall apart when you roll it out super thin, as is necessary for Roti.

    bread flour and all purpose flour in sacks on the counter.

    Since Atta is not a common ingredient where I live, I substitute bread flour. Bread flour has a high protein content just like Atta, and is much more pliable than the whole wheat flour options we have available around here. (If you use whole wheat flour, your roti will be very difficult to roll out, and will be tough instead of chewy.)

    soft roti recipe folded over in parchment paper with cilantro.

    How to make Roti (Indian Bread)

    I’m telling you guys, it could not be any easier to make this dough. You can basically do it in your sleep. Here is a quick overview. I’ll go over all the method details below, and of course the recipe card is at the bottom of the post.

    adding salt to a large bowl of bread flour.

    Add some salt to your bread flour and whisk it together. Traditional roti is unsalted, but I’m sorry, I just can’t. Bread is just not worth the calories if there is no salt in it, haha. All the Florentines in Italy are coming for my head too. (Florentines are famous for not salting their bread.)

    Before we move on, a note about the flour you use:

    You can also use all-purpose flour. Since all-purpose doesn’t have as high protein content, your bread will be a little less chewy, but it will still be good.

    adding butter to flour in a glass bowl, mixing it together with a fork.

    After whisking your flour and salt together, pour in about 2 tablespoons butter and cut it in with a fork. This makes your bread extra tender and adds great flavor! Oil or ghee will work fine too.

    adding water to flour to make a dough, mixing dough.

    Next add some warm water. Use the same fork to stir it all together until a dough forms.

    Knead for about 8 minutes. You can do it by hand or use a stand mixer. As you knead, all that protein in your flour is going to combine to form strands of gluten, making your dough nice and strong and able to be rolled out.

    dough on the hook of a stand mixer, ball of dough in a bowl.

    Let the dough rest covered for about 20-45 minutes. It is not rising, as with yeast dough. Your dough is going to look exactly the same at the end of the rest time, and you are going to curse my name and hate me for wasting your time ;)

    But trust me! The rest time allows the gluten in your flour to relax after all that kneading, making your dough much easier to roll out. If you try rolling out your dough and it just keeps springing back to the same shape, rest it a while longer. The longer it rests, the easier it will be to roll out.

    balls of dough on a pastry cloth next to a rolling pin, pinching the dough to shape.

    Divide the dough into 6 pieces, and use your fingers to pinch them into smooth round balls.

    Take one piece and flatten it out into a disk with your fingers. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a circle.

    disk of dough ready to roll out, rolled out dough very flat with hand holding it up.

    See how thin it is? If you don’t roll it out thin, your bread won’t be as tender. I like to roll to about 8-9 inches. It’s okay if it’s not a perfect circle! Embrace it!

    Next, heat a skillet over medium or medium high heat. You will have to figure out what heat level is best on your own stove, to make it cook fast without burning. I like to use my cast iron skillet.

    butter coating a cast iron skillet, roti in a pan.

    When the pan is nice and hot, add about a teaspoon of butter to the pan and swirl it around. Carefully transfer your rolled out roti to the hot pan and then count for about 6-7 seconds.

    flipping raw roti bread, the bread flipped on the other side in a cast iron skillet.

    After a few seconds, carefully flip the roti with your fingers or a spatula. Add more butter if necessary. The bottom side is not cooked yet, we just wanted to coat it with butter so that it doesn’t dry out.

    Cook the roti for about 30-50 seconds. You will know it’s ready to flip when bubbles have formed on top, and the underside is browning.

    bubbly roti bread cooking in a skillet, flipped with brown spots.

    Flip the roti, adding more butter if necessary, and cook the second side just until brown spots appear, another 20-40 seconds. Now for the most important step: steaming.

    If you have plans to eat this roti within 30 seconds of it coming off the pan, perhaps over the kitchen sink with a rabid gleam in your eye, then feast away.

    However, if you are planning to serve this at dinner like a civilized human, there is going to be some wait time between coming off the pan and eating. If you leave your roti sitting out, it will get tough as it cools and even (gasp!!) start to get crackly. No, no!!

    Steaming is the answer, just like is done for tortillas. If you have a tortilla warmer, use it! I don’t have one, so I use a ziplock bag as a makeshift steamer.

    roti bread steaming in a ziplock bag with paper towels.

    Place a paper towel in a large ziplock. Add your hot-off-the-pan roti on top of the paper towel. Top with another paper towel and quickly zip up the bag. When you add a second roti, place it directly on top of the first one, with no paper towels in between. They will steam each other and get all cozy and soft.

    Can you make roti vegan?

    Yes totally! It’s actually really easy to do! Just replace the 2 tablespoons butter called for in the recipe with oil. Then do your pan frying in oil too. Easy peasy!

    For frying, use an oil that has a high smoke point so that you don’t set off your smoke alarm. Canola oil, vegetable oil, or LIGHT olive oil will all work fine. (Light olive oil means it has a light olive taste, unlike extra virgin. Wouldn’t it be nice if it meant light in calories? It’s definitely not, haha.)

    roti rolled up on a plate with curry and rice and jalapenos.

    What do you serve Indian Flatbread with?

    Roti is the BEST tool for cleaning up a plate of Indian food, whether it’s the Easy Chicken Curry you see in today’s photos (recipe coming next week!), or this Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala. Basically anything saucy that begs for a bread-ish tool to clean the plate. We’re not leaving any of this curry on the table, not on our watch. No sauce left behind. SOS, Save Our Sauce. Roti to the rescue! Try out these other curries:

    Storing Indian Bread

    Steaming your roti is an essential step to keeping your roti soft and pliable, do not skip it! (See the “How to make” section above for more details, or scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

    If you have leftover roti, store in that same paper towel-lined ziplock bag. There is no need to refrigerate. Store it at room temperature for 1-3 days.

    rolled Indian flatbread dipping into yellow curry.

    Does Roti freeze well?

    Yes! Freezing preserves the moisture and keeps the roti softer than fridge storage, so if you want to keep it longer than a day, I would toss it in the freezer. Layer your roti between sheets of parchment paper so they don’t stick to each other, and seal in a ziplock bag. Store flat.

    To reheat, you can either let thaw in the bag at room temperature, then reheat gently in the microwave (don’t overdo it or they will get tough.) Or you can re-grill the roti straight from frozen, using the same method as the first time.

    old photo of roti with chicken tikka masala.
    Here is my original picture from way back in 2012 when I first made this recipe!

    More bread recipes you are going to love!

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    Indian flatbread stacked and folded over
    Print

    Roti Recipe (Buttery Indian Flatbread)

    I can't get enough of this Roti recipe! Roti is a super easy and delicious Indian flatbread. It is amazing when served with curry, totally perfect for sopping up extra sauce! I have all the tips you need to make sure this Indian bread turns out super soft! I will show you just how to make roti, step by step!
    Course Bread
    Cuisine Indian
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 1 minute
    Resting Time 45 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 1 minute
    Servings 6 Servings
    Calories 252kcal
    Author The Food Charlatan

    Equipment

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 tablespoons butter* melted
    • 2/3 cup warm water
    • 1/4 cup butter for frying, or more as necessary

    Instructions

    • Make the dough. In a large bowl or stand mixer, use a fork to whisk together 2 cups bread flour and 1 teaspoon salt. (I prefer kosher salt, but table salt is fine.)
    • Add 2 tablespoons melted butter* and mix it in with the fork until the flour is crumbly. Make sure to break up any big chunks.
    • Add 2/3 cup warm water. Mix it together with the fork until the dough pulls together. At this point, I start using the dough hook attachment on my stand mixer, but you can also turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
      Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Scrape down any dough that sticks to the side, but it should form itself into a ball pretty quickly.
    • Rest the dough. When you are done kneading, shape it into a ball. Leave it in the bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let rest for 20-45 minutes. The longer you rest the dough, the softer and more pliable your roti will be, and the easier it will be to roll out. (It will not rise at all, so don't expect it to look different after the rest period. This ain't no yeast recipe.)
    • Roll out the dough. Prepare a work surface with a light dusting of flour. Divide dough into six equal parts. Use your fingers to pinch each piece into a smooth ball. (see photos)
      Take one ball and pat it into a disk with your fingers. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rough circle about 8-9 inches across. It should be rolled out very thin, see photos.
      (If you want to roll all the dough out at once before frying, stack the sheets, each one separated with a square of parchment paper so they don't stick together. I prefer to roll out my next piece of dough while I'm frying the first one, so I don't do this.)
    • Cook the Roti. Set a cast iron skillet, griddle, or large frying pan over medium or medium high heat. Let it preheat for at least a couple minutes so that it's very hot.
      Add about a teaspoon of butter to the pan and swirl to coat the bottom.
    • Transfer the very thin sheet of roti dough to the pan. Wait about 6 or 7 seconds, then use your fingers or a spatula to flip the roti over. You may need to add more butter; if there is not enough, the roti will not be soft. It will cook in 30 to 50 seconds. Adjust the heat as necessary so that the roti cooks quickly (under a minute) but does not burn. Every stove is different so you will have to play around.
      You will know it is done when light brown spots appear on the side that is cooking. The top should have a few bubbles. Flip the roti back to the original side (using more butter if necessary) just until the brown spots appear, another 20-30 seconds.
    • Steam the Roti. This step is super important to get soft and pliable roti! Place a paper towel inside a large ziplock bag. When the roti is done frying, place roti on top of the paper towel in the bag. Top the roti with another paper towel (it should not be touching the plastic or it will get soggy.) Seal the bag.
      As you fry the remaining roti, add them to the ziplock directly on top of the first roti, with a paper towel on top. The roti will steam each other in the center. Keep the bag closed as much as possible. You can also skip these steps and steam roti in a tortilla warmer.
    • Serve the roti hot, with curry and rice.
    • Store leftover roti in a ziplock bag lined with paper towels.
    • Freezing Roti: Layer your roti between sheets of parchment paper so they don't stick to each other, and seal in a ziplock bag. Store flat in the freezer.
      To reheat, you can either let thaw in the bag at room temperature, then reheat gently in the microwave (don't overdo it or they will get tough.) Or you can re-grill the roti straight from frozen, using the same method as the first time.

    Video

    Notes

    *You can make this vegan by using oil in the dough, and frying in oil. Ghee is a good substitute as well! (not vegan!)

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1roti | Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 491mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 354IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

    Check out some of my other top recipes!

    Homemade Doughnuts

    I have found the secret to making the BEST fluffy glazed donuts of your life! Not all yeast doughnuts are created equal, and you may not even know what you’re missing if you’ve only visited a chain donut shop. This fried donut recipe is easy to make and such a fun process. I will show…

    I have found the secret to making the BEST fluffy glazed donuts of your life! Not all yeast doughnuts are created equal, and you may not even know what you’re missing if you’ve only visited a chain donut shop. This fried donut recipe is easy to make and such a fun process. I will show you how to make them at home step by step, NO fancy equipment (not even a doughnut cutter) required. You can even try filling it with Pastry Cream to make Bavarian Cream Donuts, check out those posts for all the details! Originally published September 28, 2023.

    close up of hand reaching for a homemade glazed donut with a bite taken out of it.
    Table of Contents
    1. Donuts in California are better…no for real
    2. Homemade donuts, Ted’s donuts, or bust.
    3. The best Donut Recipe hands down
    4. Doughnut Recipe ingredients
    5. How to make Homemade Donuts
    6. Donut topping ideas
    7. What to serve with donuts
    8. How to store leftover donuts
    9. Frequently asked questions
    10. More sweet breakfast goodness to try
    11. Homemade Donut Recipe Recipe

    My parents live in the same smallish town where I grew up in Manteca, California. (Manteca means “lard” in Spanish, because ‘Merica.) They live in the same house on the same street as always: right by the church, across the street from the high school, and exactly one mile from the Taco Bell on Main Street.

    I know this because one time when I was little I asked my mom how far a mile was and she said, “oh, about down to Taco Bell.” I still think of it every time I need to visualize a mile.

    straight overhead shot looking down on cooling rack of ready to eat donuts.

    Lately my parents have been coming up with creative ways to both get their exercise in, and address the massive amount of things that seem to pile up as time goes by. My dad decided to finally do something about his random jars of change that were lying around the house. (People had actual coins before Venmo, apparently.)

    So once a week, Mom and Dad have made it their date night to take a leisurely (1 mile) walk down to Taco Bell, where they…yes, you guessed it. Pour all their change on the counter and count out $4.99 for a Crunchwrap Supreme to share.

    homemade glazed donut with a bite taken out of it on parchment paper.

    Halfway through separating out their nickels and dimes, the young cashier gently says to them, “Do you guys want the senior discount…?” They died laughing. My parents are not poor, just forever frugal-minded. And what else is there to do on a late summer evening??

    What they REALLY should do is walk another half mile further to Sam’s Donuts on Main Street (maybe you guys should make this your Saturday morning ritual, mom and dad??) I would be happy to spend ALL my loose change on those donuts, they are the fluffiest puffiest in all the land. Let me tell you why.

    Donuts in California are better…no for real

    No one explained to me when I was a kid why my local shop had the most magical, heavenly doughnuts. I just assumed Sam was an angel sent from the pastry gods.

    I learned all about it a few years ago when I read an article about Ted Ngoy, the Cambodian donut king of California. I learned his rags to riches, (back to rags, back to riches!) story. (it’s nuts guys.) I learned why the best donuts always come in pink boxes. And I finally understood why every donut I’ve ever had while on vacation tasted like cardboard when compared to the impossibly fluffy, raised to the sky, perfectly glaze-crackled morsels of delight I grew up with.

    side view of a stack of the best donuts showing the cracks of the glaze.

    Long story short, Ted Ngoy came to the US as a refugee and found himself working at a local donut place. He eventually saved enough to buy his own shop (and eventually many more), but made one important change to the system:

    • Instead of making one giant batch in the morning, he had his employees make small batches throughout the day (I don’t know if you have ever had a day-old donut, but they are garbage.)
    • He would let each shop he bought keep their recipes (customers don’t like change), but would insist on upgrading to the finest ingredients. Bad flour makes a bad donut.

    Ted’s shops were successful because he insisted on quality, and had connections to incoming refugee families with aunties, cousins, and uncles: a built-in network of very hard working people excited about the chance to own their own business. Pretty much every donut shop in CA for decades used this business plan.

    a hand holding up a perfectly glazed from scratch donut so you can see through the hole.

    Homemade donuts, Ted’s donuts, or bust.

    The reason I’m telling you about Ted and his legacy is because I want you to understand what we’re aiming for here with our homemade donuts. It’s not Dunkin’ Donuts, and it’s not even Krispy Kreme. I have extremely high standards when it comes to donuts. Dunkin’ sells JBOD products. “Just Baked on Demand.” Their donuts are baked off site, frozen, delivered, and popped in the oven on location. THIS EXPLAINS EVERYTHING. Ugh.

    Krispy Kreme is a different story. Their donuts are actually fried on site at each location. But they still are overly-greasy and lacking flavor in my opinion, and cannot hold a candle to a classic California donut.

    Dunkin tried to break into the California market back in the 80s/90s and failed miserably. They eventually closed every single location because they couldn’t compete with Ted’s shops. Customers are not stupid. Why would you buy a frozen baked donut when someone down the road fried a fresh one 20 minutes ago? (Dunkin recently started opening CA stores again in the last 10 years; there are dozens now. This is how I tried my first Dunkin Donut ever earlier this year, and I almost spit it out, no joke.)

    I’m sure there are lots of other stand-alone shops across the country that are amazing, because they have the same standard as Ted’s: baked throughout the day, with extremely high quality ingredients. But not many have been able to franchise the way Ted did, without losing quality, Dunkin case in point. (Krispy Kreme is the closest imo, and Top Pot in Seattle is close too.)

    several perfectly fried and glazed homemade donuts on a cooling rack.

    I live near Sacramento CA now, and the local BJ Cinnamon’s is my new Sam’s Donut. I’m telling you, talk to any California native, they will have a Sam’s or a BJ’s they swear by. (I just read on their yelp page a question from someone, “Do they have anything keto?” and owner Chanthoeun replied, “NO! It’s a donut shop!” These are my people.)

    So, to sum up, if you live in California, you don’t need today’s recipe. Walk yourself down to the local shop and get yourself a dozen. Maybe pay in loose change like my parents 😂

    BUT. If you live in a place where you only have chain donut shops, homemade donuts are ABSOLUTELY worth every ounce of effort.

    close up of one perfectly made from scratch glazed donut with raspberries next to it.

    The best Donut Recipe hands down

    Today’s recipe is exactly like the fluffy, soft, extremely puffy yeast donut of my youth. They live up to all my California dreams. High quality ingredients, no hard-to-find tools (you DON’T need a donut cutter!) and just a couple hours start to finish.

    The final donut is literally heaven. The difference between a good donut and a bad donut has to do with quality ingredients and the recipe, of course, but it also has a lot to do with freshness. Making them at home means you are getting the freshest fried dough of your life! So good.

    This recipe uses milk for richness, and bread flour to give it that special chew (and to add structure to the dough.)

    In addition to yeast, we are adding a little baking soda and baking powder to the dough to make it rise and puff EVEN MORE. I’m telling you, when I say fluffy puffy I am not messing around.

    Then we dunk the whole thing in a simple glaze with a special ingredient (granulated sugar, oddly enough; we’re making a simple syrup first) that helps the glaze stick to the doughnut.

    You will neverrrrr go back, guys.

    stack of three yeast donuts on parchment paper, with a bite taken out of the top donut.

    Doughnut Recipe ingredients

    Like many other classics, these donuts come together with very simple ingredients. Here’s a lil shopping list to give you an idea of what you need. The full recipe and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post!

    ingredients for making homemade donuts- flour, sugar, yeast, milk, eggs, and more.
    • Whole milk
    • Active dry yeast
    • Granulated sugar
    • Shortening
    • Eggs
    • Vanilla extract
    • Bread flour
    • Kosher salt
    • Baking powder
    • Baking soda
    • Powdered sugar
    • Corn syrup
    • Cornstarch
    • Butter
    • Oil for frying

    How to make Homemade Donuts

    1. First we are going to proof our yeast. Add 1 cup milk to a measuring cup and heat in the microwave until it is warm but not hot. If you wouldn’t dump this cup of milk on top of a baby’s head, it’s too hot.
    pouring yeast from a measuring spoon into a glass liquid measuring cup of milk.
    1. Add in a lil sugar and allll the yeast. 3 tablespoons yes yes. After a few minutes it should be extra puffy and bubbly.
    top a metal mixing bowl with eggs, shortening, and more and bottom pouring vanilla into bowl.
    1. Add some more sugar and eggs to a mixing bowl, and some vanilla to make our dough nice and fragrant. 10 years ago I used to get so irritated when food bloggers would call for a specific vanilla measurement and then show a picture like this where they are CLEARLY NOT MEASURING. who even am i guys. don’t hate me for selling out.
    top showing how to scoop flour into a dry measuring cup and bottom how to level the flour.
    1. Mix together your wet ingredients, then add in the flour. Make sure to spoon and measure so your flour doesn’t get too packed in. I always use two measuring cups, easy peasy.

      We are using bread flour for this recipe because it has extra protein. It helps with dough structure, and gives our donuts a nice chew. (See my Homemade Bread recipe for all the details on why bread flour is great when you need structure.)
    top containers of baking soda and baking powder and bottom the two poured in the bowl.
    1. This recipe is a little different because it uses baking soda and baking powder in addition to the yeast. I love the added lift it gives these donuts!! Ignore my computer in the background up there, oops. Eric is always asking why my computer keyboard is so dusty…exhibit A.
    2. Mix your dough with a spatula until it looks like this ↓ then switch to the dough hook (or start kneading by hand.)
    top mixing bowl with barely combined dough and bottom pulling dough ball showing elasticity.
    1. Here is the dough after 5 minutes of kneading. It should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl, have formed a ball shape, and should be smooth and elastic. DON’T over flour your dough! If it seems very sticky, add another 1/4 cup flour, but don’t go crazy or your donuts will end up dry and tough.
    2. Transfer to a greased bowl and cover. Turn your oven on for a hot minute so it gets nice and toasty inside, then turn it off before it gets too hot. You should be able to touch the racks with your fingers.
    top glass bowl with dough ball resting and bottom filling a pyrex in oven with boiling water.

    Please try to unsee my oven. Don’t you just feel really good about yourself and your hygiene level right now? You’re welcome.

    1. Heat up a pot of water, or use your kettle. This is where the magic happens. We are creating a mini proofing box out of our oven. The steam from the boiling water and the heat from turning on the oven for a minute create an ideal climate for this dough to rise!
    glass bowl with rising homemade donut dough rising, covered with plastic wrap.
    1. Here she is all grown up! Punch it down and smooth it out.

    How to make donuts without a donut cutter

    1. You do NOT need a donut cutter to make donuts. Grab a piece of dough about this size.
    top small dough ball in fingertips and bottom showing how to pinch the bottom of the ball.
    1. Shape it into a smooth ball.
    top flattened disk of dough about 3-4" wide and bottom pinching the disk to make hole.
    1. Flatten out the dough into a disc like this. Press your thumb through the center until it pokes through. Coat your hands with flour if necessary.
    Hand shaped from scratch donut dough ready for its second rise before frying.
    1. Pull and shape the dough into a donut shape. Put it on your finger and spin it around a few times! It actually helps so much to get the dough moving outward. It’s so fun, grab your kids and let them do one!
    fingers swinging the donut dough around to move the dough outward and upward.
    1. Use your fingers to make sure the donut is a nice tall shape. We want things to rise UP! Make the hole in the donut larger than you would think.
    rolled out donut dough with a metal donut cutter cutting the donuts (and holes).

    I wanted to show you that you can also roll this dough out and cut them the traditional way, if you have a donut cutter. I bought this cutter just for this post and thought it would be so much better but I actually MUCH prefer shaping the donuts with my hands! I found that hand-shaping allowed them to rise easier on the outside edge of the donut. Every donut I made with the cutter sloped down on the edges, the hand shaped ones looked more “plump”:

    on left, flatter donut from the donut cutter, on right, fluffier donut that was hand shaped.
    left pic cooked donut that was cut with downward slope, on right, fluffier hand cut donut.

    In both the pictures above, I used a donut cutter on the donuts on the left. I hand shaped the donuts on the right.

    Do you see what I mean? These are both great, tasty donuts that rose well. But the cut donuts slope down on the edges. The hand shaped ones are more rounded. This is a tiny detail, either method works great! If you hand shape, you won’t have donut holes. You can just grab a couple smaller balls of dough and shape them into a ball yourself, if you love donut holes. (Who doesn’t?)

    1. Line up all your donuts on a baking sheet, with plenty of space in between. Each donut should be on its own square of parchment paper. You can cut them yourself, or buy these handy 6×6 inch parchment paper squares. Don’t cover the donuts this time.
    cut and hand shaped donuts on a pan and adding water the oven with shaped donuts.
    1. We’re going to do that proofing box thing again. Heat up some water and heat up your oven a bit.

      In the photo above, I have my pan of water directly on the element, because I couldn’t fit two pans on the top rack. 😬 DO NOT turn on your oven with a pan on it like this. Heat the oven and turn it off before you put the pan in. Also don’t be dumb and don’t sue me. 😂

    How to make glaze for donuts

    1. While the donuts are rising, make the glaze. For glazed donuts, it’s best to glaze them while the icing and the donut are still warm, so make it now.
    pouring water from a plastic liquid measuring cup into sugar in a mixing bowl for glaze.
    1. First we’re going to make a simple syrup with some cornstarch, granulated sugar, and cold water. And pretend there is butter, I added it after the photo! Can’t have no glaze without some butterrrr
    top adding powdered sugar to bowl with glaze, bottom adding vanilla to the bowl.
    1. After you boil it to dissolve the sugar, add in powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and corn syrup. Sift your powdered sugar if it’s clumpy, lumps are tough to whisk out of a glaze. Make sure you measure the vanilla this time so everyone knows how committed you are to your measurements. Whisk it all together and set aside.

    Fry the donuts

    1. Just after making the glaze, heat your oil in a high sided skillet.
    pouring oil into a large pot and using an instant read thermometer to get to 350 degrees.
    1. Let the oil heat for at least 15 minutes. You are aiming for a temperature of 350 degrees. You need a LOT of oil, at least 2 inches. They call it deep frying for a reason. If you don’t use enough oil, it will be really hard to maintain a steady temperature. With a small amount of oil, the temp will rise and fall too dramatically, giving you burned/doughy donuts.
    2. Set up your frying station so everything is handy when you are frying.
    fry station set up - heated oil, drip tray, risen donuts and donut hole on parchment paper ready to fry.

    Ignore my taco sign (leftover from this summer’s Taco nights) and constant open drawers (it’s a curse)

    Fry station: Heated oil, cooling rack on top of paper bag or paper towels, thermometer to check temp, a slotted spoon to remove donuts (A spider strainer is even better, and I actually have one and have no idea why I didn’t use it 🤦‍♀️) and all the risen donuts nearby. I even have the glaze there ready to go.

    puffy, hand shaped risen donuts on parchment paper squares ready to be fried.

    Look at these beauts! All ready for the fryer!

    adding donuts to the oil sideways so the donut doesn't splash hot oil on you.
    1. Here’s why I love to use little squares of parchment paper. I CAN’T TELL YOU how many gorgeous risen donuts I have destroyed trying to get it from the pan into the oil. With any sort of spatula you might use to lift it, you run the risk of puncturing and deflating your donut, right before it hits the oil. Parchment paper solves this problem completely. The paper itself is lowered into the oil.
    holding the paper with the donut on it submerged in oil, then carefully lifting just the paper out.
    1. You have to hold the paper in the oil for a few seconds, and eventually the donut will loosen from the paper and slide off. Be careful! This oil will burn you!
    close up of perfectly fried donuts without any glaze on them sitting on the cooling rack.
    1. Fry all the donuts, (about 45-120 seconds per side). Keep in mind that the color will continue to darken even after you remove it from the oil. But don’t underdo it, you don’t want a doughy donut!
    2. Make sure you wait in between frying if necessary, to let the temperature climb back up to 350.

    Glazing the donuts

    1. Let the donuts cool for a few minutes so you don’t burn your fingers off. But remember, you do want to glaze them when the donuts and glaze are still quite warm.
    top donut sitting in bowl of glaze to coat bottom, bottom donut flipped over to coat other side.
    1. Toss a donut one at a time in the glaze, then flip.
    fingers pulling a donut fully coated in glaze out of the glaze bowl and letting the extra drip down.
    1. Let it drip for a second, then place on a cooling rack to let the glaze harden. It’s tempting to take a bite now, but trust me, wait. It’s so much better when the glaze has hardened.
    2. Dip all the donuts, let set up for 20-30 minutes, then dip again! A dipped donut is great, a double dipped donut is even better.
    3. You will know the glaze has set up enough to take a bite when you pick it up. If the glaze crackles and flakes, it’s ready. If it’s still drippy, let it set up a little more.

      Professional donut shops use special ingredients like emulsifiers, starch, or agar that helps the glaze harden up lightning fast. This is how Krispy Kreme sells donuts that are still warm, but also has glaze that crackles. You can find agar on Amazon if you want to experiment! We are using cornstarch in our glaze, which has almost the same effect. (not quite as fast, but pretty good.)
    close up looking down at the finished product of the whole process of homemade donut making.

    Just look at this beauty queen.

    And THAT’S IT!! Who are you going to share your donuts with???

    Donut topping ideas

    In general, I disapprove of toppings on donuts, besides icing or glaze. I find it distracts from the simplicity and greatness of the donut itself.

    But I think I might be a grouchy grouch. Live your best life. Here are some ideas, you could even make a donut bar and let people choose their own toppings for a party! I am all about donut parties!

    • sprinkles!
    • crushed or whole pieces of cereal, like Fruit Loops or Cocoa Puffs. (This is a thing people do, so I’m listing it here, but I honestly have no respect for them.)
    • crushed cookies, like Oreos or Nutter Butters (Again. no respect. I will judge you.)
    • chopped nuts, pretzels, or bacon for a salty twist. This could be good, especially on a Maple Bar.
    • finely chopped fresh fruit (must be added RIGHT before eating or it will make the donut soggy!)
    • crushed freeze-dried fruit – I definitely approve of this one
    • mini chocolate chips or M&Ms (girl. no.)
    • shredded sweetened coconut (I can get behind this one.)
    the inside of a cut donut showing how light and airy the yeast donuts are.

    What to serve with donuts

    I like to serve my donuts with more donuts. Ha! It’s like pizza. Do you really need that side? I’m just sayin. But here are some ideas if you have a big crowd.

    close up of a donut with a bite in it, showing the fluffy, yeasty insides.

    How to store leftover donuts

    Eating too many donuts right away is always the best option. If you can’t manage on your own, it’s time to bring round all the neighbors for a donut party. If you can’t find ANY breathing souls to eat these precious morsels within a few hours of making, here’s how to store:

    SKIP the fridge! The cold circulated air will dry them out in no time. Instead, you have a few options:

    • First option: place them in an airtight container. This keeps the donuts themselves fresh and moist, but can make the glaze soggy the longer they sit.
    • Second option: keep them in a loosely closed paper bag. This maintains the crispness of the glaze, but they will dry out faster than those in an airtight container. It’s up to you which way you want to go!

    Either way, the donuts will be good sitting on the counter for about 2 days. The best way to eat leftover donuts is to rewarm them. Place leftovers on a sheet pan and stick them in a 300 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes. Don’t overdo it or the glaze will melt off!

    tray with 5 glazed donuts stacked sideways with a bite taken out of the middle donut.

    Can you freeze donuts?

    Yes oh yes! A much better option, actually, then letting them sit overnight to get stale.

    Lay out your donuts on a sheet pan and flash freeze them for 20-30 minutes. Then, layer them in a freezer ziplock bag with wax or parchment paper in between so they don’t stick together. Seal the bag well and the donuts should last a good 2-3 months in the freezer.

    To defrost, simply leave the bag out on the counter overnight and they’ll be ready to eat in the morning. If you’re thawing several, I would warm them for 5-10 minutes in a 300 degree oven. If you want only 1-2 donuts at a time, you can remove just those donuts from the bag, return it to the freezer, and then put the donut(s) in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time till perfectly soft and warm again!

    Frequently asked questions

    Donuts vs Doughnuts

    Let’s settle something: is there a right way to spell do(ugh)nut?? Apparently, most English-speaking countries use ‘doughnut.’ But Americans have been using the alternative “donut” for about a century, because ‘Merica. Just kidding, supposedly the spelling was adopted to help immigrants understand how to pronounce the word. Over the years “donut” has became commonly accepted, and here we are. Either one is fine!

    Where do donuts come from?

    A donut-shaped stork brings the baby donuts. Just kidding! Basically, fried sweet dough is native to almost every culture. I found this quote in the Joy of Cooking, “It seems to us that the various forms of fried dough enjoyed by people across the globe may well have been invented to assuage the ills of the human condition.” There you go, donuts are here for world peace.

    That being said, the traditional ring style donut was created in America, purportedly by a sailor who disliked that many larger “dough-nuts” were not cooked through in the center. His work-around was to eliminate the center completely, which is actually totally genius! The idea caught on, and here we are.

    Are doughnuts better fried or baked?

    If the question is better tasting, then fried donuts win hands down. The added fat and richness, the crispiness it adds to the outside… that’s hard to top. If the question is better for you, then definitely baked. By eliminating the oil you can save a ton of calories. But in my opinion donuts are a sugar/carb/fat laden treat anyway, so go big and fry or go home.

    are old-fashioned donuts different?

    Yes! Old-fashioned donuts are also called “cake doughnuts” because they skip the yeast and use the same leavening agents as a cake, usually baking powder or baking soda. Because of the difference in composition, it is usually fried at a lower temperature as well, which is why you get those craggy, rough edges in an old-fashioned. They are not quite as light and airy as the typical yeast glazed donuts.

    More sweet breakfast goodness to try

    close up of one homemade donut with a bite taken out of it sitting on parchment paper.

    I think that’s everything in my brain about yeast donuts guys! If you are not dying for a donut by the end of reading this post, you have a will of STEEL. I would love to see if you try out the recipe! Tell me how they compare to your local shop (that’s not a chain.) Tag @thefoodcharlatan on Instagram!

    Don’t forget to check out the sister posts to this one, Bavarian Cream Donuts and the filling, Pastry Cream! And we thought it couldn’t get any better.

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    close up of hand reaching for a homemade glazed donut with a bite taken out of it.
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    Homemade Donut Recipe

    I have found the secret to making the BEST fluffy glazed donuts of your life! Not all yeast doughnuts are created equal, and you may not even know what you're missing if you've only visited a chain donut shop. This fried donut recipe is easy to make and such a fun process. I will show you how to make them at home step by step!
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Cook Time 2 minutes
    Rising time 1 hour 30 minutes
    Total Time 2 hours 2 minutes
    Servings 12
    Calories 682kcal
    Author The Food Charlatan

    Equipment

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup whole milk
    • 3 tablespoons active dry yeast*
    • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/4 cup shortening
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 3 and 1/4 cups bread flour plus 1/4 cup if necessary
    • 2 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt or 2 teaspoons table salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

    For frying

    • 12 cups canola oil or peanut oil

    For the glaze

    • 1/2 cup cold water
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 1/4 cup butter
    • 1 tablespoon corn syrup
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla
    • 4 cups powdered sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt use 1/4 teaspoon table salt

    Instructions

    • Make the dough. In a glass measuring cup, add 1 cup whole milk. Microwave it until it is warm but not hot. Stick your finger in it to make sure. If you wouldn't give a baby a bath in this milk, it's too hot. (I don't know why I can never think of a better temperature gauge than bathing children, but there you go.) Temp should be around 105-110 F.
    • Add 3 tablespoons active dry yeast*. Yes! 3 tablespoons! We are not messing around! Add 1 tablespoon sugar so the yeast has something to eat.
    • Wait a couple minutes until you see bubbles forming in your yeast mixture. (If it stays completely flat, you killed it, game over! Try again.)
    • Add yeast mixture to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup shortening, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Stir it all together with a rubber spatula.
    • Carefully measure 3 and 1/4 cups bread flour (spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level off the top.) Add the flour to your yeast mixture but don't stir yet.
    • Add 2 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Stir this into the flour.
    • Knead the dough. Use the dough hook (or a wooden spoon) to stir the dough until it is thick enough to knead. Knead with the dough hook (or by hand on a lightly floured surface) for 5 full minutes. The dough should have come together and be stretchy and elastic. If you touch the dough and your fingers come away sticky, add the extra 1/4 cup of flour (or more as necessary), to get a workable dough.
    • Grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Shape the dough into a ball, slap it in the bowl, and turn it over so the top side is greased. Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed generously with nonstick spray.
    • Create a proofing box in your oven: Bring about 8-10 cups of water to a boil, either in a kettle or in a pot on the stove. Turn your oven on to 350 degrees F for about 30-60 seconds, then turn it off. The oven should be warm but not hot. You should be able to touch the oven racks with your fingers.
    • Place the covered bowl of dough on the top rack in your oven. Place a 9×13 inch cake pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Pour the boiling water into the pan and shut the door right away to capture all the steam.
    • Let the dough rise in this toasty, humid environment for 1 hour. The dough should have doubled in size.
    • Prepare two half baking sheets with parchment paper. I love to use these 6×6 inch parchment paper squares (one rising donut per square.) If you don't have the fancy squares, I would take the time to cut 6×6 inch squares. Lay them out on the baking sheets.
    • Pour the water from the 9×13 inch pan back into the pot or kettle and bring to a boil again. Heat your oven to 350 for 30-60 seconds, just like before, and turn it off. Warm, not hot.
    • Shape the donuts. Scrape the dough onto a greased pastry mat or lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough a couple times, then divide the dough into 12-14 pieces, depending on how large you want your doughnuts to be. (If you want, make some tiny balls of dough and fry them as-is, for donut holes.)
    • Pat each piece of dough into a 3 to 4 inch disc. Use a rolling pin if you want, I just used my hands. Use your thumb to press and eventually break through the center of the dough. Use your fingers to widen the hole to at least 1 and 1/2 inches, smoothing the dough along the edges as best you can. Stretch and mold your donut wider, and round out the ring of the donut. I found it helpful to place the donut on my finger and spin it a few times. Centrifugal force is real, folks #science. Shape your donut to be as round and puffy as you want it to look when you are eating it.
    • Let the shaped donuts rise. Place each shaped donut on a square of parchment paper, with plenty of room to rise. Eight donuts is the max per pan I would say. Shape all the dough into donuts. Do not cover this time.
    • Place the two pans of rising donuts in your oven, both pans on the top rack if you can squeeze them in. Place the 9×13 pan on the bottom rack. (If you can't squeeze, place one pan on each rack and place the 9×13 pan on the bottom of the oven, yes, directly on the element, but ONLY after you have shut off the oven. Make sure it's not hot to the touch. Do not turn the oven on!)
    • Once all the shaped donuts are in the warm oven, pour the boiling water into the 9×13 inch pan. Shut the door right away. Let the shaped donuts rise for 30-45 minutes, until doubled in size.
    • Make the glaze. Do this during the final rise, because you want to glaze the donuts when they are hot. In a small saucepan, add 1/2 cup cold water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Whisk together until smooth. Add 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1/4 cup butter. Turn the heat on to medium and whisk constantly. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the butter is melted and small bubbles are JUST beginning to form on the edges. Remove from the heat right away. (if you over cook this mixture, the cornstarch will get too thick.)
    • Add 1 tablespoon corn syrup, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Then add 4 cups SIFTED powdered sugar. (Add it through a strainer). Use a whisk to combine it all until there are no lumps. Keep the whisk handy; the glaze will start to harden on top, and you need to whisk it occasionally to keep it smooth. You may need to thin the glaze with a little more water, (or thicken with more powdered sugar), add it 1 tablespoon at a time.
    • Heat the oil. Halfway through the rise time, start heating your oil. In a 12-inch high-sided skillet, add canola oil until it reaches about 2 inches up the side of the pan. Turn the heat to medium. Heat until the temperature reads 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Don't throw away the oil container.
    • Prep your work station. Line a few paper grocery bags (or paper towels) on the counter and place 2 cooling racks on top. Have a pair of tongs handy. Keep your thermometer either clipped onto the side of the pan or nearby to recheck the temperature.
    • Fry the donuts. When the doughnuts are doubled in size, remove the pans from the oven. Use two hands to lift the edges of a piece of parchment paper with one raised donut on it. Slowly lower the paper into the oil, dropping one side completely, and holding the paper up on the other side. The paper and the donut should be completely in the oil, except the corner you are holding with your fingers. Shimmy the paper back and forth until the donut slides off into the oil.
    • Let the donut fry on the first side for about 30-60 seconds, until light brown. Use tongs or chopsticks to flip the donut and continue frying for another 30-60 seconds until light brown. (The donuts will continue to darken in color even after cooking.)
    • Use a spider strainer (or slotted spoon or tongs) to gently lift the fried donut to the cooling rack set on top of the absorbent paper.
    • Take the time to check the temperature of the oil before frying more. You might need to wait a couple minutes for the oil to climb back up to 350. Keeping the oil temperature steady is one of the reasons you need to use so much oil when deep frying.
    • Continue frying the donuts, adding 3-4 donuts per batch, whatever you can fit. Check the temperature frequently and make sure it's near 350.
    • When the donuts are all fried, turn off the heat and set the oil aside to cool.
    • Glaze the donuts. When the donuts are cooled enough to touch but still warm, dip them in the glaze. Flip them over and make sure they get completely coated. Wait 20 minutes, then dip each donut again. One dip makes a good donut; double dipping makes a fantastic donut.
    • Let the donuts cool completely. The glaze tastes better when it has had time to dry out and get crisp and crackly. But this of course means you don't get to eat a hot donut. Professional donut shops use a special ingredient (agar) to help the glaze set up faster. (If you want to try it, add 1/2 teaspoon agar to one batch of glaze.)
    • Eat your donuts on day one. No, really. Find a neighbor to share with! Have a donut party! Calories don't count today! Day-old donuts are just not great.
    • How to store donuts: Okay fine, no donut party.
      The first option is to store them in an airtight container. This keeps the donuts themselves fresh and moist, but can make the glaze soggy the longer they sit.
      Second, you can keep them in a loosely closed paper bag. This maintains the structure of the glaze, but they will dry out faster than those in an airtight container.
    • What to do with the leftover oil: Hopefully you saved your oil container! If not, use mason jars. Place your container in the sink. Holler at your people for some help. Place a funnel on top of the container. Hold a strainer over the top of the funnel to catch any dough bits. Pour it in.
      Save it! Store in the cupboard. I use oil 2-3 times before funneling it back in the container a final time and tossing it in the trash.

    Notes

    *I’ve recently fallen in love with instant yeast because it really does just make everything go faster! Try it out if you want, and shorten your rise times by about 20 minutes, or follow the other cues in the recipe. 
    Overnight instructions: You can do EITHER rise in the fridge overnight. I recommend using active dry yeast, not instant yeast for this method.
    First rise overnight: Mix and knead the dough, then place in a greased bowl overnight, covered well. Chill 8-12 hours. Let the dough rest at room temperature for a few minutes, then shape your donuts. Let rise as usual, using the proofing box method as described, and continue with the recipe as written.
    Second rise overnight: Alternatively, you can mix and knead the dough, let it rise for an hour, then shape the dough into donuts and place on the baking sheets. Cover with VERY well greased plastic wrap. Chill overnight. Take the pans out of the fridge. Continue with the proofing box method and let rise in the oven for 30-45 minutes. Follow the rest of the recipe as instructed!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1donut | Calories: 682kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 693mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg