Description
Listen, I need you to sit down for this one. These aren’t just donuts — they’re buttery, pillowy clouds of brioche heaven that get fried to golden perfection and then drizzled with burnt honey glaze that tastes like liquid caramel had a baby with the most expensive honey you’ve ever tasted. The burnt honey thing sounds scary, but trust me — it’s just honey that’s been cooked until it gets all deep and complex and magical. These donuts are what Sunday mornings were meant to be. Fair warning: once you make these, you’ll never look at Dunkin’ the same way again.
Ingredients
For the Brioche Donut Dough:
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Burnt Honey Glaze:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Frying & Finishing:
- Neutral oil for frying (vegetable or canola)
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Extra honeycomb pieces or toffee bits (optional but gorgeous)
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. In another bowl, whisk eggs, warm milk, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until it forms a shaggy dough. Now here’s where it gets fun — add that softened butter piece by piece while kneading (by hand or with a dough hook) until you have this silky, elastic dough that’s slightly sticky but smooth. It takes about 8-10 minutes of kneading, but it’s so worth it.
Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1-2 hours until doubled. This dough is rich, so it takes its sweet time — use this as an excuse to clean the kitchen or binge-watch something.
Roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface. Use a donut cutter or two round cutters (3 1/2 inch and 1 1/2 inch) to cut your donuts. Save those donut holes — they’re little nuggets of joy. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, cover lightly, and let rise for another 45 minutes until puffy.
While they’re rising, make your burnt honey. Heat honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. It’ll bubble and foam, then turn amber, then a gorgeous deep golden brown — this takes about 5-8 minutes. Don’t walk away! When it smells nutty and caramelized, whisk in butter, then cream. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
Heat oil to 350°F in a heavy pot or deep fryer. Fry donuts 2-3 at a time for about 2 minutes per side until golden brown. They puff up like little pillows — it’s the most satisfying thing ever. Drain on paper towels and let cool for just a minute.
While still warm, dip each donut face-down in the burnt honey glaze, letting excess drip off. Place on a wire rack and dust with powdered sugar. Top with honeycomb pieces or toffee bits if you’re feeling extra fancy.
Notes
Temperature matters: Use a thermometer for the oil. Too hot = burnt outside, raw inside. Too cool = greasy donuts.
Don’t overwork the dough: Brioche should be smooth but still slightly sticky when you’re done kneading.
Make-ahead hack: You can make the dough the night before and let it do its first rise in the fridge overnight. Just bring to room temp before shaping.
Glaze consistency: If your glaze is too thick, add a splash of cream. Too thin? More powdered sugar.
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
Nutrition
- Calories: ~320 kcal per serving
- Protein: 2g