Brûlée Donuts Crunchy Soft (Printer-Friendly Layout)
Tender, airy donuts stuffed with pastry cream and finished with a hard caramel sugar topping.
# Ingredients You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 -
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
02 -
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)
03 -
120 ml warm water or warm milk (about 40°C)
04 -
60 g unsalted butter left out of the fridge
05 -
2 large eggs
06 -
4 g fine sea salt
07 -
60 g granulated sugar
08 -
7 g instant yeast
09 -
320 g plain flour
→ Pastry Cream Filling
10 -
10 ml rum or brandy (use if you like)
11 -
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or the seeds from half a vanilla pod
12 -
30 g unsalted butter
13 -
20 g cornstarch
14 -
50 g sugar
15 -
3 large egg yolks
16 -
250 ml whole milk
→ Caramel Topping
17 -
80 g sugar
→ Optional Garnish and Variation
18 -
Almond, coconut, or hazelnut flavors—pick one for some fun
19 -
Cocoa powder (roll for extra flavor)
20 -
A bit of cinnamon or nutmeg, sprinkled on top
21 -
Some toasted nuts, chopped up for decoration
# Step-by-Step Instructions:
01 -
First, grab some warm water or milk, stir in the yeast, and just hang tight for 10 minutes till it gets bubbly.
02 -
Toss sugar, salt, and flour into your mixer bowl. Dump in that foamy yeast mix and let it stir on low speed until things get shaggy.
03 -
Now, crack one egg in, give it a chance to mix fully, then do the next one the same way.
04 -
Drop in butter, any lemon zest, and a splash of vanilla if you want. Keep mixing—knead everything together for something like 8 minutes, till it’s smooth and stretchy.
05 -
Hide that dough under plastic or a damp towel and let it chill in the fridge overnight. Or just let it puff up at room temp until you see it double (usually takes 1–2 hours).
06 -
Plop the puffy dough on a clean surface. Chop it into 12 little pieces and gently roll each into a ball. Set them on a parchment-covered tray.
07 -
Lay a towel over the dough balls and wait for them to rise again at room temperature, about 45 to 60 minutes.
08 -
Pour oil in your heavy pot and get it to 175°C. Fry the dough balls a couple of minutes per side, making sure they turn golden brown everywhere.
09 -
Move the fried doughnuts over to a plate lined with paper towels so extra oil soaks off.
10 -
Heat up the milk till it’s steamy, not bubbling. In another bowl, whip egg yolks with sugar and cornstarch till it looks silky.
11 -
Slowly whisk the hot milk into those eggs, then pour it all back in the pot. Keep stirring over medium heat so it gets nice and thick.
12 -
Take the pot off the heat. Blend in the butter, the vanilla, and any rum or brandy you’re feeling. Let it cool down, then scoop it into a piping bag.
13 -
Grab your piping tip, poke into each cooled doughnut, and squeeze in some cream.
14 -
Scatter sugar on the doughnut tops. Hit it with a kitchen torch till you see caramel or dunk the tops in caramelized sugar to get a golden crust.
15 -
Give the caramel a chance to harden. Feel like dressing up? Go ahead—shake over some nuts, cocoa, or spices. Eat while they’re super fresh for the best bite.
# Extra Tips and Tricks:
01 -
Feel free to switch up the flavors in your dough or filling—try another extract or maybe some extra citrus on a whim.
02 -
A kitchen torch really nails that perfect caramel finish—crisp and even every time.
03 -
Let your cream get good and cold before piping so it's nice, smooth, and thick.