Homemade Custard Donuts (Fried or Baked)
These homemade custard donuts are made with extra fluffy brioche dough, fried to golden brown, coated in sugar, and filled with a thick, luscious vanilla pastry cream.
Servings: 20 donuts
Calories: 285kcal
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Fine mesh sieve
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- oil thermometer or digital thermometer
- metal slotted spoon, spatula, or spider
- wire cooling rack
- Chopstick
- Piping bag with tip, if available
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into tablespoon pieces
Brioche Donuts
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk or water warm
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoon instant yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar or powdered sugar
- 48 oz vegetable oil or canola oil
Instructions
Pastry Cream
- In a bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and sugar, then add the eggs, egg yolk, and whisk until smooth. Set aside.¼ cup cornstarch, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- Set aside another larger bowl with a fine mesh strainer - you will need this immediately after your pastry cream comes off the heat.
- Pour the milk into a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean, scrape out the paste with the back of a knife, and add to the milk. Add the salt.2 cups whole milk, 1 vanilla bean, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Note: If you're using vanilla paste or vanilla extract, DO NOT add it at this point (you will add it when you add the butter at the end).
- Set over medium-high heat and bring it to just under a boil and stir it every once in a while so you don’t burn the milk solids on the bottom of the pan.
- Once the milk is simmering, add ⅓ of the milk to the egg/sugar/starch mixture and whisk constantly to temper the eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the milk and return to medium high heat.
- Whisk constantly, the mixture will begin to thicken and you will see the small milk bubbles start to disappear. Once this has happened, the mixture will quickly thicken and bubble. Allow it to bubble for one minute (while whisking), then remove it from the heat and pass it through the sieve (with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula) into the bowl. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the sieve to get the leftovers.
- Allow the pastry cream to cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in one tablespoon of butter at a time. Don’t add a new piece until the other has been fully incorporated. Once all butter has been added, add the vanilla paste/extract (if not using a vanilla bean) and mix to combine.4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and press the wrap directly on the cream so it doesn’t form a skin. Put the cream in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours, or up to 3 days.
Donut Dough
- Add the eggs, egg yolks, milk and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Turn to medium speed to break down the eggs.2 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, 1 cup whole milk or water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the flour, yeast, and sugar and mix on low speed until combined and shaggy. With the mixer running, add 1 tablespoon of butter at a time, waiting to add the next piece until the prior one is incorporated.4½ cups all-purpose flour, 2¼ teaspoon instant yeast, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter
- Note: when adding the butter, it will look very sticky and wet and like it's not coming together. Be patient.
- Once all the butter has been added, increase the speed to medium and knead for 12-15 minutes. The mixture will have pulled away from the sides (there may still be some stuck on the bottom), forms an elongated ball around the hook, and is slightly tacky, but not sticky. If still sticky and not pulled from the sides, add 2 tablespoons of flour at a time and continue kneading until it pulls away.
- Note: Pulling the dough will stretch quite easily. You can also test by pinching off a piece and pulling it into a square with your fingers - it should be transparent in the middle before ripping.
- Remove the dough from the hook and bowl and add a drizzle of olive oil around the sides and let it fall to the bottom. Add the dough back in and turn it over to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow it to rise in a slightly warm place. This can take 1-2 hours; it should double in size.
- Line 2-3 large baking sheets with 4x4” pieces of parchment paper (this prepares for the best method for frying the donuts).
- Set up 1-2 cooling racks, adding paper towels underneath to catch the drips.
- Add the desired sugar (powdered sugar or granulated sugar, or a bowl of each) to a bowl and set next to the cooling racks.1 cup granulated sugar
- Punch down the dough to release the air and turn it out onto your work surface. Split the dough in half (a bench scraper is great for this), then roll each half into a thick log (about 12" in length).
- Cut each log into 8 pieces, then pull the sides of the dough upwards and pinch to seal. Roll the dough gently on the counter (seam side down) in a clockwise motion (hand on top, wide fingers, not pressing down much) until a tight ball forms. Place it onto one of the square pieces of parchment paper, and continue with the remaining dough.
- Cover the dough balls lightly with plastic wrap and let proof for 30 minutes until they puff up again.
Frying
- 10-15 minutes before proofing time is over, add the oil to a heavy-bottomed pot and turn to medium-high heat. Bring the temperature to 360℉, then reduce to medium. It’s important to keep the oil at a steady 360-370℉ during the fry time. Adjust the heat as needed, checking the oil temperature in between each batch.48 oz vegetable oil
- Pick up the parchment square and donut and add the entire thing to the oil. Use tongs to remove the parchment. Fry 2-4 donuts at a time (leaving space), flipping at the one-minute mark or when golden brown. Flip again if they need to get more golden brown.
- Use a metal slotted spoon or spider tool to remove the donuts and place on the cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining donuts, being sure to check the oil temperature before adding more.
- While the donuts are still warm (about 5 minutes after frying), roll them through the sugar to coat completely and return to the rack.
Filling the Donuts
- Use a chopstick (or bottom side of a clean pen) and insert it into the side (where the white mark is) of the donut. Push it in ⅔ of the way and gently wiggle it around to create a bit of an opening.
- Transfer the cooled and set pastry cream to a piping bag (add a small opening piping tip if you have one), then pipe the custard into the center of the donut. Stop before it starts to ooze out, you will feel the donut getting heavier.
- Repeat with the remaining donuts, then serve within 4 hours. Add the donuts (opening side up) to a basket lined with parchment paper to help prevent a mess and maintain structural integrity.
Video
Notes
See the post write-up for instructions on how to let the dough rise overnight.
Serve and eat the custard donuts within 4-6 hours after making them. After this, they would need to be refrigerated due to the pastry cream filling, but they will then dry out considerably.
If you don't plan to eat or serve the entire batch, store the fried donuts in a sealed container for another day, then fill and serve.
Excess pastry cream can be stored covered in the fridge for one week.
Baked version:
- Follow all steps of making the donuts prior to the frying portion.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Bake the donuts (on the parchment paper pieces) for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden and the center reaches 190℉.
- Allow the donuts to cool for about 5 minutes, then roll through the sugar.
- Finish cooling, then make the opening and fill with pastry cream.
Nutrition
Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 204mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 347IU | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg
