Homemade Donuts

You don't super sharp culinary skills to make perfect yeast donuts at home--anyone can do it! What you do need is plenty of time, making them the perfect weekend baking project with your children.

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup granulated sugar (divided)

1 packet (or 2 1/4 tsp.) active dry yeast

4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

6 tbsp. melted butter

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Vegetable oil, for frying

The very first step in creating donuts is blooming your yeast: dissolve sugar into lukewarm water, then stir in the yeast. In about 5 min., it'll have turned into a foamy, bubbling layer on top of the water. This is how you know your yeast is alive and that your dough will rise. Stir in with your other ingredients, mix, and then knead until dough feels smooth and elastic.

Let it rise. Donut dough needs to rise twice: first, the dough itself, then the punched out donuts. While the second rise is happening, begin heating up your oil. Fry donuts and serve them with jam or nutella and enjoy.