Perfecting Doughnuts Like a Bakery Pro
Bakery-style raised doughnuts perfectly proofed, golden fried, and topped with a variety of glazes, sprinkles, and textures for a professional finish.
It’s Not Just the Recipe—It’s the Technique
There’s nothing quite like biting into a perfectly fried, fluffy doughnut—light as air inside, golden and just crisp on the outside, with that signature puff and bounce that makes you wonder if it came from a professional bakery. But if you’ve tried making doughnuts at home and ended up with oily bottoms, pale color, or doughy centers, you’re not alone.
One of the most common things I hear from bakers (both beginners and seasoned) is:
“I followed the recipe exactly, so why are my doughnuts greasy or undercooked?”
When it comes to doughnuts—especially raised yeast doughnuts—technique matters just as much as the recipe itself. A great recipe gives you the foundation, but it’s your handling, your proofing environment, your oil management, and your frying setup that take it from "just okay" to bakery-level. If you follow any of my tips, recipes, and content in my Facebook groups, you know I stress about techniques, especially in yeast dough and troubleshooting before blaming recipes.
This post doesn’t include a doughnut recipe—but if you’re looking for one used in commercial kitchens, complete with professional instructions and all the details baked in, you can find my Raised Doughnuts Recipe available here on Etsy.
Whether you're a cottage baker, a home baking enthusiast, or someone looking to level up your skills for a business, you’ll walk away from this post with a better understanding of why things go wrong, and how to get that picture-perfect, airy, golden doughnut every time.
1. Oil Temperature Matters
Let’s start with one of the biggest culprits behind oily or undercooked doughnuts: inconsistent oil temperature.
Even if you’re using the best doughnut recipe in the world, frying at the wrong temperature—or letting the temp fluctuate too much, can ruin the final texture. Most home setups (especially gas stovetops and some countertop fryers) don’t hold temperature very well, which means your doughnuts are constantly being exposed to either too-hot or too-cool oil.
The Sweet Spot Is 350–365°F (175–185°C)
In my Raised Doughnuts Recipe, I list this as the ideal frying range, and here’s why:
Below 350°F: The dough will absorb oil instead of sealing quickly. This leads to greasy, soggy doughnuts with pale, limp crusts.
Above 365°F: The outside browns too fast while the inside stays undercooked or dense. You’ll get a crisp exterior with a raw or gummy middle - not what you want in a light, fluffy doughnut.
This range (350–365°F) gives you even cooking, proper puff and rise in the oil, and a clean, golden finish without excess oil absorption
Consistency is Key
It’s not just about hitting that temperature, it’s about holding it steady throughout the fry. Every time you drop dough into the oil, the temperature will dip. If you’re not adjusting the heat or giving the oil time to recover between batches, that dip can ruin the batch.
Use a reliable thermometer (digital probe or candy thermometer). Avoid guessing.
Let your oil preheat for at least 5–10 minutes before adding doughnuts—it needs time to fully stabilize, not just hit temp once.
Don’t overcrowd the pot. Add 2–3 doughnuts at a time max, depending on the size of your fryer or pan.
Monitor between batches. Wait for the oil to bounce back to 350–365°F before adding more.
Double Check Your Fryer
Many home-use fryers cap out around 375°F but don’t always recover heat quickly or evenly. If you’re struggling with pale or oily doughnuts despite “setting it to the right temp,” test your fryer with an external thermometer..you’d be surprised how off some of them are.
2. Frying Oil: What the Pros Use (And Why It Matters)
If you’ve ever wondered why your homemade doughnuts don’t quite taste—or feel—like the ones from your favorite bakery, the oil might be a big part of the difference. It’s easy to assume any neutral oil will do, but professional kitchens are more strategic.
What Many Bakeries Use
Many commercial bakeries and doughnut shops don’t fry in liquid vegetable oil at all—they use solid shortening (like Crisco or high-ratio frying shortening) for several reasons:
Cleaner flavor with fewer off-notes
Less absorption because of the fat structure
Crisper edges and more even browning
Longer oil lifespan when filtered properly
Shortening also creates that distinct “bakery doughnut” texture that’s slightly crisp on the outside but still soft and light inside.
Can I Still Use Canola or Vegetable Oil?
Absolutely! That’s what most home bakers use, and it can give great results—as long as you stay on top of temperature and oil quality. If you’re using liquid oils like canola, peanut, or vegetable, just be mindful of:
Freshness: Old oil breaks down faster and can leave a greasy, bitter aftertaste.
Burnt debris: Flour or dough particles can scorch and darken the oil—strain it between batches if needed.
Flavor carryover: Reusing oil from other fried foods can affect your doughnuts. Always use fresh oil for sweets.
If you’ve been struggling with oily doughnuts and you’ve already dialed in your temps, consider testing a batch in solid shortening. You might notice an instant improvement in texture, oil clarity, and overall feel.
Pro Tip: Blend Your Oils
Some pastry chefs use a mix of shortening and vegetable oil to get the best of both worlds: shortening's structure with the cleaner mouthfeel of oil. A 50/50 ratio can be a great starting point.
Proofed, shaped, and fried with consistency in mind. Even color and height are signs of proper dough thickness, careful handling, and steady oil temperature throughout the batch.
3. Shaping & Cutting Like a Pastry Chef
You might be surprised how much shaping affects the final outcome of your doughnuts. In a bakery setting, the way dough is rolled, rested, and cut is just as important as the ingredients themselves. These steps create the structure and shape that leads to even frying and a picture-perfect finish.
Let’s break down how to shape like a pro.
Roll to the Right Thickness (and Keep It Consistent)
This is a small detail that makes a huge difference.
Ideal thickness before cutting: ½" to ⅝" (1.2 to 1.6 cm)
Too thin? You’ll get flat, crispier doughnuts with less rise in the fryer.
Too thick? The outsides may brown before the inside is fully cooked, resulting in gummy centers.
Use a rolling pin with guides or a dough mat with markings to stay consistent across batches—especially if you're selling or photographing them.
Don’t Twist the Cutter
This one’s a pro tip that often gets missed: never twist the cutter when punching out your doughnuts. Twisting seals the edges of the dough, which interferes with proper puffing and can cause uneven rise or lopsided shapes.
Instead you can press straight down, lift straight up, flour your cutter lightly to prevent sticking
Let the Dough Rest Briefly Before Cutting
After you roll out your dough, give it 5–10 minutes to relax before cutting. This helps prevent shrinkage and keeps the dough from snapping back after cutting. It also reduces tension, which allows a better proof and a cleaner shape.
This step is especially helpful if you’ve worked the dough a lot during shaping or if it feels tight and elastic.
Bonus Tip: Chill the Cutter
Professional bakeries often chill their metal cutters briefly before use, especially in warm kitchens. A cool cutter glides through dough more cleanly, giving sharp edges that fry up evenly without pulling or tearing.
Shaping might seem simple, but this is where a lot of home bakers unknowingly sabotage their doughnuts. Get this part right, and you’ve already set yourself up for better rise, even puffing, and a beautiful final product.
4. Proofing: The Make-or-Break Stage
You’ve nailed your dough, rolled it to the right thickness, and cut it cleanly—but now it’s time for the part that many home bakers rush or overlook: the final proof.
Proper proofing is what gives bakery-style doughnuts their signature puff, soft interior, and delicate texture. Skip this step—or mistime it—and you’ll end up with dense, chewy, or oily results. Proofing is another step I stress about in my Facebook groups regarding yeast baking.
What Is Proofing, Exactly?
Proofing (or final rise) is the stage where your cut doughnuts rest and rise before frying. During this time, the yeast creates gases that gently expand the dough, making it airy, light, and ready for the hot oil.
Ideal Proofing Environment
Doughnuts don’t like to proof too quickly or too slowly. You’re aiming for:
Temperature: 75–85°F (24–29°C)
Humidity: Covered loosely or placed in a draft-free, slightly warm area
If your kitchen is chilly, try:
Preheating your oven for 1 minute, then turning it off and placing the tray inside with the light on
Proofing near a warm stove
Creating a DIY proofing box with a bowl of hot water in a microwave or oven (turned off)
How Long Should It Take?
Depending on your dough and environment, proofing can take 30–60 minutes or more. The key is to judge readiness by feel and look—not the clock.
Signs of Properly Proofed Doughnuts
Look for -
Puffiness: They should look visibly airy and expanded—not flat or firm
Wobble: Gently shake the tray—do they jiggle slightly? That’s a good sign!
Springiness: Press the dough lightly with a fingertip—it should leave a small dent that slowly bounces back
Signs of Under- or Overproofing
Underproofed Doughnuts look flat, fry unevenly, absorb oil. The dough hasn’t developed enough air pockets. And Overproofed Doughnuts deflate or collapse when moved. Gluten is too weak to hold the structure
Don’t Proof on Cold Trays
If your tray is cold (like straight from the fridge or metal on a cold counter), it’ll slow the rise. Let trays come to room temp or line with parchment over a warm surface.
Proofing is where a lot of beginners lose the doughnut’s potential. Don’t rush it. And if your doughnuts always turn out a bit dense or oily, underproofing is often the reason.
5. Frying Like a Pro
This is where it all comes together, but also where it can all fall apart fast. Once your doughnuts are proofed, frying is the final and most visual step, and it’s not just about tossing dough into hot oil. Professional bakers know that the success of this stage depends on attention to detail and a calm, controlled process.
Let’s walk through what makes bakery-style frying so successful—and how to replicate it at home.
Don’t Crowd the Oil
As tempting as it is to fry several at once, overloading your fryer or pan drops the oil temp fast, which causes greasy, uneven doughnuts.
Home fryers or pots: Fry 2–3 doughnuts at a time
Large pans (like Dutch ovens): Maybe 4 max, depending on size
Between batches: Always allow the oil to return to 355–360°F before adding the next round
Timing & Flipping
How long should you fry? It depends on thickness, oil temp, and size—but in general:
About 1½–2 minutes per side is ideal for classic raised doughnuts
Look for a golden color, not just a pale beige
Flip gently once the bottom is golden—you can use a spider strainer or slotted spoon (never stab or pierce them)
You should see that signature pale ring form around the sides if proofing and frying temps were just right—that’s the “proof ring” you’ll find on bakery doughnuts.
Gently Transfer Proofed Dough
Handling matters. Doughnuts that are properly proofed will feel airy and delicate—avoid stretching, squeezing, or pressing them as you transfer them into the oil.
Some techniques to help:
Use pre-cut parchment squares under each doughnut, then gently lower the whole thing into the oil (the paper will release and can be removed with tongs)
Or use a lightly floured spatula or your fingertips to slide them in gently
Keep Your Oil Clean
Bits of flour or dough that fall off during frying can burn and degrade the oil quickly. To help:
Shake off excess flour before frying
Skim the oil between batches using a mesh skimmer
Strain oil after use if you plan to reuse it (cool it first!)
Test With a Scrap
Before frying your full batch, test with a small scrap of dough from the trimmings. You’ll see how the dough reacts in the oil, how quickly it colors, and whether the temp is truly stable.
When you master the frying process, you’re 90% of the way to doughnut perfection.
6. Draining & Cooling: Ditch the Paper Towels
You’ve fried your doughnuts to golden perfection—don’t let the final step undo your hard work. How you cool and drainthem can affect the texture, appearance, and even the flavor. This is one of those pro-level details that gets overlooked in most home tutorials.
Why You Shouldn’t Use Paper Towels
We’ve all seen it—fried food placed on a plate lined with paper towels to “soak up excess oil.” But here’s the problem:
Steam collects under the doughnut, especially on the bottom
That trapped moisture can make them soggy or limp on one side
Paper towels can actually press oil back into the doughnuts as they sit
This creates that greasy, slightly wet feel—not what you want after all your work to fry cleanly.
Wire Racks
Instead, transfer your doughnuts to a cooling rack set over a sheet tray. This allows:
Air to circulate underneath
Oil to drip off cleanly
Even texture on both sides of the doughnut
Line the sheet tray with parchment or foil underneath the rack to catch the oil and make cleanup easier.
When to Glaze or Sugar
Timing is everything here, especially with sugar coatings or glaze.
For classic sugar coating: Toss the doughnuts in granulated sugar while still warm—not hot, but warm enough for sugar to cling.
For glazes: Wait 5–10 minutes until the doughnuts are still warm but not steaming. Glazing when too hot = runoff and melted mess. Too cool = patchy glaze that doesn’t cling well.
If you're using a dip glaze (like vanilla or chocolate), let it set on the rack to firm up and develop that beautiful finish.
Work in Batches
Only glaze or sugar what you can manage in a few minutes. Doughnuts cool fast—so if you're doing a large batch, work in rounds to keep coatings consistent.
7. Bonus Tips from the Bakery Kitchen
These are the little things that never make it into most recipe cards or online tutorials—but in a bakery or pastry kitchen, they’re second nature. If you’re serious about leveling up your doughnuts, these bonus tips will make a noticeabledifference in both process and product.
Let the Dough Rest Before Cutting
After rolling out your dough, give it 5–10 minutes to rest before cutting. This relaxes the gluten and helps reduce shrinkage. Doughnuts that spring back or turn out lopsided often needed just a bit more resting time.
Bonus: It also makes cutting cleaner and helps maintain uniform shapes.
Don’t Cut Dough Too Cold
If your dough was refrigerated or very cool when rolled out, let it warm up slightly before proofing and frying. Cold dough can:
Fry unevenly
Puff slowly
Absorb more oil
Warm room temp (not cold or sticky) is the sweet spot for clean handling and even frying.
Weigh Your Dough for Even Sizing
In a bakery, consistency matters. Use a kitchen scale to portion out dough evenly before shaping. This ensures:
Uniform proofing
Even frying times
Picture-perfect results in photos or boxes
Even if you’re using a cutter, weighing your scraps and re-rolling them properly helps reduce waste and keeps every doughnut looking pro.
Less Flour = Cleaner Fry
When rolling out, use just enough flour to prevent sticking—no more. Excess flour burns in the fryer, darkens your oil, and clings to the doughnuts (which makes them feel gritty or oily).
Use a soft pastry brush or your hands to dust off any visible flour before frying.
Re-Rolling Scrap Dough - Let It Rest.
If you gather your dough scraps and re-roll them, give the dough at least 10–15 minutes to rest again before cutting. This allows gluten to relax and prevents tough, dense doughnuts from overworked dough.
Consider a Test Fry Before Every Batch
Even pros do this: before committing your full tray, fry a small scrap or one doughnut first. It’s a fast way to check:
Oil temp accuracy
Fry time
Browning level
It gives you a chance to adjust before going all in—and saves your batch if something’s off.
Bonus Flavor Tip: Add Aromatics to the Sugar
For sugar-coated doughnuts, try tossing the sugar with a little vanilla bean powder, citrus zest, or ground cinnamon. It’s a small bakery-level trick that creates a deeper aroma and flavor profile. Your customers (or family) will notice the difference.
8. Troubleshooting Common Doughnut Issues
Doughnut Troubleshooting Guide
Oily doughnuts
Likely causes: Oil temperature is too low, pan is overcrowded, or the dough is underproofed.
Fix: Maintain oil temperature between 350–365°F, fry in small batches, and make sure your doughnuts are fully proofed and airy before frying.
Pale or uneven color
Likely causes: Oil is too cool, the temperature is unstable, oil is old or dirty, or excess flour is burning and darkening the oil.
Fix: Keep oil hot and consistent, use clean oil, and dust off any extra flour before frying.
Dark outside but raw inside
Likely causes: Oil temperature is too high, dough is rolled too thick, or doughnuts are underproofed.
Fix: Lower the oil temp slightly, roll dough to ½" thickness, and allow dough to fully proof before frying.
Tough or chewy texture
Likely causes: Dough was overmixed, too much flour was used during shaping, or dough was too cold when fried.
Fix: Mix gently, use minimal flour when rolling out, and let cold dough rest at room temperature before frying.
Flat or dense doughnuts
Likely causes: Dough was underproofed, overhandled, or not rested enough after rolling.
Fix: Allow a full proof until puffy and jiggly, handle gently after shaping, and rest the dough before cutting.
Collapsed or deflated doughnuts after frying
Likely causes: Dough was overproofed, handled too roughly, or the oil temp was too low causing delayed puff.
Fix: Fry promptly once fully proofed, transfer gently into oil, and make sure oil is hot and ready.
Sugar or glaze won’t stick
Likely causes: Doughnuts were too cold, glaze was too cool or dry, or sugar was applied too late.
Fix: Coat sugar while doughnuts are still warm (not hot), and apply glaze once doughnuts are slightly warm, not cold.
Misshapen or uneven doughnuts
Likely causes: Cutter was twisted during shaping, dough was rolled unevenly, or the dough was not rested before cutting.
Fix: Always press straight down with the cutter, roll evenly to ½", and allow dough to rest 5–10 minutes before cutting.
Still not sure what went wrong?
Your oil temp – 90% of issues begin here.
Your proofing – Second most common culprit.
Your handling – Especially after proofing.
Use these three as your top checkpoints any time your doughnuts come out less than ideal.
It Takes a Few Tries
Even pros mess up a batch now and then—what makes the difference is knowing why and adjusting next time. The more you make them, the more natural it becomes to read the dough, control the oil, and recognize the signs of perfect proof.
Mastering doughnuts isn’t just about having the right recipe—it’s about learning the why behind each step. From oil temperature to proofing, shaping to draining, every little detail adds up to that perfect bite: crisp on the outside, light and airy inside, never oily or heavy.
And just like anything in baking, it takes practice. The more you pay attention to the process, the more second-nature it becomes—and soon you’ll be pulling off bakery-quality doughnuts right in your home kitchen or cottage bakery.
Thanks for reading!
Carter
