In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the flour, dry yeast, and caster sugar. Give it a good mix with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Next, add the egg yolks and mix again. It might look a little messy at first totally normal.
Then slowly add in the milk and the softened butter. Use your hands if needed to bring it all together into a nice soft dough. It should feel a little sticky, but not too wet. If it’s too sticky, just sprinkle in a tiny bit more flour.
Form the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and set it in a warm spot to rise for about 2 hours. This is a great time to tidy up, start a load of laundry, or hide in the pantry with a snack (no judgment).
Once your dough has puffed up, sprinkle your countertop with a bit of flour and turn the dough out onto it.
Roll it out to about ½-inch thick. Then, using a round cutter (a drinking glass works in a pinch), cut out your donut shapes. To make the holes in the center, a small bottle cap or a ¾-inch round cutter does the trick perfectly.
Place each donut on a piece of parchment paper or a lightly floured tray. Let them rest for another 30–60 minutes to rise a bit more. This second rise makes them super light and fluffy once they hit the oil.
Pour the oil into a deep frying pan or pot and heat it up. If you have a thermometer, aim for around 350°F (175°C). If not, test it by dropping in a small bit of dough it should sizzle and start cooking right away, but not burn.
Carefully place 1–2 donuts at a time into the hot oil. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to flip them gently.
Place the cooked donuts on a plate lined with paper towels to cool and drain off any excess oil.Hot tip: Keep the kids (and pets) at a safe distance while you fry. It’s a mama rule I live by. Once the donuts are cool enough to handle (but still slightly warm is fine), mix together the icing sugar and water to make a smooth glaze. You want it thick enough to coat, but not so thick it just sits there.
Dip each donut into the glaze and set them on a cooling rack or baking sheet.
Now for the fun part: sprinkles! Go wild with pink, orange, and white. Let the kids help or don’t. I fully support adult-only sprinkle therapy.
