Potato Doughnuts
These Potato Doughnuts are made using mashed potatoes, creating a softer texture and richer flavor than flour doughnuts. They are perfect for breakfast, dessert, or as a snack.
Have you ever had Potato Doughnuts before? Potato Doughnuts are also known as “Donat Kentang” in Indonesian. These doughnuts are made using mashed potatoes as one of the ingredients. You can find them sold on the street and we usually had them for breakfast or snacks, commonly dusted with powdered sugar.
Super soft and pillowy, these Potato Doughnuts are an absolute classic. Once you know how to make this homemade Potato Doughnuts recipe and fry it up, well… there is no going back.
Potato Doughnuts vs Regular Doughnuts
The ingredients for making these Potato Doughnuts are pretty basic just like most other doughnut recipes. What makes this recipe different is the addition of mashed potatoes inside. Mashed potatoes help keep the bread soft, moist, and fresh by absorbing and holding moisture. They provide a softer texture than flour doughnuts and also make the batter incredibly moist and flavorful.
What Does Potato Doughnuts Taste Like?
The potato flavors are very subtle and you can hardly even tell if there are potatoes in the doughnuts. The mashed potatoes also add sweetness and make the doughnuts richer and more flavorful.
How to Prepare Mashed Potatoes
To prepare the mashed potatoes, steam the potatoes until cooked. Steam instead of boiling because the potatoes do not absorb water like they do when boiled, so you will end up with a fuller, richer flavor.
You can steam whole potatoes or cut the potatoes into smaller pieces. To check when they are done, pierce the potatoes with the tip of a knife or a fork. If the potatoes have become tender and it goes in easily, you are done!
Topping Ideas
Plain doughnuts are already tasty and sweet, but here are some classic toppings you can put on them:
- Powdered sugar dusting
- Sugar glaze
- Sprinkles and margarine/butter
- Cheddar cheese and margarine/butter
- Melted chocolate and chopped roasted peanuts
How to Make Potato Doughnuts
I like to use a stand mixer with a large bowl and a dough hook attachment for this recipe since it is a relatively soft and slightly sticky dough. You can certainly bring this dough together by hand, just try not to add too much additional flour as you knead it.
- We will start by adding bread flour, sugar, and instant yeast into the bowl. Start mixing to combine. Add egg yolk, milk powder, milk, and mashed potatoes. Use cold milk if you live in a warm environment and warm milk if you live in a cold environment. Once the dough forms, add margarine/butter and salt.
- Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a greased bowl. Cover and rest the dough in a warm place for 30-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Deflate the dough and transfer the dough to a working surface. Divide the dough into 12-14 pieces, roughly about 40-43 grams each. Shape them into balls with your hand. Lightly dust a baking sheet with flour. Transfer the balls onto the baking sheet. Cover and rest the dough for 15 minutes.
- Press and flatten the dough slightly with your hand.
- Punch a hole in the middle to shape like a ring. Cover and rest again until double in size for about 30 minutes.
- Heat up oil for deep frying in a large frying pan or skillet on medium heat. Fry 3-4 doughnuts in a batch. The doughnut will puff up. Put a chopstick in the doughnut hole and then spin the doughnuts to prevent the hole from closing. Once the bottom is golden brown, flip the doughnuts. Fry until both sides are golden brown, but not too dark.
- Remove from the oil and transfer to a cooling rack to drain off excess oil.
- Once the doughnuts have cooled down, you can decorate them as you wish.
How to Store
Plain, powdered, glazed, and topped doughnuts keep fresh for one to two days on the counter if well wrapped, and up to a week in the fridge. For longer storage, you can store unglazed plain doughnuts in an airtight container or ziplock bag and freeze them for up to two to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator and warm gently in the microwave before serving.
Potato Doughnuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 gr) bread flour
- 3 tbsp (37 gr) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp (6 gr) instant yeast
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp milk powder
- 3.5 oz (100 gr) mashed potato, from 1 medium potato
- 1/2 cup (120 mk) cold milk, use warm milk if you live in a cold environment
- 2 tbsp (30 gr) margarine/butter, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mash potatoes – Peel and cut the potato into chunks. Steam for 10-15 minutes or until the potato is tender. Remove from the steamer and mash the warm potato with a potato masher or food processor. Set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients – In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, mix together bread flour, granulated sugar, and instant yeast. Start mixing to combine them.
- Add wet ingredients – Add egg yolk, milk, and mashed potatoes. Mix on low speed until dough forms. While the mixer is running, add margarine/butter and salt.
- Knead – Beat until the dough is smooth and elastic. Gently lift up a piece from the surface and stretch it between two fingers to check if the dough passes the windowpane test. If properly kneaded, the dough should stretch, without tearing or breaking, into a thin membrane that you can see through.
- First proof – Shape the dough into a ball and put it into a greased big bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and place in a warm spot for 30-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Divide – Punch down the dough and turn the dough out onto a surface. Knead the dough a few times to push out any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 12-14 equal portions or about 40-43 gr each in weight.
- Shape into balls. – Rotate the dough between your hands in a circular motion to shape them into balls. Put the balls on a lightly floured baking pan.
- Rest – Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for 15 minutes.
- Shape into donuts – Slightly press and flatten the balls with your hand. Use a 1-inch/2.5 cm ring cutter to punch a hole in the middle.
- Second proof – Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
- Fry – Heal oil for deep-frying to 350F/180°C in a large frying pan or skillet. When the oil is hot, drop 3-4 doughnuts at a time. Put a chopstick in the doughnut hole and spin the doughnuts as they fry to prevent the hole from closing. Allow the bottom to become golden brown before turning to the other side, about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Cool – Remove the doughnuts from the oil when they are golden brown in color. Place them on a baking rack to cool completely.
- Top, dust, or glaze as preferred.
Soft and pillowy doughnuts! So good!
Thanks for the feedback Janice!