Champagne Custard Doughnuts

These pillowy soft yeast doughnuts are fried until golden, filled with silky champagne custard, and coated in sparkling sugar for a special treat for brunch.

If you like these doughnuts, you’ll love my champagne cake with champagne buttercream!

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Why You’ll Love These Doughnuts

Perfect for Brunch. Use some of the champagne in the custard, and drink the rest for mimosas!

Versatile. If you don’t like champagne, just make a vanilla bean custard for filling the doughnuts, or fill them with your favorite jam. Coat them in granulated sugar, powdered sugar or drizzle with a sweet glaze!

Ingredients

Doughnuts

• Yeast. Use either instant/rapid-rise yeast or active dry yeast to leaven the dough and make it rise.
• Whole Milk. Adds moisture and richness.
• Granulated Sugar. Sweetens the dough and activates the yeast.
• Flour. You can use either bread flour or all-purpose flour, but bread flour is preferable.
• Salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Nutmeg. Flavor.
• Eggs. Gives the dough richness and strength.
• Butter. Richness, moisture and flavor.
• Vegetable Oil. For frying.

Custard

• Champagne. Just grab an inexpensive bottle that you like.
• Whole Milk. Adds richness to the custard.
• Granulated Sugar. Sweetness.
• Salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Egg Yolks. Adds a rich, silky flavor.
• Corn Starch. Thickens the custard.
• Butter. Adds richness and flavor.
• Vanilla Extract. Flavor.

TIP: It’s important that the eggs are at room temperature, and that you’ve warmed the milk to between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit. If the milk is too cold, it won’t activate the yeast; too hot, and it will kill the yeast.

Instructions

Doughnuts

• In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the yeast, milk and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
• Add the remainder of the 1/4 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, salt, nutmeg, eggs and butter.
• Use the dough hook to mix until combined, then knead for about 5 minutes, gradually adding the remaining 1/2 cup flour.
• The dough should be soft and pull away from the sides of the bowl.  Place the dough in a greased bowl and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
• On a floured surface, gently roll the risen dough out to 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into doughnuts with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter.  Place the doughnuts two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover loosely and set in a warm place to rise a second time until puffed like little pillows.
• Fill a large, flat-bottomed saucepan with 3 inches of oil.  Heat the oil to 365F.
• Working with a few at a time to maintain steady oil temperature, fry the doughnuts for 1 minute on each side, until golden brown.
• Transfer to a wire rack to drain.  Let cool for 5 minutes, then generously coat in sugar.
• Poke a hole in the side of each doughnut, fill a piping bag with the chilled custard and fill each doughnut with custard.

TIP: Make the custard one day in advance and keep it refrigerated, so it’s chilled and ready for filling your doughnuts.

Custard

• Pour the champagne into a saucepan.  Over medium high heat, reduce the champagne to 1/4 cup.
• Whisk in the milk, sugar, and salt.  Whisk in the egg yolks, then the corn starch.  Cook over medium low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla until smooth.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate until well chilled.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?

Yes, if you use instant yeast, there’s no need to activate it first. Simply mix the ingredients together and start kneading the dough.

Can the dough be kneaded by hand?

Yes, if you knead it by hand, be sure to hold back some of the flour to add gradually as you knead it, so it doesn’t stick to the counter. That said, it can be tricky to knead soft dough by hand, since it does tend to stick, and it’s tempting to add too much flour.

What kind of champagne should I use in the custard?

I love inexpensive champagne for baking. A $10 or $12 bottle is just fine. Whatever you don’t use in the custard, make into mimosas to enjoy with your champagne doughnuts!

How do you fill the doughnuts?

You can use either a piping bag or a plastic zip top bag, fitted with a filling piping tip like this one. Just poke a hole in one side of the doughnut, insert the piping tip, and fill with custard. Just be careful not to over-fill, or the doughnut will break open.

What’s the difference between bread flour and all-purpose flour?

Bread flour has a higher percentage of protein than all-purpose flour. You can use either, but I prefer bread flour for yeasted recipes, since it gives the dough a chewier texture, rather than cakey.

How long do these stay fresh?

Homemade doughnuts are best eaten the day they’re made.

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