How to Make SOFT & FLUFFY donuts in DETAIL | The ONLY Donut Recipe You'll Ever Need

I’ve been working on getting my donuts just right, and I’m so happy with how these turned out. Soft, fluffy, sugar-coated donuts filled with jam — no more dense, oily or wrinkled results. In this video, I’ll show you exactly how I get that light, airy texture at home. If you’ve struggled with homemade donuts before, this one is for you. Timestamps are in the description if you’d like to jump to a section. Hope it helps💛 A little support goes a long way! If you’d like to help me keep creating, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/retiredcookingwithinno Ingredients 500g flour 2 tsp vital wheat gluten ½–1 tsp dough softener 1 tsp salt 80–90g sugar 50g butter 2 tsp yeast 90g eggs ¾ to 1 cup water or milk (start with less, adjust as needed) Method 1. Combine: flour + gluten + softener + sugar + yeast + salt 2. Add: eggs + most of the water 3. Mix into soft dough, then add butter last. Dough should be: soft slightly tacky (not stiff) 4. Let the dough mixture Rest for 10–15 minutes 5. Knead 10–15 minutes; You want: smooth, elastic, light windowpane (not overworked) 6. Let rise until doubled (about 1–1.5 hrs) 7. Shape; Cut to preferred size 8. Final Proof (VERY IMPORTANT). Let donuts rise until puffy, soft, when touched - slow dent that gently comes back 9. Frying - Fry the donut in 170-175 degrees celcius oil 10. Remove onto rack; allow to cool 11. Fill with desired fillings 12. Enjoy Timestamps 00:00 Intro / Soft, Fluffy Jam Donuts Preview 🍩 00:42 Weighing Flour + Why I Add Gluten Flour 02:06 Dough Softener, Salt, Yeast & Sugar 03:49 Eggs, Water & Adjusting Hydration 05:25 Adding Nutmeg, Butter & Mixing Dough 07:26 Dough Rest (10–15 Minutes) Why It Matters 08:15 Preparing Parchment Squares for Proofing 09:43 Testing Dough During Mixing 11:00 Windowpane Check & Dough Ready 12:35 First Rise Until Doubled 13:29 Dividing Dough into 60g Portions 14:37 Molding & Shaping Donuts 18:04 Final Proofing Tips (Jiggle Test) 18:21 Avoiding Overproofing Mistakes 19:25 Heating Oil & Frying Setup 20:38 The Oil Temperature That Prevents Dense Donuts 22:15 Why This Process Takes Time (Important Details) 23:50 Frying Donuts + The White Ring Explained 25:30 Finished Donuts + Cinnamon Sugar Coating 25:49 Filling with Jam / Filling Ideas 28:18 Final Texture Reveal & Taste Test #homemadedonuts #stlucia #jamdonuts #softdonuts #bakingathome #caribbeancooking