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Chocolate Filled Donut Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Chocolate Filled Donut Recipe

I made these chocolate filled donuts on a lazy weekend, and I have not stopped thinking about them since. The dough is soft and pillowy, almost like a brioche donut recipe, and the chocolate center is pure joy. I love that the dough rests in the fridge overnight, so the hard work is done before you even wake up.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 package active dry yeast: Check the date because old yeast means flat donuts.
  • 4 tablespoons sugar divided: Use 1 tablespoon to wake the yeast and 3 for the dough.
  • ½ cup warm water about 100°F: Warm, not hot, so the yeast stays alive.
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour about 480 g: Weigh it for a soft dough that is not dense.
  • ½ cup warm milk or water about 110°F: Milk gives a richer, softer crumb.
  • 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk: The extra yolk adds richness and a tender bite.
  • ¼ teaspoon salt: It balances the sweetness and strengthens the dough.
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened and cut into pieces: Soft butter blends in smoothly.
  • Cooking oil for deep frying: Pick a neutral oil with a high smoke point.
  • ½ cup sugar for dusting: Coat the donuts while they are still warm.
  • ¾ cup chocolate spread at room temperature: Room temperature makes piping so much easier.

Method
 

  1. Stir the yeast, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and the warm water together in a small bowl. Leave it alone for about 10 minutes. It should turn foamy, which tells you the yeast is alive and ready to work.
  2. Add the flour, warm milk, egg, yolk, salt, yeast mixture, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar to your mixer. Mix until a dough forms, then add the soft butter. Keep mixing until it turns smooth and very soft.
  3. Move the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover it well. Refrigerate it for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight. This slow rest builds flavor and makes the soft dough easy to roll out.
  4. Dust your counter with flour and roll the dough to about ½ inch thick. Cut rounds with a 2½-inch cutter or a glass. Gather the scraps and re-roll them until you use all the dough.
  5. Place the rounds on a flour-dusted baking sheet and cover them. Let them rise for about 20 minutes, until they look nearly doubled. In a cool kitchen, this can take longer, so be patient.
  6. Spoon the chocolate spread into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Keep the spread at room temperature so it flows smoothly. This is my favorite simple chocolate donut filling recipe because it takes no cooking at all.
  7. Heat the oil to 365–375°F and hold it there. Fry 3 or 4 donuts at a time for about 1 minute per side. Flip once and cook until they turn a rich golden brown.
  8. Lift the donuts out with a slotted spoon or forks. Set them on paper towels to drain for a minute. Let the oil return to temperature before you add the next batch.
  9. Poke a hole into the side of each donut with a dowel or chopstick. Wiggle it gently to make a small pocket inside. Pipe in the chocolate until the donut feels pleasantly heavy.
  10. Roll or dust the donuts with sugar while they are still warm. The sugar sticks best at this stage. Serve right away for the softest, gooiest bite.

Notes

  • I let the cut rounds rise fully before frying. When I rushed this step, my donuts turned out heavy.
  • I keep an oil thermometer clipped to the pot. When the oil drifted, the donuts either burned or soaked up grease.
  • I weigh my flour instead of scooping. This keeps the dough soft and easy to handle.
  • I warm my oven briefly, turn it off, and proof the donuts inside on cold days. It works every time.
  • I fry in small batches so the oil stays hot. Crowding the pot always gave me pale donuts.
  • I fill the donuts while they are still warm. The chocolate turns silky and melts into the crumb.