Homemade Fluffy Donuts – Just Like Grandma Used to Make
Soft, golden, and full of flavor – these twisted old-fashioned donuts bring back the sweet charm of childhood, dusted with powdered sugar or topped with a spoonful of jam.
Homemade Fluffy Donuts
Course: Quick meals, Sweets, Traditional recipesCuisine: RomanianDifficulty: Easy8
servings1
hour25
minutes20
minutes425
kcal1
hour45
minutesThese donuts are more than just a dessert – they are sweet childhood memories, moments when family gathered around the table and laughter was always present. Grandpa would tell us stories as he shaped the dough, while grandma carefully fried the donuts in the old cast iron pot. It’s a simple recipe, but it carries the taste of tradition, childhood, and the emotions of summers spent in the countryside.
The taste of a holiday at grandma and grandpa’s – a theme fragrant with nostalgia that opens the door to priceless memories. For my sisters and me, every day felt like a holiday at our grandparents’ house. We were lucky to grow up just a few houses away from each other. I fondly remember playing ball in the street, and the only thing that would slow us down was the smell of grandma’s delicious treats.
You can find the full recipe on Chef Adrian Hadean’s blog, along with many other recipes created during the internship program.
I struggled to choose just one favorite because grandma gave an extraordinary taste to every dish, no matter how simple. I had a beautiful childhood, eating by the stove in winter and on a blanket under the walnut tree in summer. From soups and stews to simple baked goods with surprising fillings… Even the homemade lard with crushed cracklings, spread on a slice of fresh homemade bread with onion and a sprinkle of paprika, tasted so much better when prepared by grandma and grandpa.
But the donuts were the dessert we all took part in – young and old alike. Grandma would set the big cast iron pot on the bricks, grandpa would light the fire, and mom and aunt would prepare the ingredients: fresh eggs, milk from the cow, wheat from the mill, and spices. We kids waited eagerly for our turn – both to eat and to help shape the dough alongside grandpa.
Their smell would fill the whole yard. Grandma would lay a blanket on the grass and place a big bowl in the middle, full of fluffy, powdered donuts. What wonderful times… and what a beautiful childhood!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the dough:
400–450 g sifted flour150 ml warm milk
2 whole eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
40 g melted butter
20 g fresh yeast (or 10 g dry yeast)
Vanilla extract – to taste
Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
A pinch of salt
For frying:
Oil (enough for frying – about 500 ml, depending on the pan)For serving:
Powdered sugarYour favorite jam – we had blueberry, but plum or sour cherry works wonderfully too!
Directions
- Here’s how easy they are to make, and you can shape them however you like – round, twisted, or however you prefer.
- Preparing the dough:
In a large bowl, I mixed the yeast with the sugar and melted butter. Then I added the warm milk, eggs, vanilla sugar, and the rest of the flavorings. If you prefer, you can activate the yeast separately in a smaller bowl before adding the other liquid ingredients. - Incorporating the flour:
Finally, I added the sifted flour, mixing with a wooden spoon, spatula, or by hand until I got an elastic and slightly sticky dough. The dough is kneaded for about 10 minutes. If it’s too soft, you can add 1–2 tablespoons of flour, but not too much — it should remain fluffy. - Letting the dough rise:
I covered the bowl with a clean towel and left the dough to rise in a warm place for 60–90 minutes, or until it doubles in size. - Shaping the doughnuts:
After the dough had nicely risen, I divided it into 8 equal pieces. Each piece was gently rolled out by hand on a lightly floured surface, forming a long rope. Then, I twisted the rope and shaped it into a spiral doughnut.
This is a simple and fun step, especially if you have helpers around — kids always love shaping the dough and joining the “play” in the kitchen.
The shaped doughnuts were covered with cling film or a clean towel and left to rest for about 10–15 minutes to relax a bit before frying.
- Frying the doughnuts:
In a deep pot (ideally a cast-iron cauldron or a heavy-bottomed saucepan), I heated the oil over medium heat. It’s important to have enough oil so the doughnuts can float—about 3 to 4 finger-widths of oil should be enough.
To check if the oil is ready, you can do a test with a small piece of dough: if it starts sizzling immediately and floats to the surface, the oil is perfect for frying. - I placed the doughnuts one by one into the hot oil and fried them for about 2–3 minutes on each side, until they turned golden and beautifully browned. I removed them with a slotted spoon and let them drain on a platter lined with paper towels.
- Serving – Fluffy Grandma-Style Doughnuts:
While still warm, I generously dusted some with powdered sugar, and kept others plain to enjoy with jam — pure childhood magic in all its glory!
They are so fluffy and flavorful that I honestly tell you: they’re delicious even on their own, without any extras. - And just like that, with flour-covered hands and hearts full of memories, we briefly relived the taste of childhood — simple, sincere, and unhurried.
Maybe time has passed and we’ve grown up, but the joy of making something delicious for loved ones remains the same.
And if you close your eyes and take a bite of a fluffy doughnut, you might hear, even for a moment, the laughter echoing in your grandparents’ yard and the crackling of wood in the stove. - I hope you try them with love! And most importantly, share them with your loved ones. In the end, the taste of childhood is sweeter when shared.
Wishing you days filled with smiles and sweet memories,
With love, Ely 💛
