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Top-down look at three glazed donuts with white icing and vanilla specks, arranged in a triangle.

Amish Long John Donuts (Cream-Filled Bakery Favorite)

Fluffy Amish long john donuts with a smooth vanilla frosting, made from a yeast-risen dough and fried to golden perfection.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Amish

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 1 cup lukewarm water 237 ml
  • 2 packages active dry yeast 4.5 tsp, 14 g
  • 1 cup milk 237 ml
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 1/2 cup margarine 113 g
  • 2/3 cup sugar 133 g
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • pinch ground nutmeg
  • 7 cups bread flour 980 g
  • vegetable shortening for frying
Frosting
  • 1/2 cup butter softened, 113 g
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 cups powdered sugar 480 g
  • 1/2 cup milk 118 ml

Method
 

Dough
  1. Dissolve yeast in water:

    In a small bowl, combine the lukewarm water and yeast, stirring until fully dissolved. Set aside.
  2. Add scalded milk:

    Heat the milk until scalded, then allow it to cool to lukewarm. Add the lukewarm milk to the yeast mixture.
  3. Mix eggs and margarine:

    In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, margarine, sugar, salt, and nutmeg until thoroughly combined. Add this blend to the milk-yeast mixture.
  4. Knead bread dough:

    Incorporate the bread flour gradually, mixing until the dough becomes elastic and manageable.
  5. First rise until doubled:

    Put the dough in a warm spot, cover with waxed paper, and allow to rise until it doubles in volume, roughly 2 hours.
  6. Shape into oblong pieces:

    Deflate the dough and split it into two equal portions. Roll each portion to a thickness of 3/4-inch (2 cm) and cut into oblong pieces 7 inches (18 cm) long.
  7. Second rise until puffy:

    Allow the cut pieces to rise again until they become puffy.
  8. Fry rolls until golden:

    In a deep pan, heat vegetable shortening to a depth of 2 to 3 inches (5-7.5 cm) until very hot (around 350°F (175°C)/177°C). Fry the rolls in batches until golden brown, roughly 2 minutes per side.
Frosting
  1. Make butter frosting:

    For the frosting: In a medium bowl, cream the softened butter with the vanilla and 1 cup (120 g) of powdered sugar. Slowly add the milk and the remaining powdered sugar, stirring until the mixture is smooth.
  2. Frost cooled rolls:

    Once the rolls have cooled, frost them if desired.