Gluten-Free Doughnuts with Yeast (Fried Gluten-Free Jelly Donuts)

Gluten-free flours required

These yeasted jam doughnuts don’t rely on a gluten-free all purpose flour blend so it's a lot more accessible if you struggle finding the right brand that some recipes require. Only 3 flours are needed in this flour mixture and no xanthan gum. By choosing the right single origin flours we can achieve doughnut dough with the right light and airy results and good flavour.

1.Chickpea flour (aka garbanzo flour, gram flour)

Chickpea flour is a great gluten-free flour choice for bread doughs. It boasts a higher protein content compared to many other gluten-free flours which means you achieve a great structure, texture and robust rise in your doughnut dough. The hearty chickpea flavour isn’t very noticeable as it’s blended with sorghum flour and tapioca starch. READ MORE >>> Guide To Baking With Chickpea Flour.

2. Sorghum flour

This is a wholegrain flour which will give our loaf a lovely fluffy light crumb and a gentle neutral taste. READ MORE >>> The Ultimate Guide to Sorghum Flour

3. Potato starch

This starchy white flour has great binding properties which will give your doughnut dough a good structure. It is a very fine powdery flour and is great for bread doughs as when added to water and heat the potato starch expands quickly so will make for light fluffy doughnuts.

Flour substitutions

I do not recommend substituting any of the flours for an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend as it doesn’t give the same result. However, you can substitute the individual flours for ones with similar properties as suggested below:

• You can substitute the chickpea flour for defatted almond flour (not the same as ground almonds) or soy flour.
• You can substitute the sorghum flour for oat flour.
• You can substitute the potato starch for tapioca starch (tapioca flour).

How to activate the yeast

This recipe was tested with active dried yeast which needs to be activated before it is added to the dough. It's easy to use but can be intimidating if you are using yeast for the first time. Here are some tips to ensure a foolproof experience:

• Check the expiration date: Ideally you should use yeast from a freshly opened packet.
• Check the yeast works: If you are using yeast which has been previously opened you should check if it’s active by mixing a small amount with a little warm water and sugar. Let it sit for 10 minutes. If it becomes frothy and forms bubbles, your yeast is active and ready to use. If not, discard and open a fresh packet.
• Proper temperature: The liquid you use to activate the yeast (for this recipe it’s milk) should be lukewarm (typically 100-115°F or 38-46°C).
• Honey: Adding the honey to the yeast and warm milk will encourage the activation.
• Yeast smell: You can also tell the yeast is active due to its mild, pleasant, slightly sweet odour. If your yeast mixture smells off or unpleasant, then don’t use.
• Activated yeast: You know when your yeast is ready as the mixture will have increased in size with the yeast frothy, thick and with large air bubbles.

How to proof your doughnuts

Proofing your doughnut dough correctly is a critical step that affects their final texture and flavour, so it's important to follow these tips to ensure your doughnuts turn out light and fluffy.

1.Choose the Right Location and Temperature: For optimum yeast activity, you need a draft-free warm place for proofing your doughnuts. A room temperature of around 75-80°F (24-27°C) is ideal. You can use your kitchen or a warm, sunny spot. Avoid drafty areas or places with temperature fluctuations.

✨Expert tip. I always proof my doughs in the centre rack of a turned off oven with the door shut and a pan of just-boiled water on the bottom of the oven. It creates a warm steamy environment. ✨

2. Cover and Prevent Drying Out: Cover your doughnuts with a clean kitchen towel/muslin or oiled plastic wrap during the proving process. This helps retain moisture and prevents a dry crust from forming on the dough's surface. Make sure the covering is loosely placed to allow room for the dough to expand.

3. How do you know when they are proofed correctly: These doughnuts are ready when they have almost doubled in size. It should take about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Watch to ensure they don’t overproof. You can tell this has happened as the dough will split and have large air pockets. Overproofing will affect the texture and flavour of the finished doughnut.

How to fry doughnuts for success

Which pan to use? 

I recommend using a medium standard-sized saucepan. I generally only fry one doughnut at a time so it doesn’t need to be a big pan. It needs to be wide enough to comfortably hold your doughnut and allow you to use a slotted spoon to flip it over. If you want to fry more than one doughnut at a time you’ll need a wider pan.

How much oil? 

The amount of oil you need for frying the doughnuts depends on the size of your saucepan.  You'll want at least 2 inches (about 5 cm) of oil in your saucepan to ensure there's enough depth for the doughnuts to float freely and cook evenly.

If you're using a standard-sized saucepan, you may need about 1 litre (4 cups) of oil to achieve the right depth. Make sure you use a cooking oil with a high smoking point - like canola oil, vegetable oil or peanut oil (ground nut oil).

Maintaining oil temperature

The oil will take about 10 minutes to reach the right temperature which is between 160-170°C / 320-340°F. Check the temperature using a digital thermometer with metal probe. The temperature will probably fluctuate as you are cooking your doughnuts so keep checking it with the thermometer to make sure it doesn't get too hot. If it does then turn off the heat for a couple of minutes to lower it.

✨If you love doughnuts but aren't keen on fried doughnuts then try these Gluten-Free Baked Glazed Raspberry Ring Doughnuts. They are so quick and easy to bake up and taste incredible!!✨

Step-by-step instructions

For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Doughnut Preparation:

• Warm 110ml of milk to 100-115°F (38-46°C) in a saucepan.
• Combine the warm milk, yeast, and honey in a jug. Rest for 10 minutes until bubbly.
• In a separate large mixing bowl, mix 100ml water and psyllium husk to create a gel.
• In another bowl, whisk together flours and salt.
• Add yeast mixture, flours, melted butter, vanilla, and egg to the psyllium gel. Mix for 2-3 minutes.
• Flour your hands, divide the dough into six 100g portions, and shape them into balls.
• Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, cover with oiled cling film, and let them prove for 45 minutes to 1 hour until they increase in size.