Krispy Kreme (Not At All Krispy Kreme) Donuts!

So this week, I wanted to bake something, but I had no idea what. I wasn't really having a sweet craving, so I asked Will what he felt like. He said he wanted these: Krispy Kreme copycat donuts, which of course, I found on Pinterest.  I had made these once before, and it did not go well. I think I used water that was too hot, and the yeast didn't activate properly, because the dough did not rise at all! Looking back, I also think I cooked them too quickly, the oil was too hot. So they ended up really doughy inside and too crispy on the outside, and the glaze didn't taste like donuts, it just tasted like sugar.

So, I decided to try again to see how I messed up.

 The ingredients

 First, I added the milk to near-boiling water (I added to boiling last time)

 Next was a teaspoon of the sugar

 Then the yeast. Then I let this activate

 In a separate bowl I combined the rest of the sugar, the flour, and a pinch of salt. Then cut in the butter

 The yeast actually activated this time (probably because I didn't kill it with boiling water) 

 Mixed 

 Kneaded on a floured surface for 10 minutes

 Then I left this covered in a warm place for 1.5 hours

It actually rose! 

 While the dough was rising, we decided to go with a chocolate glaze, which was just powdered sugar, coco powder, and a couple teaspoons of milk

 Frying the first one

 The finished product. If you can't tell, the first ones cooked way too quickly. The oil was way too hot, which I didn't realize until it was too late. 

 Then we poured the glaze

The finished products

These were much better than last time, mostly because the yeast actually worked so they weren't doughy in the middle. The taste wasn't great though. They didn't taste like a real donut, a little too much dough flavor. What saved them (made them edible) was the chocolate glaze. The glaze itself tasted pretty similar to what you'd get from a donut shop. In terms of the title of the Pinterest post, these were absolutely nothing like Krispy Kreme donuts. If the flavor were to resemble anything at all it would be of the type of donut you might get in a mom & pop donut shop, very homemade tasting (and horrible in terms of donuts, not that mom & pop places make horrible donuts :p) All in all, I might try donuts again, but I'm definitely not using this recipe.