Cream Filled Donuts are the testing ground for this new Tangzhong method!
If you have not yet heard of this Japanese method for transforming yeast bread recipes into the softest, fluffiest clouds of goodness, you are in for a treat!
Admittedly I was very skeptical about this recipe from the start
Merely a roux that is cooked from a portion of the flour and milk from the donut recipe
And then added back to the dough with the rest of the ingredients
But by the end of this process I was definitely sold on Tangzhong!
Super spongy and fluffy donuts just from adding this special trick to your dough!
Stuffed and bursting with creamy vanilla bean custard these donuts are going to become your new obsession!
AND BONUS! this cream filled donut recipe happens to be baked not fried which for me is a major win!
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Notes for Success:
You will notice I am using EnerG Egg Replacer for this baked donut dough recipe
Substitute with 3 teaspoons of cornstarch plus an extra ½ teaspoon of baking powder
The substitution is definitely a solution but not as good as the original version!
Cornstarch is a very difficult ingredient to measure consistently with a volume/spoons measure
So while I list both measures below I cannot stress enough how the grams measure with a scale is going to give you the best results
The flour listed below is a range from 4-5 cups.
Depending on the conditions in your kitchen and geographic location will determine how much flour you will need to use
Cream Filled Powdered Donuts
Ingredients
For the Donut Dough:
- All Purpose Flour 4-5 cups *see note above (500g-625g)
- Sugar ½ cup (100g)
- Dry Yeast 1½ Tablespoons (15g)
- EnerG Egg Replacer *see notes in text of blog post for alternative ingredients 4 teaspoons (6.5g)
- Baking Powder 1 teaspoon (3g)
- Salt 1 teaspoon (6g)
- Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons (10ml)
- Plant Milk *I use soy milk 2 Cups + 2 Tbs (500ml)
- Vegan Butter 6 Tablespoons (85g)
For the vanilla Bean Custard:
- Plant Milk *I use soy milk 2 cups (475ml)
- Sugar ½ cup (100g)
- Cornstarch * see note above 4 Tablespoons (32g)
- Vegan Butter 2 Tablespoons (28g)
- Vanilla Bean Paste 2 teaspoons (10ml)
- Aquafaba for brushing the donuts dough approximately ¼ cup
- Confectioner Sugar approximately 2 cups for coating the donuts
Instructions
- For the Donut Dough, first prepare the Tangzhong by taking out ½ cup of the flour and combining it with 2/3 cup (160g) of the plant milk in a small sauce pot
- Whisk it smooth over a medium heat stirring constantly until it reaches 150°F on an instant read thermometer.
- Scrape out the roux into a small bowl and let cool to lukewarm to the touch.
- Combine the room temperature plant milk with the dry yeast & a pinch of sugar in a small bowl and whisk together, let stand for 5 minutes to prove the yeast
- In the work bowl of your electric stand mixer with a dough hook attachment combine all the ingredients including the cooled roux, the proved yeast/milk mixture and the softened vegan butter and mix on low speed to form a shaggy dough.
- Once the dough comes together increase the speed to medium and mix for 4 minutes.
- Add flour as needed to make a soft pliable dough rather than a sticky blob.
- The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but not be tough **watch video tutorial for more information and explanation on how the dough should look.
- Decrease the speed back to low and mix for another 5 minutes
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour or until almost double in size.
- Meanwhile prepare the custard by combining the sugar & cornstarch together in a small bowl with a whisk, then add to a heavy bottom medium sauce pot with the plant milk
- Bring to a full boil whisking constantly to avoid scorching the bottom, then remove from the heat and add the vegan butter & vanilla bean paste
- Transfer to a bowl and cool in the refrigerator while you finish the donuts.
- Once the dough has risen to double, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll to 1/2" thickness.
- Cut donuts with a 3.5" cookie or biscuit cutter and transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Re-roll the dough scraps gently and you should get 9-10 donuts total out of this recipe
- Brush the donuts with aquafaba and then cover lightly and rise again in a warm spot.
- Once the donuts have risen again to almost double preheat the oven to 350°F and bake immediately for approximately 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown and no longer raw in the middle.
- Cool slightly (they should still be warm) and then plunge each donut into a powdered sugar
- With a skewer or something similar, hollow out the centers of each donut and then fill with the cooled vanilla bean custard
Notes
Custard filled donuts will stay fresh for up to 2 days at room temperature, however I am not sure I would want to leave them filled with custard at room temperature.
I left mine on the counter for 1 whole day 24 hours, and they were still good and the custard did not go bad, but I am not sure I would feel comfortable leaving them out longer than that.
Yeast products will get stale before they go bad because there are no preservatives to keep them fresh for several days.
Hi
I’m wondering whether I can make them with gluten free flour and Xanthan gum. They may not be lovely and light like yours but may be passable.
Thank you Gretchen again! For the EnerG Egg replacer, could I replace it with linseed meal and water, diminishing the soya milk by the same quantity? And could I use oat milk instead of soya? I make my own, so good, and this is what I always use in pretty much everything. Thank you for your advices.
interesting. I am an avid sourdough bread baker and learned of the TANGZHONG method about six months ago. Last week, I learned that I could get that same result by using oatmeal porridge in my dough which brings moisture into the bread. I love learning new things and you have shared so many tips through all the years I have followed you (since Crumb Boss days). Love all your recipes that I have made. Keep the creations coming.