Gluten-Free Yeast Doughnut Recipe

This recipe is gluten-free, egg-free, and nut-free.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 heaping tablespoon rapid rise yeast
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/4 cup Kraft instant vanilla pudding dry mix (Kraft is GF, per this link)
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons white sugar
4 tablespoons from a Best Life Buttery Baking Stick (I’ve recently started using this and it has revolutionized my baking. While the baking stick container does not expressly say GF, it has almost exactly the same ingredients as the Best Life spread which is labeled gluten-free.
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup rice milk
1 baking powder egg (1 tablespoon oil, 2 tablespoons water, 2 teaspoons baking powder mixed in small bowl)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Canola Oil for frying
Additional brown rice flour for sprinkling dough

Optional Glaze:
1 /2 cups of powdered sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
1/8 cup water (depending on how thick you want your glaze, you might need less/more water)

Directions:

Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large stand mixer bowl. Pour water into a small bowl and add the Best Life (or a suitable substitute ). Melt in microwave until the shortening has melted. Add remaining liquid ingredients and baking powder egg, and stir to combine.

Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and using the dough paddle attachment, mix on medium speed for 3 minutes…it’s okay to stop once or twice to scrap the bowl down. The dough will be quite sticky, but not watery or liquid.

Turn dough out onto a flat surface that has been covered with parchment paper that has been dusted with rice flour. If you’re like me, you never seem to have parchment paper around when you need it, so plastic wrap works. After dusting the ball of dough in rice flour to remove the stickiness, pat or roll out the dough till it is approximately 1/2 inch thick.

Using a doughnut cutter, cut out doughnuts and place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper (or plastic wrap). If you don’t have a doughnut cutter, the mouth of a glass or jar will work too, and you can just “cut out” the hole with a knife. Roll the scraps back into a ball and repeat the patting/rolling/cutting process again. Depending on the size of your cookie sheet, you might need a second one.

Place cookie sheet(s) in a warm place to rise for at least 30 minutes. Don’t expect them to rise as big as a gluten donut, but you should see them rise at least to an additional quarter to half size.

Once doughnuts have risen to a suitable size, pour canola oil into large pot, deep fryer, or a Dutch oven. Heat oil to 365 degrees and then carefully put the donuts into the oil, only frying a few at a time depending on the size of your pot. Turn occasionally to achieve an even brownness. Once you take them out of the oil, place them on a cooling rack lined with paper towels to drain.

After doughnuts have cooled, you can dip them in glaze and top with your favorite toppings, such as sprinkles or coconut. Doughnuts are best eaten fresh, or frozen for later reheating in a microwave or oven.