Fluffy donuts from the oven
Nov 29, 2025
Did you know that donuts don't just have to be fried? I'll share with you the recipe for these fluffy donuts from the oven , which you can also easily make in a hot air fryer. These baked donuts (some people search for them on the web as pecene donuts) are lighter, easier to digest, fragrant and still beautifully soft. Fresh yeast dough is a sure bet, a hot air fryer will ensure a golden surface and you'll be glad that you didn't have to heat up a saucepan with lots of oil. You won't even have to stand at the stove and turn the donuts in hot oil (or lard or clarified butter). Or worry about burning yourself or someone else. They're simply ideal when you want to prepare them a little healthier.
Why bake fluffy donuts from the oven?
✓ lighter and less greasy than fried donuts
✓ soft, tender and fluffy thanks to fresh yeast
✓ faster preparation – they only take a few minutes to bake
✓ versatile – you can coat them in cinnamon sugar or cover them with chocolate
✓ also great in a hot air fryer
Recipe for fluffy oven-baked donuts
Ingredients (4 pieces)
210 g plain wheat flour
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
50 g sugar
120 ml lukewarm milk
10 g fresh yeast
1 egg
70 g melted and cooled butter (½ for the dough and ½ for brushing)
Procedure
1) In a large bowl, pour the flour, add the sugar, salt, vanilla sugar and mix. Add the milk, crumbled yeast, egg and 35 g butter.
2) Knead the dough well into a smooth, elastic dough and let it rise, covered, for about 60 minutes on a rack, or until it has doubled in size.
3) Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each into a loaf, or you can roll it into a 1.5 cm thick and about 20 to 25 cm long cylinder and tie the ends together well. Transfer to baking paper.
4) Let rise for another 15 to 20 minutes.
5) Preheat the Airfryer to 180°C. Lightly brush the doughnuts, or donuts if you prefer, with melted butter and place two pieces in the basket. Bake for about 12 minutes until golden brown. After 7 minutes, you can lightly brush them with butter again. Repeat the same with the remaining two pieces of dough.
6) Then bake them in the oven at the same temperature, but the time is 20 minutes plus 2 minutes of hot air at 200 °C and you bake them all at once. Here too, I recommend lightly brushing them with butter once more during baking, after 10 minutes of baking.
7) While still warm, spread them with butter and roll in cinnamon sugar, or spread them with homemade caramel after they cool.
To make your doughnuts really fluffy, give them plenty of time to rise properly. If you have a hot air fryer, your doughnuts will cook even faster and more evenly than in a frying pan. For a change, try filling them with jam or Nutella – just cut them open and spread after baking.
Variations / Seasonal twists
– Instead of cinnamon sugar, roll them in coconut or crushed nuts.
– Prepare the mini version – small donuts that are perfect for celebrations.
– Decorate with colorful icing and sprinkles for Easter.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
– The dough does not rise → the yeast was not fresh or the milk was too hot.
– Donuts are dense → the dough has not developed enough gluten, knead longer.
– The surface is hard → brush the donuts with butter immediately after taking them out, they will soften.
Serving & storage
They are best fresh, still warm. No one doubts that. If you want to keep them, put them in a sealable container after they have cooled completely – they will stay soft until the next day. You can also freeze them and then heat them briefly in the oven.
Enjoy your meal ❤️
