Pizza Doughnuts
I’m no stranger to savory doughnuts—let’s not forget about these bacon cheeseburger doughnuts—and honestly, I think that savory might just be better than sweet. I hesitate to say that because I just love doughnuts in general and so it’s really hard to pick. I imagine it’s like picking a favorite child when you should love all your children equally. Yeah, it’s just like that. I love all my doughnuts the same. With that being said this time, I’m bringing you these out-of-this-world, too-good-to-be-true Pizza Doughnuts. The dough is studded with pepperoni and cheese and then fried until golden and tossed in more cheese and herbs. Serve with warmed pizza sauce for the ultimate pizza experience. Trust me, you’ll love them.
In all my years of making and sharing recipes on this site, I think these Pizza Doughnuts will go down as one of my top 10 ideas/recipes of all time. It’s honestly so good and so I hope you’ll give them a try because they are more than worth the effort that goes into them. Making yeasted dough and frying can be daunting but a task that can be easily conquered. Let me know what you think below and thank you for following along and reading!
Pizza Doughnuts
Equipment
- Mixer
- Baking sheets
- Doughnut cutter
- Large pot
- Deep-fry thermometer
Ingredients
- 3 ounces pepperoni
- 1 1/4 cups warm milk about 90°F
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- warmed pizza sauce for serving
- fresh basil for serving
Topping:
- 1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the pepperoni in the food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. It should resemble bacon bits. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- To make the doughnuts, place the warm milk in a large bowl or glass measuring cup. Add a pinch of the sugar and stir in the yeast. Set aside and allow to foam and froth up, about 10 minutes. If the yeast doesn’t foam up, toss and start over.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt, butter, eggs, and yeast mixture. Mix on low until the dough starts to come together. Increase the speed and knead on high until the dough becomes smooth, soft and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 8 minutes. If it is too wet, you can add more flour, a tablespoon or two at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Sprinkle in the 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese and the chopped pepperoni from earlier. Knead the dough by hand in the bowl until the cheese and pepperoni are evenly distributed. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel. Place in a warm spot and allow to double in size, about 1 hour.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and dust each lightly with flour, set aside. Once risen, gently punch the dough down and then transfer to a well-floured work surface. Roll out to about 1/2 of an inch thick. Using a 3-inch doughnut cutter, cut out the dough into doughnuts and place onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them out. Don’t forget about the doughnut holes! Knead any scraps together, being careful not to overwork the dough, and let rest for a few minutes before repeating the cutting process. Cover the baking sheets loosely with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Allow to rest in a warm spot until slightly puffed up, about 45 minutes.
- About 15 minutes before the doughnuts are done rising, put the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and heat it to 375°F. Meanwhile, line cooling racks, baking sheets or plates with paper towels.
- Once the oil has reached the correct temperature, carefully add the doughnuts, a few at a time. Do not over-crowd the pot. When the bottoms are golden, after 45 seconds to a minute, use a slotted spoon to flip over; cook until they’re deep golden all over. Transfer to the prepared plates or racks, and repeat with the rest of the doughnuts, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil at 375°F. Lastly, fry the doughnut holes all at once, turning them often to get them evenly browned. Just note that the holes will fry much faster.
- In a shallow dish, toss together the parmesan, Italian seasoning, basil, parsley, oregano, red pepper, garlic, salt and pepper until evenly combined. While the doughnuts are still warm, toss in the cheese mixture to evenly coat both sides. Transfer to a platter. Top with fresh basil and serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping. Doughnuts are best eaten the day they’re made. Enjoy!
