Long John
intro
Soft, pillowy oblong yeast-raised donuts coated in smooth vanilla glaze, a beloved cross-regional bakery staple popular across the US and Canada.
Ingredients
Steps
In a small bowl, combine whole milk warmed to 43°C/110°F, 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar, and active dry yeast. Stir gently, then let rest 5 minutes until a foamy layer forms on the surface to confirm the yeast is active. In a large stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the all-purpose flour, remaining granulated sugar, fine salt, cooled melted butter, room-temperature eggs, and foamy yeast mixture. Mix on low speed (speed 2 on most household stand mixers) for 8 minutes until a smooth, soft, slightly tacky dough forms that pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
Grease a large clean mixing bowl with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Form the mixed dough into a tight, smooth ball, place it in the greased bowl, and turn the dough to coat its surface lightly in oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and a clean cotton kitchen towel, then let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot (24°C/75°F) for 60 minutes until the dough doubles in total volume.
Once the first rise is complete, punch the dough firmly in the center to release all trapped air, then turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough into an even 1cm (1/2 inch) thick rectangle, then use a floured pastry cutter to slice it into 8 equal oblong pieces, each 10cm (4 inches) long and 4cm (1.5 inches) wide. Arrange the cut pieces 5cm (2 inches) apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Loosely cover the shaped dough pieces with a clean kitchen towel, and let them undergo a second rise in the same warm, draft-free spot for 30 minutes. The donuts are ready to fry when they are puffy, light to the touch, and hold a shallow indent when pressed gently with a floured finger.
While the dough finishes its second rise, heat 1.5 liters of vegetable oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot to 175°C/350°F, clipping a candy thermometer to the pot side to monitor temperature consistently. Carefully lower 2-3 donuts into the hot oil at a time, cooking for 90 seconds per side until deep, even golden brown on both surfaces. Use a slotted metal spoon to transfer cooked donuts to a wire rack set over a baking sheet, and let them drain excess oil for 5 minutes.
While the donuts cool slightly, whisk together powdered sugar, pure vanilla extract, and heavy whipping cream in a shallow wide bowl until completely smooth, with no visible lumps, forming a thick but pourable vanilla glaze. Dip each warm (not piping hot) donut fully into the glaze, turning to coat all sides evenly, then place it back on the wire rack for 10 minutes to let excess glaze drip off and set before serving.
Tips
2.Avoid overcrowding the frying pot, as adding too many donuts at once will cause the oil temperature to drop sharply, resulting in greasy, soggy donuts instead of light, crisp-edged ones.
3.Wait until fried donuts have cooled for 3-5 minutes before glazing; piping hot donuts will cause the glaze to thin and slide off instead of forming a smooth, even, set coating.
OMG these long johns are SO good!!! I made them for my kid’s soccer team potluck last weekend and every single one was gone in 10 minutes flat. The glaze is perfectly sweet, not cloying at all, and the dough is so fluffy I could cry. Only note is I let my first rise go 20 minutes longer because my kitchen is pretty cold this time of year, and that worked perfectly. Will absolutely be adding these to my regular weekend bake rotation!!
Just pulled these out of the fryer 10 minutes ago and had to run to comment! I was craving a gas station style long john but didn’t want to leave the house in the rain, so I gave this recipe a shot. Game changer, honestly. The texture is spot on, just like the ones I used to get from the corner donut shop as a kid. I messed up the glaze a little at first by adding too much milk, but a quick extra scoop of powdered sugar fixed it right up. 10/10, will make again every time the donut craving hits.
These were a hit with my whole family for Sunday brunch! I was a little nervous because I’ve never made yeasted donuts before, and the medium difficulty rating had me worried, but the instructions were so clear and easy to follow. My kids loved helping dip the donuts in the glaze, even if half of it ended up on their fingers instead of the donut lol. Only thing is the total time took me closer to 2.5 hours because I had little helpers slowing me down, but it was totally worth it.
Solid recipe. I made a double batch on Sunday to have for quick breakfasts during the work week, and they held up way better than I thought they would in an airtight container. I did cut the glaze sugar by a tablespoon because I prefer less sweet breakfasts, and that was perfect for my taste. Definitely a good make-ahead option if you don’t mind a little weekend prep work.
Okay so I totally botched my first batch because I used instant yeast instead of active dry and didn’t adjust the amount, oops. My bad, not the recipe’s fault! The second batch turned out amazing, though, once I looked up the proper conversion. The glaze is so glossy and perfect, I felt like a professional baker pulling these long johns out of the fryer. Already sent the recipe to my whole family group chat, can’t wait to try more donut recipes from this site!