Blackberry Stuffed Donuts-Donut Man Copycat

I am paying homage to the iconic donut man donuts by attempting to recreating a blackberry version of their famous stuffed donuts. These are so fluffy, flavorful, and delcious. You can substitute the blackberries for your favorite fruit. Peaches and strawberries are two of my favorites.

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Ingredients:

For the donuts, adapted from the linked recipe:

3.5 cups all-purpose flour (see updated note!)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp instant yeast

1 cup cold milk

1 large egg

1 tsp salt

.5 cup salted butter

2 quarts of vegetable oil

For the blackberry stuffing:

3 cups of blackberries

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/3 cup of sugar

the leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme

For the lemon glaze:

1.5 cup of powdered sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

Let's Assemble!

Essential Equipment

My stand mixer is the Kitchen Aid artisan stand mixer. I use it so often for baking, mixing dips, and even shredding chicken.

I got my gorgeous vintage pyrex bowls as a wedding present. I have found a few sets in good condition on Ebay and Etsy.

My big stock pot is from Le Creuset. Its high sides were perfect for frying without getting oil everywhere.

I got the ingredients for this recipe from my local Vons! Very accessible ingredients.

For the Glaze:

Add powdered sugar to a bowl or measuring cup.

Add lemon juice and whisk until all clumps are gone.

For the blackberry stuffing:

Add blackberries, sugar, and thyme leaves to a pot over medium heat.

Stir until blackberries start to burst.

For the cake, I used the Mel's Kitchen Cafe Recipe and Instructions:

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the flour (see note!), sugar, yeast, milk, eggs and mix until combined. The dough will look a little shaggy, that’s ok. Add the salt and continue mixing until well combined and the texture looks fairly smooth, 2-3 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes.

With the mixer running on medium low, add the butter a piece at a time until all the butter has been added and is incorporated into the dough. The dough will have softened considerably and may be sticking to the middle or sides of the bowl. Scrape down the middle and sides as needed.

Knead the dough on medium speed for 10-12 minutes. Start the kneading time after the last of the butter has been added. The dough will be very sticky but as it kneads, it should come together better. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.

You’ll know the dough is done mixing if you can pull up a handful and it stretches easily. It will be very soft. And it may even be sticking to the sides or middle a bit (depending on the mixer you have), but it shouldn’t leave very much residue on your fingers when you pull a handful up. If it is wet and sticky, add 1/4 cup more flour and mix for a few more minutes (resist the urge to add this flour if at all possible unless your dough is a sticky mess).

Transfer the dough to a greased container. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. The dough should double in the refrigerator. UPDATE: a lot of you have reported back that your dough didn’t rise much in the refrigerator overnight, but the donuts still turned out amazing – so if your dough doesn’t rise, don’t give up. Also, place your container of dough on a middle rack where it might not be as cold.

Immediately out of the refrigerator, roll the chilled dough on a lightly greased countertop to about 1/4-inch thick (or slightly thicker). It should be about a 12X16-inch rectangle. Line half sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment.

Cut the donuts and donut holes with a 3-inch donut cutter and place them on the prepared pans. Cut any excess dough into donut holes.

Let the donuts rise, uncovered, until noticeably puffy. I warm my oven to 140 degrees. Turn it off and place the sheet pans of donuts inside to rise for 20 minutes or so. On the counter, it may take 1-2 hours for the donuts to rise.

Place a double layer of paper towels on a half sheet pan.

Heat oil in a heavy pot to at least 2-inches deep or in an electric deep fryer following the manufacturers directions to 350 degrees F (or 365 degrees for darker donuts).

Gently pick up the puffy donuts so they don’t stretch and quickly place them in the hot oil (the bottoms of the risen donuts will be very soft from rising on the greased parchment; the donuts fry best with less air bubbles if they are placed in the oil SOFT SIDE UP). Don’t overcrowd the pot or the oil temperature will fall too quickly.

Cook the donuts until golden brown on the bottom, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Flip with tongs and continue cooking for another minute or so until golden. Lift the donuts out of the oil with the tongs, drain any excess oil, and transfer the cooked donuts to the paper towel lined baking sheet.

Let donuts cools slightly and drizzle the lemon glaze.

Stuff the donuts with the blackberry mixture.

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Thank you for reading and cooking with me!

If you end up making this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag @fullbellydelly, comment, and share!