Malasadas (Portuguese Donuts)
Malasadas is famous Portuguese donuts. Simple yeast dough is deep fried, then coated with sugar. Deliciously crunchy outside and soft inside.
The local school is closed again due to the cold icy rain. That means kids are home and board out of their mind. Although I would love them being at school so that I can find my peace at home, I kinda like having them at home occasionally. On the dreary weather day like this? We make Malasadas (Portuguese donuts).
I had malasadas for the first time in Hawaii several years ago. My sister bought some from the famous Leonardo’s bakery. I loved it. They were not the kind of fancy donuts adorned with coatings, toppings, or whatever you see in the famous doughnut shops these days. They were like plain basic fried dough. But boy, weren’t they good! The soft and chewy texture of warm malasadas were so satisfying. Ever since I tasted, I had been making them around the winter time every year.
The dough is very sticky, that’s why it creates soft and melt in the mouth texture.
I use a muffin scoop to scoop up the dough. It makes the job much easier.
You have to watch for the oil temperature. You can easily burn the outside of malasadas with the insides still remaining raw. I don’t use thermometer for frying. I just keep the flame on med-low heat adjusting frequently. It takes about 1 minute per side.Â
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The granulated sugar coating makes a big difference. I love the contrast of crunchiness outside and softness inside.
You can’t just have one malasada and quit. They are just too good to eat only one. Such a humble treat to make everyone smile. We usually devour them all in a single sitting. So be aware!
Malasadas (Portuguese Donuts)
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 4 tablespoon melted butter
- 3 eggs
- oil for frying
- extra sugar for coating
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and yeast; mix well.
- In another bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter, and eggs.
- Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture; stir well. The dough will be very sticky. Cover the bowl and let it rise in a warm place until double in volume.
- Deflate the dough and mix with a wooden spoon, rest for 2-3 minutes.
- Meanwhile heat oil over med-low heat. Test with a small piece of dough to see if the oil bubbles up.
- Using a cookie scoop or muffin scoop, scoop up a dough and drop in the oil. Fry until deep golden brown on the surface, then flip to the other side and fry again. Frying time can depend on the size of the dough. Adjust the heat level if needed.
- Transfer the donuts to a paper towel lined plate first to remove excess oil, then coat with sugar. Serve warm. The donuts can harden a little bit as they cool.
Growing up on Kauai, I always saw people scooping out the batter when malasadas were made but it’s hard to find scoopable recipes. Tried yours and the flavor was almost there but I think I’m used to malasadas that are a little bit sweeter inside with a yeastier taste. I’ll have to tweak this recipe a little but it’s a great start! I also found that a muffin scoop was a little too much dough (even with three minutes on each side at 350) so I decreased the amount and slightly flatted each scoop to combat doughy centers. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m comparing lots of malasadas recipes online, they are all so different, in the amount of flour, eggs, sugar, milk/type of milk. I just did my first batch attempt. Turned out ok, they are good but a little too heavy in the dough, not as light and fluffy as i’m aiming for. I have read that the milk needs to be scalded to help create those air pockets and make it fluffier. The recipe i did called for a lot of flour imo, 4.5 cups. Which i thought was too much. But i’m unsure now seeing this recipe only using 3 cups and super sticky/unmanageable dough. I’ve seen some behind the scenes video footage of Leonard’s bakery and their dough is definitely not sticky like this, They actually create little perfectly proportioned dough balls to fry.
Hello Holly, I enjoy browsing your blog and have printed out a number of your recipes. I have a question related to donuts and was wondering if you could help me. At the Korean Asian grocery bakery near me, they sell these donut twists that are really good. They are different than typical American donuts, in that they are a little chewier. I am wondering if they add some sweet rice (glutinous) to the dough in order to achieve that? Really love that extra chewiness. It’s not chewy to the point of mochi or anything, but just has a bit more chew to it than usual donuts. Any ideas?
You can add some of rice flour to the wheat flour. However I am publishing a Korean cookbook this fall and the twisted donuts recipe you are seeking will be in the book. Hope this helps. Thank you.
HOLLY, I HAVE A SIMPLER RECIPE FOR MALASADAS. YOU WOULDN’T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
1 1/2c. bisquick, 1 tsp. B.Powder, 1 T. sugar, 3/4c. milk. 5 slices (square) sandwich bread remove crust and cut into 6-9 squares (fresh bread not couple days old) dip into batter, fry and shake in bag of sugar–
can add cinnamon in sugar. This is what some church’s use for their bazaar’s, and fairs.
Thanks for the recipe. Sounds really good and quick. I will try out soon.
Mmmm, donuts! Love ’em, and almost never make them myself. Great recipe — thanks.
Wish I were young enough to eat some fried stuff. So very tempting!