pumpkin brioche doughnuts

Pumpkin Brioche Doughnuts

pumpkin brioche doughnuts

It’s that time of year again: pumpkin in everything! I have to admit I don’t mind the pumpkin-y goodness showing up all over the interwebs; there is something very comforting (once the cold weather hits) about all the cinnamon spice in the air. We decided to update our pumpkin pie brioche recipe just a little, and as we are big fans of doughnuts over here, pumpkin doughnuts, of course, had to happen. If you are not yet in the mood for pumpkin, you can find our regular brioche doughnuts here. And, if you need a gluten-free treat, we have Apple Cider Gluten Free doughnuts here.

Also! Don’t forget you can pre-order our new cookbook, Holiday and Celebration Breads in Five Minutes a Day. You can read all about the book here. The book comes out November 6th, and you can preorder here.

pumpkin brioche doughnuts

pumpkin brioche doughnuts

Pumpkin Brioche Dough (There is a whole wheat version of this dough here)

7 1/2 cups (1065g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoons granulated yeast
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
4 large eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (freshly roasted or canned)

To fry the doughnuts:
Vegetable Oil – 3 to 4 inches deep, use a pot that is large enough that your oil is not sitting too high in the pot.
Cinnamon sugar (one cup sugar + 2 tablespoons cinnamon)

Mixing and storing the dough: with a Danish Dough Whisk, whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a 5-quart Food Storage Container, fitted with a non-airtight lid. Combine the liquid ingredients and add them to the dry with a wooden spoon. Mix thoroughly, until there are no more dry bits of flour. The dough will be quite loose when you are done. (You can also use a 5-Quart Stand Mixer (with paddle) to mix the dough.)

Cover the container and allow the dough to rest on the counter for 2 hours. Once it has risen refrigerate for at least 4 hours before baking or it is too difficult to handle. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

On Baking Day (if you need to see a visual, you can check out our other post on doughnuts here, with more pictures on shaping and frying):
Pull out a 1-pound piece of dough and roll it out to a 1/2-inch thick. Use a Doughnut Cutter or round cookie or biscuit cutters. Use a small cutter to use up all of the scraps. Allow the dough to sit for at least 20 minutes (and up to one hour) while the oil heats up.

Once your oil reads 360-370°F on a Candy Thermometer you are ready to fry. Use a slotted spoon or Basket Strainer to flip the doughnuts over after about 2 minutes and then to take them out of the oil once they are golden brown on both sides. Lay them out on paper towel to allow some of the oil to drain off. Whisk together the cinnamon sugar in a large bowl and dip the doughnuts in it. Eat them slightly warm.

21 thoughts to “Pumpkin Brioche Doughnuts”

  1. Thank you for this recipe! I can’t wait to try it! Can this dough be frozen? Also, I can’t wait to get your new holiday cookbook!!! Pre ordered it a few weeks ago!

    1. Hi Kim,

      Thank you, enjoy the doughnuts! The dough can be frozen. We usually freeze it in 1 pound pieces that are double bagged in gallon-size ziplock bags. It can be frozen for a few weeks.

      Thanks, Zoë

  2. I noticed one of the differences (updates) between the original whole wheat recipe and this is a decrease in the fat (1/2 cup down from 3/4 cup) in the dough. Is this just because of the flour difference, the fact that the doughnuts are fried, or is there an improvement in the texture with the lower fat?

    (Getting ready to make this for pumpkin cinnamon rolls this weekend 🙂 )

    1. Hi Michelle,

      The flour will make a big difference and the dough will have a bit more structure to it without as much fat. Both are delicious, it’s just a different texture.

      Thanks, Zoë

  3. Excited to try this.. and also making it into a loaf. How do you recommend doing the loaf – time/temp as well as do you just put a rounded ball in or does it need any shaping prior?

  4. I made these the day i got the recipe. . .and they are fantastic! Dense, moist, and very flavorable! That recipe is definitely a keeper!!!!

  5. These look amazing! Do you have any suggestions for making any of your recipes in an insta pot or pressure cooker?

      1. Thanks Jeff for replying. I was hoping all that moist heat would help form a crusty crust but it probably just makes it soggy! Will stick to what works! Thanks again.

  6. This is a general comment rather than specifically about this recipe… but I want you to know I am a total convert to your no-knead bread! After a few experimental batches of the basic recipe, I think I hit my stride today! My biggest disappointments have been the low rise. I did some additional research on the topic and then used some conventional wisdom to come up with a beautiful, high boule as pictured in the book “The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day”. All has been great with the mixing, 2 hour rise, and refrigeration. I pulled out 1.5 pounds of dough today and approached it a little differently than I had. I did a little more “pull and fold” as I shaped the dough to help create a tighter “skin” on the ball to help hold it’s round shape, based on my research. I never deflated it entirely and worked quickly, but I did manipulate it a bit more than I had in the past efforts, making sure to pinch the bottom folds together. This seems to have helped stop the low and wide spread I was getting previously. I then let it rest for 60 minutes at room temp rather than 30 since my refrigerator is VERY COLD and the dough felt quite cold to the touch when I had put it in the oven in the past. I also did 450 degrees CONVECTION versus regular oven baking. Everything else remained the same as instructed in the book. I got a beautiful oven pop – a lovely high, round loaf…SO HAPPY! Thank you for the great book, can’t wait to try some of the other recipes. You have transformed the way I bake bread!

  7. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! My dough is currently rising in the refrigerator, waiting to be shaped and fried. I can’t wait! I was wondering if you think I could make these same donuts using applesauce or apple butter instead of pumpkin?

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