Old-fashioned doughnut with beer glaze is perfect for baseball season

The crack of the bat, the sun teasing its way through the clouds, the unmistakable buzz of anticipation — it’s baseball season, folks, and with it, the promise of warm days and cold beers. For me, it’s a symphony of flavors: delicious fruit, floral pairings and the delightfully unexpected.

I’ve always been a bit of a culinary explorer, especially when it comes to beer. While many sing the praises of savory beer pairings, my heart belongs to the sweet side of life. We’ve all seen the stout-and-chocolate duet; it’s a classic, but sometimes you crave a riff, a twist, something that makes your taste buds do a double-take. I wanted to capture the spirit of Seattle, the city that first taught me the art of the “breakfast beer,” and weave it into a sweet treat.

When I first moved to the Emerald City, I was a transplant from a world where football started at a civilized hour. But here, Sundays meant waking up with the sun. From this, a group of friends, a fantasy football league and a ritual was born. Every Sunday, we’d gather, a motley crew of bleary-eyed fans, armed with pastries and, of course, beer.

Amid the flaky croissants and crumbly muffins, one pairing stood out: the humble old-fashioned doughnut, its sugary crust and a soft, cakey interior, washed down with a crisp ale. It was a moment of pure bliss, a reminder that sometimes the best things in life are the simplest. A doughnut and a beer? Well, that’s practically Maslow’s hierarchy of needs fulfilled, isn’t it?

So, as baseball season kicks off, I wanted to share a taste of that memory, a nod to those early Seattle mornings. But instead of just pairing, I decided to elevate it, to infuse the very essence of that experience into the doughnut itself. A classic old-fashioned — a no-fuss, no-yeast wonder — transformed with a glaze that sings with the hoppy notes of a local brew. It’s a dance of bitter and sweet, a perfect counterpoint to the fried dough, a taste of Seattle in every bite. (And if you’d prefer your glaze beer-free, the recipe below allows for that, too!)

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Old-Fashioned Doughnut With Beer Glaze 

Preparation time: 1 hour 15 minutes (includes minimum chill time)

Cook time: 20 minutes 

Yield: 12 doughnuts 

INGREDIENTS

For doughnuts

• 3 cups cake flour (not all-purpose), plus extra for dough
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Zest of 1 medium orange
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 cup sour cream
• Canola oil for frying

For glaze

• 2 cups beer (I use an IPA or hoppy beer for flavor) or ⅓ cup of water if not using beer
• 2 cups powdered sugar 
• Salt 

STEPS

1. In a bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, orange zest and nutmeg. Whisk together; be sure your zest isn’t in a clump.  
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a separate bowl from the one above), add butter and sugar. Mix until fully combined. Add in egg yolks, and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Add sour cream, and then continue mixing, on low, until just combined. 
3. Add in flour; mix on low until combined. (Scrape the sides down, and make sure there are no dry spots.)
4. Once combined, cover and set in the fridge for at least 1 hour so the dough firms up. (It can sit up to a day in the fridge.)
5. In the meantime, work on reducing the beer. Add beer to a small saucepan, turn to medium-low heat and, stirring occasionally, reduce to ½ cup. Set aside and let cool.  
6. In a heavy-bottom pot like a Dutch oven, heat 2 inches of canola oil to 335 degrees.
7. While the oil is heating up, form your doughnuts. Dust a working surface and the firmed-up dough with flour. Roll to ½-inch thick. Punch out 3-inch discs, and cut another 1-inch circle for the hole. Tip: Save the dough! You can fry them and make doughnut holes. 
8. While the oil is heating up, make the glaze: Combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick to pour, add more beer to thin it out.
9. Prepare a wire rack on a baking sheet lined with parchment or paper towel.  
10. Making the doughnuts: Add multiple doughnuts to the pot; be careful not to overcrowd the pot. (They will initially sink to the bottom before floating up.) Cook for 2 minutes on each side before doing one final flip and cooking it for 30 more seconds; they should be golden brown. Note: Keep the oil temperature between 330 and 340 degrees while cooking the doughnuts.
11. Remove doughnuts with a slotted spoon or spider catcher. Let drain before placing on the wire rack.
12. Repeat the process for all remaining doughnuts.
13. While doughnuts are warm, dip both sides into glaze. (Tip: Gently use a fork to flip to avoid sticky fingers. Also, I glaze them while the other doughnuts are cooking.)
14. Place on a wire rack to cool, and then enjoy!