Buffet Sugar Donuts
Sides & Finishers: The Extras
Let's be honest: this isn't an ancient delicacy from the Ming Dynasty. It's a brilliant, high-margin, immigrant-invented hack designed to satisfy American sugar cravings under the neon glow of a buffet heat lamp. But instead of turning our noses up at canned biscuit dough, we're going to embrace it, because it flawlessly mimics the fluffy, cakey interior of a traditional Chinese fried mantou. Tossed hot into granulated sugar straight from the wok, these magnificent little dough balls transform from a buffet afterthought into a steaming, crackling revelation that tastes exactly like you remember—only infinitely better because you didn't let them sit around since lunch.
Before you start
Set up a landing zone for the hot donuts.
Pour the granulated sugar into a wide, shallow bowl and keep it right next to the stove so you can toss the dough immediately after frying.
Ingredients
- standard refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough1 can
- neutral oil4 cup
- white granulated sugar1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Heat the oil in a wok or heavy pot to exactly 350°F.
Pour 2 to 3 inches of neutral oil into your vessel and use a deep-fry thermometer to dial in the heat. Too cold, and they act like grease sponges; too hot, and the outside burns before the dense biscuit center cooks.
- 02
Fry the dough balls in small batches until golden brown.
Working in batches of 5 or 6 so you don't drop the oil temperature, drop the dough into the wok. They will immediately bob to the surface. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side, constantly agitating and flipping them with a spider or chopsticks for an even crust.
- 03
Transfer the hot donuts straight to the sugar bowl without draining.
This is the crucial restaurant trick: scoop the donuts out with a spider, give them a single shake to drop the heavy excess oil, and plunge them immediately into the granulated sugar. Bypassing paper towels allows the residual hot oil to slightly melt the sugar, coagulating it into a thick, signature frosting-like crust.
- 04
Toss vigorously to coat and serve immediately.
Roll the steaming donuts in the sugar until entirely encased, and eat them within fifteen minutes for the perfect contrast of crunchy shell and pillowy, slightly savory interior.
Notes
Buy the absolute cheapest biscuits you can find.
Avoid 'flaky layers' or oversized varieties at all costs. The flaky style will delaminate and unravel in the hot oil like an accordion, absorbing grease and ruining the smooth, spherical shape.
Diagnosing a raw center.
If the donuts are browning in under 45 seconds and remaining doughy in the middle, your oil spiked past 375°F. Turn down the heat and ensure your dough balls aren't too massive.
Leave the air fryer in the cabinet.
Don't even think about air-frying these. The violent heat of deep frying is non-negotiable for creating the characteristic crackly crust and providing the residual oil required to make the sugar coagulate.
The traditional dipping option.
For a nod to this dessert's traditional culinary ancestor—Zha Mantou (fried steamed buns)—serve these alongside a small bowl of warmed, sweetened condensed milk for dipping.