A two-ingredient dough — one cup of self-rising flour and three-quarters of a cup of yogurt — is brought together with a dough scraper, rolled into small balls, sprayed with olive oil and air-fried at 200 °C / 400 °F for 10 minutes. Straight out of the basket the warm balls are shaken in a bowl of cinnamon sugar (1 tsp cinnamon to 2 tbsp sugar) under a plate until fully coated. If your flour is plain, add 1½ teaspoons of baking powder so they puff. Serve warm, with a sweet sauce or melted chocolate for dipping. Serves 4.
Instructions
- 1
Pour 1 cup of self-rising flour onto the work surface and make a well in the centre. If the flour is plain, mix in 1½ tsp baking powder first.
- 2
Add ¾ cup of yogurt to the well a little at a time, mixing continuously with a dough scraper until it comes together into a sticky, cohesive dough.
- 3
Roll the dough into small balls.
- 4
Place the balls in the air fryer basket with a little space between them and give them a quick spray or light drizzle of olive oil.
- 5
Air-fry at 200 °C / 400 °F for 10 minutes until puffed and golden.
10:00 - 6
While they cook, mix 1 tsp cinnamon with 2 tbsp sugar in a bowl.
- 7
As soon as the donut holes come out, tip them into the cinnamon sugar, cover the bowl with a plate and shake until every ball is coated.
- 8
Serve warm, drizzled with your favourite sweet sauce or with melted chocolate for dipping.
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Notes from our kitchen
This is the yogurt-and-self-rising-flour dough that also makes two-ingredient bagels and flatbreads; here it is simply rolled small so the balls cook through in 10 minutes. The dough is meant to be sticky — a dough scraper does the mixing and a dusting of flour on your hands does the rolling; adding more flour to make it tidy gives dense, bready holes. The leavening has to be there: self-rising flour already carries it, plain flour needs the 1½ tsp baking powder or the balls stay flat and heavy. The oil spray is what gives them colour; without it they come out pale and dry on the outside. Coat them while hot — the sugar only sticks to a warm, slightly oily surface, and shaking under a plate coats them evenly without handling.
Variations
- Greek yogurt. Thick Greek yogurt makes a firmer dough that is easier to roll; if it is very thick, add a spoonful of milk to bring it back to sticky.
- Glazed. Skip the cinnamon sugar and dip the warm balls in a glaze of icing sugar mixed with a little milk and vanilla; let it set on a rack for a few minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these with plain flour?
Yes — use 1 cup plain flour and mix in 1½ tsp baking powder before adding the yogurt. Without leavening they will not puff.
Why are my donut holes dense?
Most often too much extra flour went in during rolling, or the leavening was missing. Keep the dough sticky, use floured hands, and check the flour is self-rising or that baking powder was added.
Can I bake them in the oven?
Yes: 200 °C / 400 °F on a lined tray for about 12 minutes, brushed with oil first. They brown a little less evenly than in the air fryer.
How do I store them?
They are best warm. Leftovers keep in an airtight container for a day; warm them for 2 minutes in the air fryer at 180 °C / 350 °F and roll in fresh cinnamon sugar.