Homemade Timbits

Every Timbits Recipe on the internet uses baking powder, and I'm going to show you why that doesn't work. My recipe uses yeast, and it results in a lighter and fluffier texture, and it tastes exactly like a Timbit!

Can't get enough of Tim Hortons? Try my Tim Hortons Chili next!

🍩 About The Recipe

This has to be one of my most rigorously tested recipes on my website, and I'm so happy to finally be sharing it. I've tried so many Timbits recipes online, and I was disappointed by every single one of them, so I knew I had to try making my own.

The key difference is to use yeast instead of baking powder. And I'm telling you right now, it makes all the difference. I know it's way less convenient, but the results are infinitely better. They are lighter, airier, fluffier, and waaay tastier.

Baking Powder Vs. Yeast

If you're familiar with doughnut making, you know they can be made with either baking powder or yeast. Doughnuts made with baking powder are called "cake doughnuts." They have a denser and more compact crumb. Their texture is comparable to muffins or cakes.

On the other hand, yeasted doughnuts are made with yeast, and they end up way lighter and fluffier. Timbits are 100% a yeasted doughnut. They have an airiness that can't be replicated using baking powder.

Baking Vs. Deep-frying

I wanted to see whether baking or deep-frying the Timbits would result in a better texture. I cooked two batches. One was deep-fried for 2-3 minutes at 285°F, and the other was baked at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. The reason I deep-fried at a lower temperature was to ensure the inside got cooked before the outside burned.

The deep-fried Timbits were absolutely perfect. They were light and fluffy on the inside and they had the perfect spherical shape.

The baked Timbits were denser and they came out with a more dome-like shape. They also developed a layer of dry skin on the outside, but this might be because I didn't spray them with oil.

🧂 Ingredients

The ingredients are quite standard for a yeasted doughnut: all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, yeast, milk, eggs, and butter. For the yeast, I'm using instant yeast because you can mix it directly with the dry ingredients. If you're using active yeast, make sure to bloom it in the milk and sugar first.

For the glaze, you'll need powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.

🔪 Instructions

STEP 1: Combine 1 cup of flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt. Add butter, egg, and milk, and whisk the batter vigorously until smooth.

STEP 2: Add the remaining flour and continue mixing until well combined. The dough will be quite sticky.

Transfer to a well-floured surface and knead for about five minutes or until it's no longer sticky and appears relatively smooth. You may need to add up to ¼ cup of flour as needed. Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the bowl.

STEP 3: Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour. If your house is cold, this could take up to two hours.

STEP 4: Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a well-floured surface and flatten it to a ¾-inch thick rectangle. Use a dough scraper to cut the rectangle into logs, then divide each log into small pieces.

STEP 5: Roll each piece into a ball and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave about 1 inch of space between each ball.

STEP 6: Loosely cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.

STEP 7: Heat 1 inch of oil to 285℉ in a high-walled pot. Fry 6-8 Timbits at a time for 2-3 minutes, gently stirring and turning them constantly, until golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to dry.

STEP 8: In a small bowl, whisk milk, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract until it has the texture of thin paint. If it's too thick, add a tiny bit more milk.

STEP 9: While the doughnuts are still warm, add a handful of doughnuts to the glaze bowl and coat them gently with the glaze. I use my hands for this. Transfer them to a wire rack to dry. Allow the doughnuts to sit for at least 10 minutes to let the glaze set. Enjoy!

📋 Recipe

Homemade Timbits

Every Timbits Recipe on the internet uses baking powder, and I'm going to show you why that doesn't work. My recipe uses yeast, and it results in a lighter and fluffier texture, and it tastes exactly like a Timbit.

4.95 from 18 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Calories 480 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Doughnut Dough

• ▢ 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 4 tablespoons sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons instant yeast (see notes)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• ▢ 4 ½ tablespoons butter (melted)
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 cup milk

Glaze

• ▢ ⅓ cup milk
• ▢ 2 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For Frying

• ▢ neutral oil

Instructions

 

• Combine 1 cup of flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt. Add butter, egg, and milk, and whisk the batter vigorously until smooth.
• Add the remaining flour and continue mixing until well combined. The dough will be quite sticky. Transfer to a well-floured surface and knead for about five minutes or until it's no longer sticky and appears relatively smooth. You may need to add up to ¼ cup of flour as needed. Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the bowl. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a well-floured surface and flatten it to a ¾-inch thick rectangle. Use a dough scraper to cut the rectangle into logs, then divide each log into small pieces.
• Roll each piece into a ball and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave about 1 inch of space between each ball. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.
• Heat 1 inch of oil to 285℉ in a high-walled pot. Fry 6-8 Timbits at a time for 2-3 minutes, gently stirring and turning them constantly, until golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to dry.
• In a medium bowl, whisk milk, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract until it has the texture of thin paint. If it's too thick, add milk, one teaspoon at a time.
• While the doughnuts are still warm, add a handful of doughnuts to the glaze bowl and coat them gently with the glaze. Transfer them to a wire rack to dry. Allow the doughnuts to sit for at least 10 minutes to let the glaze set. Enjoy!

Notes

Yeast: I prefer using instant yeast, but you can also use active yeast. However, active yeast must be activated in a liquid before use. To activate it, combine the yeast with the milk and sugar and let it rest for 15 minutes before mixing it with the dry ingredients in step 1.

Glazing: For a smooth layer of glaze, apply it while the doughnuts are still warm. If they're cold, excess glaze will cling to the doughnuts rather than slide off them. You can pop them in the oven at 350℉ for a few minutes to make them warm again.

Nutrition

Calories: 480kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 7gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 445mgPotassium: 203mgFiber: 2gSugar: 75gVitamin A: 593IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 114mgIron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.

Did you make this?Let me know how it was!

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