Dough for donuts

• strong white bread flour↗500g g
• golden caster sugar↗60g g
• fresh yeast↗15g g

  crumbled

• eggs↗4
• zest of 1/2 lemon↗
• fine sea salt2 tsp tsp
• soft unsalted butter↗125g g
• sunflower oil↗about 2 litres l

  for deep‑frying

• caster sugar↗

  for coating

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Pour 150 g of water and all the dough ingredients, except the butter, into the mixer bowl with the dough hook. Mix on medium speed for 8 minutes or until the dough starts to pull away from the sides and forms a ball. Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for 1 minute.

2. 2

   Turn the mixer back on to medium speed and slowly add the butter to the dough – about 25 g at a time. After it is fully incorporated, increase the speed to high and mix for 5 minutes until the dough becomes shiny, smooth and very elastic when stretched.

3. 3

   Cover the bowl with cling film or a clean kitchen towel and let it rise until its volume doubles. Briefly dump the dough back into the bowl, then cover again and refrigerate to chill overnight.

4. 4

   The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and cut it into 50 g pieces (you’ll get about 20).

5. 5

   Shape the dough pieces into smooth, tight balls and place them on a flour‑dusted baking tray, leaving enough space between them so they don’t stick together while rising.

6. 6

   Cover them loosely with film and let them rest for 4 hours or until their volume doubles. Fill your deep‑fat fryer or a heavy pot with oil up to half and heat the oil to 180 °C.

7. 7

   When the oil is hot, carefully lift the donuts from the tray using a flour‑dusted dough scraper. Be careful not to flatten them, and lower them into the oil. Cook 2–3 pieces at a time, depending on the size of your fryer or pot.

8. 8

   Fry for about 2 minutes on each side until golden‑brown – they rise and float, so after about 1 minute you can gently press them to ensure even browning.

9. 9

   Remove the donuts from the fryer and place them on a paper towel.

10. 10

    Toss the donuts in a bowl with caster sugar while they are still warm. Repeat until all donuts are done, constantly monitoring the oil temperature – if it’s too high they’ll burn and stay raw inside; if too low the oil will be absorbed and they’ll become greasy. Set aside to cool before filling.

11. 11

    To fill the donuts, make a small hole with a knife in the fold of each, anywhere around the white line between the fried top and bottom.

12. 12

    Fill a pastry bag with the filling and pipe it into the donut until it’s nicely inflated – optimal amount 20–50 g depending on the filling; there will be less cream as it’s airy. After filling, the donuts are best eaten immediately, but they can be stored in an airtight jar.

13. 13

    Fillings: Cream filling – try Justin’s cream and, if desired, add various flavours as follows... Brown sugar – replace caster sugar with half soft dark brown sugar and half light brown sugar. You can add grated ginger root or nutty praline to the finished cream. Finish with half the amount of cream. Chocolate – melt 150 g dark (70 %) chocolate in milk. Finish with half the cream. Coffee – add 4 tbsp freshly ground strong coffee to milk. Molasses and vanilla – mix 2 tbsp malt powder with sugar and 2 tbsp liquid malt in milk. Saffron – add a pinch of saffron to milk. Finish with half the cream. Violet cream – add 3 tsp violet extract and 3 tbsp violet liqueur to the finished cream. Sprinkle with violet sugar flowers and crushed Parma Violet candies on top of the filled donuts.