Jelly doughnuts

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Put 500 g bread flour, 60 g granulated sugar, 7 g instant yeast and 8 g salt in the mixer bowl, pour in 250 g warm whole milk and 100 g eggs, and knead until the dough comes together, then gradually add 60 g softened unsalted butter. Keep kneading for about ten minutes so the dough is elastic enough to trap gas as it rises. The dough is ready when a small piece stretches thin enough to be almost translucent without tearing right away.

   Suggested time: about 10 minutes.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Shape the dough into a ball, place it in an oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for about an hour and a half. All the butter and eggs make the yeast work more slowly than in a plain dough, so be patient. The dough is ready when it has doubled in volume and the surface looks taut and smooth.

   Suggested time: about 90 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Punch down the dough, roll it out about 1.5 cm thick, and cut out rounds with an 8 cm round cutter, gathering the scraps and rerolling them once. This thickness leaves enough room inside for the jam while still cooking through evenly. The rounds are ready when they are circular, with straight edges and an even thickness.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Set each round on its own small square of parchment paper on a baking sheet, cover with a towel, and let them rise for about forty-five minutes more. This rise makes the crumb lightly puffy, and the parchment lets you lower the doughnuts into the oil without misshaping them. They're ready when they've clearly puffed up and a gentle poke leaves a dent that slowly fills back in.

   Suggested time: about 45 minutes.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Heat the oil for frying (to taste) to about 170°C, add two or three doughnuts per batch, and fry for about one and a half to two minutes per side. Moderate heat cooks the thick center through without burning the outside. The doughnuts are done when both sides are evenly golden brown and a pale ring shows around the middle.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Let the doughnuts drain on a wire rack for about two minutes, then roll each one in a bowl of 80 g superfine sugar while still warm. The outside is still slightly oily, so the sugar clings evenly all over. They're ready when they're covered in a sparkling, even coat of sugar with no bare patches.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Poke a hole in the side of each doughnut with a skewer or the handle of a spoon and wiggle it gently to make a pocket, then spoon 240 g fruit jam into a piping bag fitted with a long round tip and fill each one. Making a pocket first lets the jam go deep into the center instead of squirting back out. The doughnuts are ready when they feel heavier in your hand and a little jam peeks out of the hole.

   Mark step 7 as done