Glazed Ring Doughnuts by Allinson

Method

1. MIX Bring the milk to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the butter. Leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a big bowl. Mix the milk and the beaten egg into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon.

2. KNEAD Tip onto a lightly flour dusted surface and knead for 10 minutes (or use the dough hook attachment on your mixer).

3. RISE Lightly grease the mixing bowl with some oil. Put the dough back in, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size – about 1 hour depending on how warm your kitchen is.

4. SHAPE Knock back the dough by gently kneading just 5 times to get the air out. Roll out the dough on a lightly flour-dusted surface to 2cm thick. Flour 8cm and 3-4cm biscuit cutters and use to stamp out ring doughnuts with a hole. Re-roll the trimmings to get as many doughnuts as you can. Arrange on well oiled baking sheets – space the doughnuts about 4cm apart.

5. PROVE Cover the dough again with a clean tea towel and leave to prove until nearly doubled in size. Cover two trays with layers of paper towel. Fill a large, deep saucepan half-full with sunflower oil and heat to 180°C/380°F (or use a deep fat fryer).

6. BAKE Carefully use a slotted metal spoon or fish slice to place two doughnuts into the hot oil, and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Lift onto the kitchen paper. Once all the doughnuts are fried, lift the doughnuts onto a wire rack. Mix the vanilla into the icing sugar with enough milk to make a thin runny icing. Add some colour, if you like, then spoon all over the doughnuts to coat.