• Doughnuts should be fried in deep oil at 180°C (356°F). If you don't have a thermometer you can check if the oil is good by dropping one small piece of dough in the oil. If it rises immediately to the surface and brown slowly - the oil is ready for frying. If it stays on the bottom, the oil is still not ready. 
  
  
• Fry 2 - 3 doughnuts at a time, 60 - 90 seconds on one side and about 30 seconds on the other side.
  
  
• Be careful when handling the oil as it is very hot. Use a slotted spoon to drop doughnuts to the oil and remove them to the plate.
  
  
• If your doughnuts are "oily", then the oil was not hot enough, it they're raw in the middle but done on the outside, then your oil was too hot.
  
  
• Once doughnuts are fried, place them on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain.
  

Vanilla Cream Doughnuts

MAKES: 18 regular doughnuts
COOKS IN: 1 hour plus rising time
LEVEL: Moderate

Handy equipment:

Kitchen Scale | Heavy-Bottom Saucepan | Glass Bowl | Hand Wire Whisk | Mixing Bowls | Small Saucepan | Rolling Pin | Round Cutters | Baking Sheet | Baking Paper | Deep Saucepan | Slotted Spoon

INGREDIENTS

For the vanilla cream

• 4 large egg yolks, from the fridge
• 55g (1/4 cup) caster (fine) sugar
• 30g (1/4 cup) cornstarch
• 400ml (1 2/3 cup) whole milk
• 120ml (1/2 cup) whipping cream (33-36% milk fat)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

For the doughnuts

• 21g fresh yeast*
• 510g (4 1/4 cups) plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
• 25g (1/8 cup) granulated sugar (or any other sugar)
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon rum or Amaretto
  
• 200ml (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp) milk, warm (40-50 C)
  
• 100g butter, cubed
• sunflower oil, for frying

METHOD

1. Place the milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring to gentle simmer.
   
   
2. In a heatproof bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar and corn starch until you get smooth texture. 
   
   
3. Slowly pour half of the hot milk onto the egg mixture, whisking all the time, then pour the egg mixture back to the saucepan with remaining milk. 
   
   
4. Place saucepan over low heat and continue to stir until the mixture begin to thicken (2-3 minutes). Add vanilla bean paste to the cream and stir to combine. Pour the cream into a clean bowl and leave to cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes. 
   
   
5. FOR THE DOUGHNUTS, crumble the fresh yeast and combine together with 2 tablespoons of flour and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Pour 50ml of warm milk and stir until everything combined. Place in the warm place until it becomes frothy.
   
   
6. Place the rest of the milk (150ml) with butter cutted into smaller pieces in a small saucepan and heat on a low heat until most the butter is melted. 
   
   
7. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle, then add eggs, egg yolks, grated lemon zest, Amaretto and yeast mixture.
   
   
8. Start stirring with a fork to combine, then pour milk/butter mixture and continue to stir incorporating flour slowly.
   
   
9. Once roughly dough is formed, tip it onto dusted work surface and knead using your hands to make a soft compact dough, 5-6 minutes.
   
   
10. Transfer the dough back to the dusted bowl and cover with clean kitchen towel. Set aside to rise in a warm place until it doubled in size - about 1 hour.
    
    
11. When you are ready to make doughnuts, dust work surface and roll out the dough to approximately 1.5 cm. Using 7cm round cutter cut rounds and place them on a dusted baking sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and keep on a warm place until they puff up.
    
    
12. Fill deep heavy-bottomed saucepan with sunflower oil and heat over a medium heat until the oil is heated to 180°C/356°F.
    
    
13. Using a slotted spoon, drop doughnuts in the batches of 2-3 in the oil. Cook for approximately for 2 minutes until golden brown then flip on the other side and cook for another 1 minute.
    
    
14. Remove them to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain.
    
    

Notes:

Instead of fresh yeast you can use instant dry yeast or active dry yeast (1 standard packet - 7g or 2 1/4 teaspoons). When using instant yeast, just combine it with flour and continue with adding the rest of ingredients.

If using active dry yeast, stir warm milk with yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar and leave for 5 minutes to foam. Melt butter separately.