Fluffy Doughnuts

Prepare the Dough
1. Into a bowl, add in the milk, sugar, salt, yeast, egg.
Give it a good mix.
2. Then add in the softened unsalted butter and then the flour.Mix everything together ,until we get a shaggy mass of dough.
3. Transfer the dough on to a clean work surface and we need to knead the dough for about 10-12 minutes in total.
Our dough should be well hydrated, soft and smooth; but at the same time should be able to hold the shape of donuts when shaped.
4. Now cover the dough with a bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Divide and Shape the doughnuts
1. After 15 minutes of resting, our easy doughnut dough is ready for the next step.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.
For more precision,I weighed each of them and they were 59-60 g in weight.
2. Take each portion of the dough.
Degas the dough.Then tuck in the edges towards the centre and roll it into small round balls.
3. Cover the dough balls with a kitchen towel and let them sit and rest for another 15 minutes.
4. Final Shaping of Doughnuts
After 15 minutes of rest, dough balls are ready for the final shaping.
5. Dust the surface of the balls with some flour, so that they will not stick to the hands while shaping.
Then press on top of the ball to flatten it a bit.
6. Gently Press in the middle of the dough ball with the tip of the thumb to form a small hole.
7. Then widen the hole using fingers to form the shape of a doughnut.
8. Place the shaped doughnuts on to a parchment lined baking tray.
9. Dust the surface of the shaped doughnuts with some flour to prevent any chance of dough sticking to the cling film.
Then cover the tray with a cling film.

Proof the soft doughnuts
1. Let the shaped doughnuts sit and rise in a warm environment for 35-40 minutes or until they are light and puffy.

Fry the yeast raised doughnuts
1. After 40 minutes, they have puffed up and they are ready for frying.
2. Heat the Oil: Pour enough vegetable oil into your pot or deep fryer to ensure that the doughnuts can float while frying. Heat the oil to a consistent temperature of 350°F (175°C). Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature, as maintaining a steady heat is crucial for even frying.
Fry in Batches: Carefully place a few doughnuts into the hot oil, ensuring you don’t overcrowd the pot. The number you can fry at once will depend on the size of your pot or fryer. Crowding can cause the temperature to drop and result in uneven frying.
Monitor and Flip: Fry the doughnuts for about 1.5 minutes on each side or until they turn a beautiful golden-brown color. Use a slotted spoon to gently flip them. Keep an eye on the temperature to maintain consistency.
3. Once they’re done, use the slotted spoon to lift the doughnuts out of the oil and onto a tray lined with paper towels. This will help absorb any excess oil and keep them from being greasy.
4. Glazing is optional but adds a delightful sweetness and flavor to your doughnuts.

Once the doughnuts are cool to touch, you can coat the soft homemade doughnuts with superfine sugar or powdered sugar
Or you can dip them in a glaze made of powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract
Enjoy!