Info
- Prep time: 3 hours
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 20 to 25 doughnuts
Ingredients
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (6/10 ounce) cake fresh yeast or 1 (1/4 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup lukewarm milk
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 cup strawberry or raspberry jam
- Confectioners' sugar
Equipment
- Deep-frying thermometer
- 2-inch heart-shaped cutter
- 2 cookie sheets
- Pastry bag with a 1/4-inch plain tip
Instructions
- Make the dough: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir together 3 cups of the flour and the salt. In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and milk; let stand for 5 minutes until foamy. Add the yeast mixture to the flour, then add the eggs and butter. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together and is soft but not sticky. If the dough is sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition, until a soft dough forms.
- Knead and let rise: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute, until smooth and elastic. Return it to the mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap (or place in a clean oiled bowl and cover), and let rise in a warm spot (such as an oven that is off) until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. (At this point, the dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 day after kneading; it will rise slowly in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
- Punch down and roll: Run the mixer for a few seconds to punch down the dough, or punch it down in the bowl with your fist. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Roll the dough to 1-inch thickness, letting it rest a few times during rolling (handling the dough too much will tighten the gluten and make the donuts tough).
- Cut and rise again: Lightly flour 2 cookie sheets. With a well-floured cutter, cut out heart shapes and transfer them to the sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Reroll the scraps and cut out more hearts to use up the dough. Cover lightly with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 20 minutes.
- Fry and fill: Meanwhile, pour 3 inches of vegetable oil into a deep, heavy pot and heat to 350 degrees F. Set out a thick layer of paper towels or brown paper bags for draining. Spoon the jam into the pastry bag. Working in batches of 6 or 7, carefully add the risen donuts to the hot oil and fry until golden and puffed, turning often, about 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the donuts to the paper to drain. When cool enough to handle, insert the tip of the pastry bag into the center of each donut from the side and squeeze in a little jam. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve as soon as possible.
