Jelly Donuts

Ingredients

  • 4½ cups white bread flour + more for dusting
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 envelope dry active yeast (2½ tsp)
  • 1 cup lukewarm milk
  • 2 tbsp sugar + more for rolling
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted & cooled
  • ½ cup preserves/jelly of choice
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • cinnamon (optional for rolling doughnuts)

How-to

  1. In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp of milk and 2 tbsp of sugar. Add the dry active yeast and let sit until foamy, about 5-10 minutes
  2. In the bowl of a mixer, combine 4 cups flour and 1 tsp salt.  Add yeast mix to the flour. Add the eggs and butter to the flour mixture. Begin to mix the ingredients into a soft, but not sticky, dough
  3. Add milk, 1 tbsp at a time. Work in ½ cup flour, 1 tbsp at a time
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. (You can do this in a mixer fitted with a dough hook.) Form the dough into a ball and transfer the  to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours
  5. Punch down the risen dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few seconds. With a lightly floured rolling pin, gradually roll out the dough to about ½" thick. When rolling dough, let it rest periodically to relax
  6. Cut out into 3-4" rounds with a lightly floured biscuit cutter. Re-roll the scraps to make more rounds
  7. Place the doughnuts on lightly floured baking sheets that are lined with parchment paper, spacing them apart, and cover lightly with a dry towel. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 20 minutes
  8. Heat a heavy pot filled 3" high with vegetable oil to 350º
  9. Transfer the risen doughnuts to the pot and fry the doughnuts, a few at a time, until golden and puffed, turning frequently, 5 to 7 minutes
  10. Lift the doughnuts from the oil using a slotted spoon and roll on a plate lined with granulated sugar and cinnamon (optional) mixed together
  11. Let donuts cool slightly and fill a pastry bag, fitted with a ¼" round tip, with jelly preserves. Insert the tip into the end of each doughnut and pipe approximately 1-2 tsp of preserves into them and serve