Polish donuts

Ingredients:

Donuts

• 4 cups premium flour + more as needed
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 packet (7 g) of active dry yeast
• 0.5 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus extra for greasing
• 2 large eggs + 3 yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-4 liters of vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Filling and glaze

• 1.5 cups jam or jelly, such as apricot or grape
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar + more as needed
• 1 tbsp whole milk + more as needed

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt and set aside. Microwave the milk in a small bowl until warm (115°F-115°F), about 1 minute, and stir. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar and stir to just moisten the yeast. Let sit for 8-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the butter and remaining granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the whole eggs and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat for another minute.
3. With the mixer running on low speed and then increasing to medium, add the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the yeast mixture. After adding the flour last, knead the dough until smooth, 6-8 minutes. The dough will stick to the sides of the bowl, but not be too sticky. If it's too sticky, add 2-3 tablespoons of flour and knead for another minute to thicken it.
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it with your hands a few times, tucking the dough under to form a smooth ball. Place it in a large, greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 40-60 minutes.
5. Place the dough on a floured work surface and roll it out to a thickness of 1 cm. Cut out 8 cm circles from the dough and place them on a lightly floured baking sheet. Roll out another circle with the scraps or make mini doughnuts. Cover the circles with a kitchen towel and let them rise for about 30 minutes, until they double in size.
6. Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a deep cauldron to 175°C on a deep-fry thermometer; line the baking sheet with paper towels.
   
   
   When measuring flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and remove any excess. Scooping flour directly from the bag with a measuring cup will compact it, resulting in dry baked goods.
7. Shake flour off the dough circles and fry them 3-4 at a time until dark golden brown, 1-1.5 minutes per side. You will be able to tell that they have been pressed when almost all the bubbles in the oil have disappeared.Transfer the finished donuts to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Before frying the next batch, reheat the oil to 175°C. Let the donuts rest until they cool slightly and are ready to handle.
8. For the filling, fill a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip with jam. Set aside.
   
   Using a thick skewer or chopstick, poke a hole in the center of each donut and wiggle it slightly to create a cavity, being careful not to poke it all the way through. Fill each donut with jam from a pastry bag.
9. To prepare the glazePlace the powdered sugar in a small bowl large enough to accommodate the donut. Stir in the milk until smooth. The glaze should be slightly runny, similar in consistency to maple syrup.
10. Dip each donut in the glaze, roll it around a bit, and flip it over. Some glaze will run down the sides, which is normal. If the glaze is too runny, add a little more powdered sugar. Conversely, if the glaze is too thick, thin it with milk. Let the glaze set for about 5 minutes! If you don't want to coat the donuts with glaze, roll them in powdered sugar; this is also a popular way to eat them. It's best to eat the donuts the same day you fry them, but you can also store them in a container, seal the lid tightly, and eat them the next day.