Mini Brioche Doughnuts

Ingredients

• 250 g (9 oz/2 cups) strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• 25 g (1 oz/2 tbsp) caster (superfine) sugar
• 7 g (¼ oz/1 sachet) fast-action dried yeast
• 75 ml (2½ fl oz/⅓ cup) full-fat (whole) milk
• 2 large free-range eggs, at room temperature
• 1 large free-range egg yolk, at room temperature
• 115 g (3¾ oz/½ cup) very soft unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 litres (70 fl oz/8 cups) sunflower oil, for frying, plus extra for greasing
• 75 g caster (superfine) sugar for dredging
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

1. 1Whisk the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. 2Heat the milk gently in a small saucepan or microwave until it is just warm to the touch.
3. 3Pour the warm milk into the dry ingredients, then add the whole eggs and the egg yolk. Stir everything briefly with a wooden spoon or spatula.
4. 4Attach a dough hook to the mixer and beat on low-medium speed until the mixture becomes smooth.
5. 5Drop the softened butter in one cube at a time while the mixer runs. Continue kneading for about 6 minutes until the butter is completely absorbed.
6. 6Turn the mixer speed up to medium-high and knead for another 6 minutes to form a sticky, glossy dough.
7. 7Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with oiled plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight for up to 12 hours so the dough can rise and expand.
8. 8Take the dough out of the refrigerator the next morning. Turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
9. 9Sprinkle a little more flour over the dough and roll it out to a thickness of 1 cm (1/2 inch). Cut out as many circles as possible using a 5 cm (2 inch) round cutter.
10. 10Poke a hole through the center of each dough circle with your index finger. Spin the dough gently around your finger to widen the hole, similar to shaping a bagel.
11. 11Arrange the shaped doughnuts on a lightly floured baking sheet, leaving enough room between them to expand.
12. 12Cover the baking sheet loosely with plastic wrap and let the doughnuts rise for 1 hour until they double in size.
13. 13Heat the sunflower oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F) as the rising time finishes.
14. 14Whisk the remaining sugar and the optional cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Line a work surface or plate with paper towels for draining.
15. 15Lower the doughnuts carefully into the hot oil, frying them in batches of four. They will puff up and float to the surface.
16. 16Fry for a few minutes on each side, turning them over once they are puffed and golden brown. The doughnuts should have a pale 'proof line' around the middle.
17. 17Lift the cooked doughnuts out with a slotted spoon and let them drain briefly on the paper towels. Toss them in the cinnamon sugar mixture while still warm, and repeat with the remaining batches.
18. 18Serve the doughnuts immediately while they are fresh and warm.

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