Cooking instructions
- To create the poolish, mix the flour, water and fresh yeast together in a bowl and leave to ferment for 15 mins.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour for the dough with the sugar and salt then add the yeast.
- Stir in the egg yolks by hand followed by the poolish or transfer everything to a stand mixer with the dough hook attached.
- Finally, add the melted butter and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
- When the mixture comes together for form a soft dough, cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1–2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead for a minute or so. Roll small pieces of the dough into balls and place them on an oiled tray or board, spacing them well apart. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 45 minutes–1 hour.
- Heat a deep fat fryer to 180ºC and fry doughnuts, a few at a time, for approximately 5 minutes, turning half way through cooking to ensure a lovely golden colour all over.
- Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and as the doughnuts come out of the fryer put them straight into the bowl and dredge them with the sugar.
- Serve immediately.
- Tip: Using a starter or poolish is a little more time-consuming than using the direct or straight yeast method but the resulting texture is lighter and the taste is richer. The added bonus is that the finished doughnuts will last a little longer – if they’re not all eaten immediately!