Mini doughnuts

Method

• step 1

  Heat the milk until just below boiling point, remove from the heat and cool until hand-warm. Add 1 tsp of the sugar and the dried active yeast. Whisk then leave in a warm place for 5 minutes until the yeast has formed a thick foam on top of the milk.

• step 2

  Tip the flour, remaining sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, orange zest, softened butter and yeasty milk mixture. Using a wooden spoon mix until the mixture forms a soft dough. Tip out of the bowl and knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough will be on the sticky side. Form into a ball and return to a clean bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for about 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in size.

• step 3

  Tip the dough out onto the work surface and knead lightly again for 30 seconds and then roll out to a thickness of about 1cm. Using a 5-6cm plain round cutter, stamp out circles and transfer them to parchmentcovered baking sheets, leaving plenty of space between each doughnut. Cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and leave in a warm place for 40 minutes, or until doubled in size.

• step 4

  Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Bake the doughnuts for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush the doughnuts all over with melted butter, toss in the sugar and leave to cool for 15 minutes.

• step 5

  Spoon the jam into a disposable piping bag and snip off the end to form a small nozzle. Use a wooden skewer to make a hole in the side of each doughnut, push the piping bag into the hole and fill with about a teaspoon of jam. Serve warm or cold.