Strawberry and cream doughnuts

Method

• step 1

  Heat the milk until just below boiling point, then remove from the heat and cool until hand-warm. Add 1 tsp of the sugar and the yeast and 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, softened butter, yeasty milk mixture and vanilla extract. Using a wooden spoon, mix until it comes together into soft dough.

• step 3

  Tip out of the bowl and knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Form into a ball and put in a clean bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for 1½ hours, or until doubled in size.

• step 4

  Tip the dough out onto the worksurface and knead lightly again for 30 seconds, then pinch large-walnut-sized pieces of dough and roll into balls. Leave under oiled clingfilm for 30 minutes.

• step 5

  Heat the oil in a pan or wok no more than a third full and heat to 180C, or until a cube of bread browns in about 45 seconds. Add the doughnuts in batches of 3-4, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for a few minutes on each side until puffed and dark golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and leave to cool.

• step 6

  To make the glaze, gently melt the chocolate and cream in a bowl over, but not touching, simmering water. Don’t worry if it looks like it’s separating or looking greasy, when you add the icing sugar it will bring everything back together. Stir in the icing sugar, then 1 tbsp warm water.

• step 7

  Make a hole in the side of each cooled doughnut with a wooden skewer. Squeeze in some jam using a wide piping tube or a squeezy bottle. Carefully dip the top of each doughnut into the glaze then sprinkle with a few freeze-dried strawberries and leave to set.