Sufganiya – jam-filled donuts

Ingredients:

• 0.5 cups whole milk
• 1 packet (7 g) of active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp. + 0.5 tbsp. granulated sugar + 0.5 tbsp. for sprinkling
• 3.5 cups premium flour + extra for work
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 60 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 large egg + 2 large yolks, room temperature
• 1.5 cups raspberry, strawberry or apricot jam
• 1 cup powdered sugar, optional
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• Special equipment: deep-fry thermometer, chopstick or wooden skewer, pastry bag with small round tip

Preparation:

1. Heat the milk in a small bowl in the microwave to about 40°C, add the yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar, and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast, butter, vanilla extract, zest, egg, egg yolks, and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar to the flour mixture. Mix with a spoon until the ingredients are well combined, about 1 minute.
   
   It's okay if a little flour remains at the bottom of the bowl: it will be incorporated during kneading..
3. Knead the dough on medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a smooth ball, about 1 minute.
4. Lightly spray the bowl with cooking spray and return the dough to it; cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
5. Place the dough on a floured surface and carefully roll it out into a 1 cm thick circle. Using a round cookie cutter or a 7-8 cm glass, cut out circles of dough as close together as possible. Place the circles on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray, about 5 cm apart.
   
   
   When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and tip out the excess. If you scoop flour directly from the bag with a measuring cup, you'll compact it, resulting in dry baked goods..
6. Lightly spray the tops with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
   
   During this proofing period, the dough circles may not rise. That's okay. The key is to let the dough rest before frying so the donuts turn out soft and fluffy..
7. Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels. Place 0.5 cups of sugar in a bowl to coat the donuts.
8. Pour 8 cm (3 inches) of vegetable oil (about 8 cups) into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side. Set the pan over medium heat and heat to 170°C–175°C (350°F–355°F), but no higher, or the donuts will burn on the outside and not cook through.
9. Carefully drop 3-4 dough circles at a time into the hot oil, being careful not to splatter. Fry the donuts until dark golden brown, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully flip the donuts and fry until dark golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the donuts to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
   
   Between batches, heat the oil to the desired temperature..
10. Roll the warm doughnuts in sugar to coat them, then return them to the baking sheet. Using a chopstick or wooden skewer, poke a hole in the surface of each doughnut, wiggling the skewer back and forth to create a small pocket inside.
11. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip with your favorite jam and gently pipe about 2 tablespoons of filling into the hole of each donut, until the jam oozes out. Dust the filled donuts with powdered sugar, if using, and serve warm.