Cooking instructions

1. To create the poolish, mix the flour, water and fresh yeast together in a bowl and leave to ferment for 15 mins.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour for the dough with the sugar and salt then add the yeast.
3. Stir in the egg yolks by hand followed by the poolish or transfer everything to a stand mixer with the dough hook attached.
4. Finally, add the melted butter and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Serve immediately.
10. 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!