Milk-chocolate doughnuts

1.Stir yeast and 70ml lukewarm water in a bowl to combine and stand until mixture begins to foam (5-7 minutes).

2.Combine flour, sugar, butter, cocoa, eggs, 1 tsp fine sea salt and yeast mixture in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add milk and knead on low speed until a sticky dough forms (4-5 minutes; dough will be quite wet). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, dust top with a little extra flour, form into a ball, transfer to a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (1-1½ hours).

3.Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll to 1.5cm thick. Cut out rounds with a floured 8cm-diameter cutter, then cut out holes with a 2.5cm-diameter cutter. Place 2cm apart on trays lined with baking paper, cover and stand until doubled in size (45 minutes to 1 hour). Reroll scraps and repeat.

4.For milk-chocolate glaze, stir sugar and 60ml water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil and cook without stirring, brushing away sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush, until dark caramel (3-4 minutes). Remove from heat, add 60ml water (be careful,hot caramel will spit), return to heat and stir until smooth. Remove from heat, add chocolate and a pinch of salt, stand for 5 minutes, then add cream and stir until smooth. Cool briefly.

5.Heat oil in a large saucepan or deep-fryer to 180C. Deep-fry doughnuts in batches, turning once, until darkened, puffed and cooked through (3-4 minutes; be careful, hot oil will spit). Drain on paper towels and cool for (4-5 minutes). Dip tops of doughnuts in warm chocolate glaze, place on a wire rack and scatter with toppings. Doughnuts are best eaten on the day they’re made.