This is a great recipe for unprepared bakers: these Italian donuts are made from ingredients found in most people's pantry - particularly the pantry of savoury cooks!

You will need a bowl, whisk, deep fryer or deep saucepan and sugar thermometer for this recipe.

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 cups plain flour

4 tsp sugar

14g dried yeast 

300ml warm milk

4 tbsp melted butter

1 egg lightly beaten

Clean neutral oil to fry (we use grapeseed)

The Hunter's Pantry snow sugar to finish

 Method:

1. Dissolve half of the milk, yeast and sugar and leave allowing the yeast to activate and become foamy 
2. Once the yeast is doing its thing, add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine
3. Set aside in a warm place until the mixture has doubled in size - this should take about 1.5 hours.
4. Once it has doubled in size, tip it onto a clean, floured work surface and gently knock out the air, then knead it back into a ball. Roll it out with your hands to make a round about 1.5-2cm thick. Cut out discs with a scone cutter, glass or cookie cutter. You want discs about 6-7cm wide (you can make them smaller for snacks or cute shapes for kids). Place the cut disks onto a well floured tray**. 
5. Heat oil to 170C and deep fry in batches for about 2 minutes, turning a couple of times until golden brown and cooked through. 
6. Drain each batch, allow to cool slightly - just a minute or two, then toss in sugar. You can use confectioner sugar (snow sugar as we have), caster sugar, cinnamon sugar, vanilla sugar -  muscovado sugar is delicious as well.
7. Serve as is while still warm, or allow to cool and fill with jam (I used apricot jam here), nutella, custard, caramel - whatever your creative heart desires!

 

**Top tips from a non-baker: I find it easy to cut little discs of grease proof paper and pop each disc onto them once they are cut. When you are ready to cook, simply pick up the disc slide into the boiling oil and remove the paper.