- Prepare the yeast:
- Dissolve the fresh brewer’s yeast in the warm milk. If you use dry brewer’s yeast, you can mix it directly with the flour.
- Knead:
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt.
- Add the milk with the yeast (or the mixture of dry yeast with flour).
- Add the lightly beaten eggs and the melted butter.
- Also add grated lemon zest if you want an aromatic touch.
- Work the dough:
- Mix all the ingredients until you get a smooth and homogeneous mixture. You can work the dough with your hands or use a planetary mixer with a leaf hook.
- Let it rise:
- Cover the dough with a clean cloth and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Form the donuts:
- Once the rising time has elapsed, work the dough lightly again to deflate it.
- Divide the dough into equal sized portions and form into balls. Then, with your hands, make a hole in the center of each ball to give it the characteristic shape of donuts.
- Second rising:
- Arrange the donuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving enough space between them to expand during the second rise.
- Cover again with a tea towel and let rise for another 30-45 minutes.
- Cooking:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (static).
- Bake the risen donuts for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden and puffed up.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool on a rack.
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