Boston Cream Doughnuts

Ingredients

• For the doughnuts:
• 1 cup whole milk, warmed to between 110 an 115°F
• 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 large eggs, beaten, at room temperature
• 12 tablespons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 quarts frying fat
• For the filling:
• 4 cups vanilla pastry cream
• For the glaze:
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 5 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar

Directions

1. Add the warm milk to a medium bowl, then stir in the yeast until it dissolves. Mix in 1 tablespoon sugar, cover the bowl snugly with plastic wrap, and leave it for 5 minutes, until the top looks bubbly and foamy. In another bowl, combine the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla, then put that bowl aside. Add the flours, the rest of the sugar, and the salt to the bowl of a stand mixer, and attach the dough hook. Pour in the milk mixture and mix on low just until the flour is dampened. Add the egg mixture, then turn the mixer to medium. When everything has come together, raise the speed to medium-high and knead for approximately 10 minutes, pausing as needed to scrape dough from the hook and the sides of the bowl. You’ll hear the dough smack against the bowl as it works. When it is ready, it should be smooth, elastic, and tacky rather than sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl with cooking oil or cooking spray, add the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
2. Make your favorite vanilla pastry cream according to its directions. Spoon the warm pastry cream into a bowl, press plastic wrap right against the surface so a skin does not form, and chill overnight.
3. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle flour over the top, then roll the dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Line 2 sheet trays with parchment paper. Cut the dough with a 3 inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, gathering the scraps and rolling them again as needed. Arrange the rounds on the prepared baking sheets. Set the trays somewhere warm and humid to rise until the doughnuts look puffy, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Add frying oil to a Dutch oven or deep fryer and warm it over medium high heat to 350 degrees F. The doughnuts will be delicate, so move them carefully, 1 at a time, onto a shallow heat resistant strainer. Lower each doughnut gently into the hot oil with the strainer, and fry until both sides are deeply golden, about 2 minutes per side; go by color, since the oil temperature can shift as you cook. Turn the doughnuts with wooden chopsticks. Do not overcrowd the pan, keeping it to no more than 2 doughnuts at a time. Lift the doughnuts out right away with a heat resistant strainer or tongs. Let a doughnut cool for 5 minutes, then pull the first one open to check the center and adjust the frying time if needed. Transfer the rest to wire baking racks to cool.
5. As the doughnuts cool, make the glaze. Combine the butter, milk, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat until the butter has just melted. Lower the heat, then whisk in the chocolate until the mixture is fully blended. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the vanilla and confectioners sugar until smooth. Rest the glaze over a bowl of warm water, stirring as needed so it stays fluid.
6. Scrape the chilled pastry cream into the bowl of a stand mixer. With the whisk attachment, beat it until smooth.
7. When the doughnuts are completely cool, use the chopsticks to make a hole in the middle of the side of each one. Fit a pastry bag with a small round tip, then fill it with the pastry cream. Pipe about a few tablespoons of filling into each doughnut. Dip the tops in the chocolate glaze, then place the doughnuts back on the wire racks so the glaze can set for approximately 30 minutes before serving. Eat within 1 day.