Heat the whole milk in a small saucepan over low heat until it reaches 110-115F (it should feel just warm to the touch.) Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast and ½ tsp of sugar on top. Stir lightly just to combine, then leave to proof in a warm, non-drafty place for five minutes. The yeast should open up and start to bubble and smell yeasty. (If it doesn’t, your yeast may not be active or the milk may have been too warm or not warm enough.)

When the yeast has proofed, add the bread flour, sugar, salt, and eggs to the bowl. Mix on low speed with the dough hook attachment until combined, then pause and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium, and allow the mixer to run for 10 minutes. The dough should be elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

Continue to run the mixer on medium speed, and begin to add the butter a few tablespoons at a time. When all of the butter has been added, pause to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then continue running the mixer for 10 minutes more. At the end of the final 10 minutes the dough should be elastic, smooth, glossy, and pulling away from the sides of the bowl once again.

Cover the bowl with plastic cling wrap and allow to rest in a warm, non-drafty place for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size. Move the covered bowl to the refrigerator and rest 8-10 hours more overnight.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and use a bench scraper or knife to divide the dough in half. Divide each half of the dough in half again, and repeat this division process until you have 16 pieces. Gently knead each dough piece into a ball. Place the dough balls on parchment lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Cover the sheets loosely with plastic cling wrap and allow to rise (one last time!) in a warm, non-drafty place, about 1-4 hours depending on the warmth of the room. Look for the dough to be soft and puffed up-- when poked gently, the dough should rise back up slowly. If the dough springs back quickly it isn’t ready yet. Don’t wait too long-- if the dough doesn’t rise back up and an indent is left, it is over proofed!

Before you begin frying, place a wire cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet and prepare a medium bowl or dish with 1 cup of superfine sugar.

In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, heat 1.5-2” of oil to 350F. Be sure to use your thermometer to monitor the temperature as you fry to avoid greasy or burnt donuts. (See recipe notes for more helpful frying tips!)

When the oil is hot, fry two donuts at a time, about 1 minute per side for golden perfection. Use a spider or heat-proof slotted spoon to transfer the donuts to the prepared cooling rack. Allow the donuts to cool before tossing in the super fine sugar.

Fit the piping bag with the piping tip, and fill the bag with the jam or jelly of your choice. Poke the tip into the top of the donut at a shallow angle and squeeze about a teaspoon and a half of jam inside, dribbling a bit of jam as you pull the piping tip out of the hole. Then, repeat this process to form two fang marks.

Enjoy! These donuts are best eaten the day they are made, so be sure to tell your fellow vampires to fly on over!