These Brioche Donuts are deliciously soft, fluffy and rich in flavour. Enjoy them plain or fill them with your favourite cream, compote or curd for a truly decadent treat!
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, whisk together the lukewarm Milk and Caster Sugar (see note 1). Add the Yeast, mix and set aside or about 10 minutes or until small bubbles appear on the surface.
Whisk in the Eggs then add the Flour and Salt.
Knead the dough on a low to medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until all the ingredients are combined. Slowly add the soft Butter cubes a little bit at the time. Knead on low speed until fully incorporated.
Increase the speed of your mixer to medium to medium high for about 20 minutes, or until the brioche dough is very soft, stretchy and just only slightly sticky (see note 2).
Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave to proof in a warm spot for about 2 hours (until doubled in size), or in the fridge overnight for 8-12 hours (up to 24 hours) (see note 3).
Punch the dough to deflate, transfer over a very lightly floured surface and cut into 10 equal pieces (see note 4). Shape each piece into a tight bun (see note 5).
Place each bun into individual squares sheets of baking paper / parchment paper placed over a large baking tray. Cover with a tea towel and leave to proof for about 1 hour, or until almost double in size (see note 6).
Prepare a large saucepan with Canola Oil or a flavoured Neutral Vegetable Oil (see note 7). Heat up the oil on a medium heat until reaches about 170 degree Celsius (340 degree Fahrenheit). Use a candy thermometer to control the temperature and make sure it does not vary during the frying.
Gently drop each donuts in the oil one by one, peeling off the baking paper. The round proofed side should face down and seam side face up. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side. The donuts should be golden (see note 8).
Place the fried donuts on a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain. Serve fresh once cooled down.
Optionally while still warm, toss the donuts in a mix of caster sugar and cinnamon (or just sugar).
Notes
The milk should ideally be around 35 degree Celsius / 95 degree Fahrenheit.
Brioche Dough does require a long kneading time; much longer than most breads. To know the dough has been kneading enough, to the "windowpane test": gently pull and stretch a small piece of dough. If the dough breaks quickly, it needs to be kneaded for longer. If it stretches easily without breaking and you can see light coming through it, it has passed the windowpane test.
Proofing the dough in the fridge ("cold fermentation") will help develop the flavour of the brioche donut dough and also make it much easier to work with as it won't be as soft and sticky.
I recommend using a kitchen scale to get even pieces of dough.
To shape the dough into a ball, slightly flatten it. Pull the edges of the dough and fold them towards the centre. Turn the ball over, seams down. Gently pull it towards you, your fingers placed on one side / bottom of the roll. Turn 90 degrees and repeat until you feel tension on the dough. Continue to shape the dough into a bun by rolling it in a circular movement under the palm or your hands.
To know the brioche donuts are ready to be fried, softly poke one of the ball. If it leaves a small indent that slowly springs back (but not fully), they are ready.
The exact quantity of oil will vary based on the size of your pot. I recommend having at least 10 cm (4-inch) of oil in the pot to make sure the donuts float without touching the bottom.
Do a test with the first donut to check that the oil is at the right temperature and that the centre of the donut is fully baked after frying for the recommended time. Adjust if needed.