Mojidough – Mojito Doughnut

Makes: 19doughnuts

Doughnut ingredients:

• 500g strong white bread flour
• 60g golden caster sugar
• 15g fresh yeast, crumbled
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 lemon, zest
• 2tsp fine sea salt
• 125g softened, unsalted butter
• Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
  
  
  Doughnut filling ingredients:

• 15 mint leaves
• 360ml apple juice
• 240ml lime juice
• 240ml elderflower cordial
• 5 gelatine leaves
  
  Doughnut topping ingredients:

• Fresh mint leaves
• Lime, washed and sliced
• 1 egg white or cup of water
• 1-3 tbsp icing sugar
• 1-3 drops mint or vanilla extract (optional)
  
  
  Doughnut method:

1. To make the doughnuts, place 150g water and all the dough ingredients (apart from the butter) into the bowl of a mixer with a beater paddle. Mix on a medium speed for 8 minutes or until the dough starts coming away from the sides, forming a ball. Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for 1 minute.
2. Start the mixer up again on a medium speed and slowly add the butter to the dough, about 25g at a time. Once it is all incorporated, mix on a high speed for 5 minutes until the dough is glossy, smooth and very elastic when pulled.
3. Cover the bowl with cling film or a clean tea towel and leave to prove until doubled in size. Knock back the dough in the bowl briefly, re-cover and place in fridge to chill overnight.
4. The following day, take the dough out the fridge and cut into 50g pieces (you should get about 20).
5. Roll the dough pieces into smooth, tight buns and place them on a floured baking tray, leaving plenty of room between them, as you don’t want them to stick together whilst proving.
6. Cover loosely with cling film and leave for four hours or until doubled in size. Fill your deep fat fryer or heavy based saucepan halfway with oil, heating to 180’C.
7. Once heated, carefully slide doughnuts from the tray using a floured pastry scraper. Taking care not to deflate them, place into the oil, frying 2-3 per batch.
8. Fry for 2 minutes each side until golden brown – they puff up and float, so you may need to gently push them down after 1 minute to help them colour evenly. Remove from oil and place on kitchen paper.
9. Toss doughnuts in a bowl of caster sugar while still warm. Repeat the steps until all doughnuts are fried – making sure the oil temperature is correct at all times.
   
   Filling method:

1. Combine mint leaves, lime juice, apple juice and elderflower cordial in a pan and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, before taking off the heat.
2. Place the gelatine leaves into a bowl of warm water, leaving to soften. Add the gelatine leaves to the filling mix and whisk to combine. Sieve into a container and leave to set in fridge.
   
   Topping method:
   
   1. Break open a fresh egg, separating the white from the yolk. If not using egg white, add 1-3 drops extract to a cup of water. Extract may also be added to the egg white.
   2. Using a pastry brush, apply the egg white to both sides of the mint leaves. Dust the leaves lightly with sugar (to catch the excess, place a piece of paper under the leaves). Set the leaves aside to ‘dry’ – they’ll harden or ‘candy’ in about 3 hours.
   
   To fill doughnuts:

1. Create a slit in the side of the doughnut and pipe in the filling (20-50g is the optimum quantity for the filling).
2. Doughnuts are best eaten straight away, but will keep in an airtight tin.