MAKE THE DOUGH

1. In a medium bowl, gently whisk the lukewarm milk, active dry yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar together.
2. Set the bowl aside for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture becomes foamy. This means your yeast is active!
3. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract to the yeast mixture. Stir everything well to combine.
4. Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture, softened butter, all-purpose flour, salt, and the remaining granulated sugar to the mixer bowl.
5. Start mixing on low speed until the flour is mostly incorporated.
6. Increase the speed to medium and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
7. Lightly oil a large bowl. Place the dough into the bowl, then cover it with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.
8. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free environment for 1 to 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size. A turned-off oven is a great warm spot!

WHIP UP THE CUSTARD

1. While the dough is busy proofing, start on your custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, salt, and cornstarch.
2. Add the egg yolks to the dry mixture and beat for 1 minute, or until the mixture is pale yellow and creamy. Set this aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium-high heat until it just begins to simmer. Do not let it boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat immediately.
4. Slowly ladle about two spoonfuls of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking vigorously. This step, called tempering, prevents the eggs from scrambling.
5. Pour the tempered egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk.
6. Continuously whisk the mixture over medium heat until it starts bubbling and thickens into a lovely custard. Remove it from the heat.
7. Whisk the vanilla extract and butter into the hot custard until it’s completely smooth.
8. Transfer the custard to a clean bowl. Cover the custard with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly against the surface to prevent a “skin” from forming.
9. Refrigerate the custard for 1 to 2 hours, or until it’s completely chilled and firm.

FRY THE DONUTS

1. Once the dough has doubled, gently punch it down to release the air.
2. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough to about 1/2-inch thick.
3. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out donut rounds. For larger, standard-sized donuts, use a 5-inch cutter.
4. Gather any dough scraps, gently knead them back into a ball, re-roll, and cut more rounds until you’ve used as much dough as possible.
5. Place the cut donuts on a lightly greased baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch of space between each.
6. Cover the donuts with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let them rise again for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they’ve doubled in size.
7. While the donuts are proofing, pour about 1 liter of vegetable oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 360°F (180°C) on a deep-fry thermometer.
8. Carefully place 3-4 donuts into the hot oil, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot.
9. Fry the donuts for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown. If you’re frying 5-inch donuts, add an extra 30 seconds per side.
10. Use a slotted spoon or chopsticks to remove the fried donuts from the oil. Place them on a wire cooling rack set over paper towels to drain any excess oil. Continue frying the remaining donuts in batches.

MAKE THE GANACHE & FILL THE DONUTS

1. Place the finely chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until it just begins to gently simmer around the edges. Do not let it boil!
3. Immediately pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for 3 minutes without stirring.
4. After 3 minutes, stir the mixture gently with a spatula until it’s completely smooth and glossy. The finer your chocolate is chopped, the faster it will melt!
5. Set the ganache aside for 20 to 30 minutes to allow it to cool and thicken slightly. If it’s too runny