Donuts filled with Molasses Salted Caramel

For the Donuts:

• 60g Billingtons caster Sugar 
• 240ml Warm Water
• 20g Fresh Yeast (or 10g dry yeast)
• 4 Eggs
• 750g Plain Flour
• 10g Salt
• 125g Soft (room temperature) unsalted butter
• Veg oil – 1.5 litres

For the Unbelievably Delicious Molasses Salted Caramel:

This keeps really well so I suggest making it ahead if you can, as you will need to let it cool completely before you fill your donuts.

• 300g Billingtons Caster Sugar 
• 60g Billingtons Molasses
• 250ml Double Cream
• 1.25 tsp Maldon Sea Salt 

For the Donuts:

1. Combine the sugar, yeast and warm water in the bowl of your mixer and just leave it to sit for around 10 mins, or until its starting to bubble very slightly.
2. Now add your flour and eggs and transfer to the mixer with the dough hook attached and mix (or, if doing by hand, knead) well for 5 minutes.
3. Now add the salt and start to slowly add your soft butter, mixing (or kneading) to incorporate after each addition, until your dough is glossy and smooth.
4. Now cover  the lid of the bowl with cling film and ‘prove’ (let the dough rise) in a warm place until it has doubled in size (approx 2 hours).
5. Note: If your kitchen is cold, put the bowl somewhere warm, like by the radiator or oven for this stage, but not too close or directly on top – you want it to be warm but not hot hot.
6. Heat a saucepan of oil up to 170c
7. Once doubled in size, portion out your dough into 60-65 g pieces, and shape these into even balls and place, with plenty of space between each one on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover the tray with cling film and you now want to ‘prove’ these again. In my kitchen I put them tray in my cold oven or a cupboard, with a bowl of steaming water on the bottom shelf. Otherwise, just go with a warm place again.
8. Leave for 30 mins or until doubled in size.
9. Now cut a 2cm hole in the centre with a cookie cutter (you can dip this in oil for a smoother cut)
10. fry your donuts for 2 mins on each side (set a timer!)
11. Then pat down with kitchen paper and roll in more Billingtons caster sugar.
12. Set aside to cool 

For the Unbelievably Delicious Molasses Salted Caramel:

1. Put your Sugar and molasses in a big, heavy bottomed saucepan, over a medium high heat until all the sugar has dissolved and turned a beautiful caramel colour. (this will take a while, keep an eye on it)
2. Now remove from the heat and slowly add the cream, very gradually, stirring to mix everything evenly as you go.
3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, when its cool add the salt – you can do this gradually and to taste, I like mine really salty.
4. Store in the fridge for a week, airtight.

This caramel is really versatile – you can use to fill these donuts or drizzle onto a cake, the top of a brownie before or after baking it, sandwiched in a cookie or even just over ice cream. Feel free to experiment and use it with any of your own bakes. It would be delicious with banana bread!

Troubleshooting:

If you accidentally add too much cream & it clumps, don’t panic, just return it to the heat and gently stir to re dissolve the sugar, simmer for a little while and continue from there.

To Assemble:

Once your sugar-rolled donuts have cooled, use the back of a teaspoon to make a little hole in either side and use a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle to pipe in some of the molasses caramel and enjoy!

Alternatively, if piping is too much fuss, you can tear up your donuts and dip them in caramel as you go.