10:00 PM – Stiff Starter Initialization: In a small glass jar, dissolve 6g of sugar into 30g of water and whisk cleanly. Stir in your 10g of starter culture and 60g of bread flour. Mix thoroughly and knead into a tight ball. Cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until it more than doubles in volume and feels puffy.

8:00 AM – The Pumpkin Autolyse: In your stand mixer bowl, combine all 100g of whole milk, 140g of pumpkin purée, 50g of sugar, 1 large egg, all 90g of your active overnight sweet stiff starter, and 400g of bread flour (along with the optional teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice). Mix everything together with a heavy spoon just until a rich, shaggy orange mass forms. Cover and let it autolyse untouched for 1 full hour to completely hydrate the flour proteins.

9:00 AM – Developing Gluten: Attach your dough hook. Mix the autolysed dough on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or use a KitchenAid mixer on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until well incorporated. Add the 7g of fine sea salt and continue mixing for a couple of minutes until the dough pulls together into a cohesive ball.

The Butter Incorporation: Turn your mixer up to medium speed and gradually drop in the 60g of softened unsalted butter piece by piece. Once all the butter is introduced, increase the speed and mix continuously for 10 to 12 minutes until the fat is completely emulsified, the dough cleans the sides of the bowl, and it passes a clear windowpane test.

Bulk Fermentation Folds: Cover the bowl tightly and let it proof for 3 to 4 hours at a warm 76–80°F (24–28°C). During this window, perform 2 gentle rounds of stretches and folds to organize the rich gluten strings. The dough should become noticeably puffy and light.

1:00 PM – Cold Stabilization Retard: Slide the covered proofing bowl directly into your refrigerator to rest and solidify the heavy fats for 5 hours.

6:00 PM – Precision Rolling & Cutting: Remove the chilled, firm dough from the refrigerator. Tip it onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the cold dough out evenly until it reaches a strict thickness of 1/2-inch. Using a floured doughnut cutter, punch out your shapes as closely together as possible. Group the leftover scraps together, let them rest for 10 minutes, and re-roll to cut the remaining shapes.

The Overnight Counter Rise Setup: Place the cut doughnuts and doughnut holes onto large baking sheets lined with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of space between each piece. Cover them loosely with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let them proof overnight on your counter for 8 to 10 hours at room temperature 70–74°F (21–23°C) until the next morning. They must completely double in volume and look exceptionally light and fragile.

Next Morning – Heating the Oil: Fill a heavy Dutch oven or deep fryer with a neutral vegetable or canola oil to a depth of at least 3 inches. Clip a candy thermometer to the side and heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches a stable 350°F (177°C). Place your sugar coating or liquid glaze ingredients into wide bowls next to your frying station.

The Fry: Carefully drop 2 or 3 proofed doughnuts into the hot oil at a time (do not overcrowd the pot or the oil temperature will drop). Fry for exactly 1.5 to 2 minutes until the bottom is a beautiful deep golden brown, then flip carefully with a spider strainer to fry the other side for another 1.5 minutes.

Glazing Finish: Remove the puffed doughnuts from the hot oil using your slotted spoon, allowing excess oil to drain off for 5 seconds over the pot.

If using the Spiced Sugar Coating: Toss the doughnuts directly into the sugar-spice mix while they are piping hot so the sugar crystals adhere to the surface.

If using the Liquid Glaze: Let the doughnuts drain on paper towels for 2 minutes to cool slightly, then dip both sides into the glaze and place them on a wire rack to set. Repeat for the remaining pieces and the doughnut holes, and serve warm!