10:00 PM – Stiff Starter Initialization: In a small bowl, whisk 10g of your active starter culture into 30g of water. Add 60g of bread flour and mix thoroughly, kneading by hand until a smooth, tight ball forms.

The Submersion Bath: Roll the ball tightly into a cylinder. Place it into a tall glass jar filled completely with room-temperature water, ensuring the dough is entirely submerged. Let it sit at 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours. As it ferments, the wild yeast fills the tight matrix with gas, causing it to float to the surface. By morning, the top layer will look slightly dry and the base will look soft; you will slice it open and harvest exactly 64g from the clean, airy center.

8:00 AM – The Dairy Autolyse: In your stand mixer bowl, combine 153g of whole milk, 50g of whole egg, 30g of granulated sugar, the 64g of harvested underwater stiff starter, and all 280g of bread flour (along with the optional 0.5g of dry yeast if using). Mix with a heavy spoon until a thick, shaggy mass forms. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes to complete the autolyse and activate gluten linkages.

8:30 AM – Developing Gluten: Secure the bowl onto your mixer fitted with the dough hook. Knead on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or KitchenAid speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until uniform. Add the 5g of fine sea salt and mix for 2 more minutes until a cohesive ball forms.

Butter Emulsification: Turn the mixer up to medium speed and gradually introduce the 55g of softened unsalted butter piece by piece. Once all the butter is added, increase the speed and knead continuously for 10 to 15 minutes. The dough will look slippery at first but will eventually absorb the fat entirely, clearing cleanly from the sides of the bowl. *Note: If the dough remains persistently sticky or wet after 12 minutes, sprinkle in an additional 20 to 40g of bread flour to help it gather.*

9:00 AM – Warm Bulk Fermentation: Cover the bowl tightly and leave it to ferment at a warm 76–80°F (24–28°C) for 3 to 4 hours. During this window, execute 2 gentle rounds of stretch-and-folds spaced 1 hour apart to layer vertical strength into the dough. The dough should look visibly smoothed out and feel slightly puffy.

12:00 PM – Cold Fermentation Retard: Place the entire covered container directly into the refrigerator to chill the butter fats down for 8 to 10 hours.

10:00 PM – Rolling and Cutting: Remove the firm, cold dough from the refrigerator and tip it cleanly onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a uniform thickness of 1/2-inch.

Parchment Squares Setup: Cut out a dozen small individual squares of parchment paper. Using a flour-dusted doughnut cutter or a glass, punch out your rings. Place each punched doughnut cleanly onto its own separate parchment paper square. Collect the center holes and place them onto paper as well.

The Long Final Proof: Group the parchment squares onto a large baking sheet and cover them loosely with a large upside-down storage plastic bin or plastic wrap. Let them proof overnight on your counter for 8 to 10 hours at a room temperature of 72–73°F (22–23°C). By morning, they will have doubled in size, feeling exceptionally light, airy, and fragile. *Note: If your kitchen is hot (above 78°F/26°C), place them back in the fridge overnight instead and proof them on the counter the next morning for 2 to 3 hours.*

7:00 AM – Heating the Fat Matrix: Pour your frying oil into a heavy saucepan or deep pot until it reaches a depth of 2 inches. Clip on your thermometer and heat the oil over medium heat for 30 minutes until it stabilizes precisely between 350°F and 360°F (177°C–182°C).

The Seamless Fry Transfer: Pick up a doughnut by holding the corners of its individual parchment paper square. Gently lower the parchment and doughnut together directly into the hot oil. Within seconds, the dough will expand and float off the paper naturally; use tongs to lift the paper square out of the oil and discard it.

Buoyant Fry Timing: Fry the doughnuts for 1 to 2 minutes per side until they display a gorgeous, uniform golden-brown hue. You should see a distinct pale line running around the center equator where the buoyant doughnut sat above the oil. Use a slotted spoon or chopstick to transfer them onto a wire cooling rack. Fry the doughnut holes for about 60 seconds total, rolling them continuously.

8:00 AM – Preparing the Glazes: Choose your glaze option. In a medium bowl, whisk together your selected glaze ingredients until completely smooth, silky, and free of sugar crystals. *Note: If you prefer a thinner glaze, stir in an additional teaspoon of milk.*

The Finishing Dip: While the doughnuts are still warm, lower the top half or the entire doughnut directly into the glaze bowl. Lift it clear, letting the excess run off, and place it back on the wire rack for 5 minutes to let the glaze set into a beautiful matte skin. Serve fresh!