FOR
THE DOUGHNUTS: Stir flour, sugar, and yeast together in bowl of stand
mixer. Add milk and egg and mix with rubber spatula until all
ingredients are moistened. Fit stand mixer with dough hook and mix on
medium-low speed until cohesive mass forms, about 2 minutes, scraping
down bowl if necessary. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for
20 minutes.
Add salt and mix on medium-low speed until dough is smooth and elastic
and clears sides of bowl, 5 to 7 minutes. With mixer running, add
butter, a few pieces at a time, and continue to mix until butter is
fully incorporated and dough is smooth and elastic and clears sides of
bowl, 7 to 13 minutes longer, scraping down bowl halfway through mixing.
Transfer dough to lightly greased large bowl, flip dough, and form into
ball. Cover bowl with plastic. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Transfer to refrigerator and chill overnight (or up to 48 hours).
Adjust oven racks to lowest and middle positions. Place loaf pan on
lower rack. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and grease
parchment. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter. Press into 8-inch
square of even thickness, expelling as much air as possible. Roll dough
into 10 by 13-inch rectangle, about ½ inch thick. Using 3-inch round
cutter dipped in flour, cut 12 rounds. Using 1-inch round cutter dipped
in flour, cut hole out of center of each round. Transfer doughnuts and
holes to prepared sheet. (If desired, use 1-inch cutter to cut small
rounds from remaining dough. Transfer to sheet with doughnuts.) Bring
kettle or small saucepan of water to boil.
Pour 1 cup boiling water into loaf pan. Place sheet on upper rack,
uncovered. Close oven and allow doughnuts to rise until dough increases
in height by 50 percent and springs back very slowly when pressed with
your knuckle, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
About 20 minutes before end of rising time, add oil to large Dutch oven
until it measures about 1½ inches deep and heat over medium-low heat to
360 degrees. Set wire rack in second rimmed baking sheet and line with
triple layer of paper towels. Using both your hands, gently place 4
risen doughnuts in oil. Cook until golden brown on undersides, 1 to 1½
minutes, adjusting burner as necessary to maintain oil temperature
between 350 and 365 degrees. Using spider skimmer, flip doughnuts and
cook until second sides are browned, 1 to 1½ minutes. Transfer doughnuts
to prepared rack. Return oil to 360 degrees and repeat with remaining
doughnuts. For doughnut holes, transfer all to oil and stir gently and
constantly until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to prepared
rack to cool. Let doughnuts cool completely, about 20 minutes.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING: While doughnuts cool, microwave chocolate and water in
medium bowl at 50 percent power until chocolate is melted, about 30
seconds. Whisk in sugar, cocoa, and salt until smooth and fluid. Let
cool slightly.
Set clean wire rack in now-empty sheet. Dip top half of 1 cooled
doughnut into frosting until evenly coated, allowing excess to drip back
into bowl. Invert doughnut and place on wire rack. Repeat with
remaining doughnuts. Let doughnuts stand until frosting is dry to touch,
15 to 30 minutes, before serving.
FOR THE RASPBERRY JAM FILLED: Mix sugar and freeze dried raspberries in small bowl. Spoon jam into
pastry bag or zipper-lock bag fitted with ¼-inch round pastry tip.
Working with 1 doughnut at a time, coat all sides of doughnut in sugar
and return to rack. Insert paring knife through side of 1 doughnut until
tip almost reaches opposite edge. Swing knife through doughnut,
creating large pocket. Repeat with remaining doughnuts. Stand doughnuts
slit side up in 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
To fill doughnuts, insert pastry tip ¾ inch into opening and squeeze
gently until jam just starts to appear around opening, about 2
tablespoons jam per doughnut. Let doughnuts stand in pan for 10 minutes
to allow jam to settle. Serve.
