Yeast doughnuts in the oven

Heat the milk until lukewarm and pour it into a deep bowl. Add the yeast and sugar and whisk until completely dissolved. Add 3 tablespoons of flour and mix well. Then, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 15 minutes. It's important that a cap of yeast forms on top, indicating that the yeast has activated.

Add the egg, vanilla and salt to the dough and quickly stir until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

Add the sifted flour in several stages and knead the dough, first with a whisk and then by hand. This will make it softer and more pliable.

Add the softened butter, which has been thawed at room temperature. Continue kneading until it's completely incorporated into the dough. Add it at this point to ensure the dough is soft, not earlier, as this will slow down the rising process. Once the dough has firmed up, transfer it to a work surface and knead for about 5 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plastic bag and leave in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour to rise.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of about 5 mm. Cut out donuts using a cookie cutter or a mug of a suitable diameter and a bottle cap.

Transfer the dough pieces to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes. Then brush with beaten egg or milk and bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.