Glazed Long John Donuts

Warm 240ml whole milk for the dough to 43°C (110°F), pour into a large mixing bowl, stir in 7g active dry yeast and 1 tsp of the granulated sugar, and let rest 5 minutes until the surface is foamy. Add the remaining granulated sugar, cooled melted butter, room temperature eggs, and salt, stirring to fully combine. Gradually mix in 480g all-purpose flour on low mixer speed (or by hand with a wooden spoon) until a shaggy, soft dough forms.

Turn the shaggy dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead for 6-7 minutes until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky (add 1 tbsp extra flour only if the dough sticks persistently to your hands or the counter). Form the dough into a tight ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean damp kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot (24°C/75°F) for 1 hour, until doubled in volume.

Once doubled, punch the dough down firmly to release trapped air, then roll out on a lightly floured surface to a 1.25cm (1/2 inch) thick rectangle. Cut the dough into 8 equal 12cm (5 inch) long, 3.75cm (1.5 inch) wide oblong strips using a sharp knife or fluted dough cutter, placing each cut piece 5cm (2 inches) apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let rise a second time for 30 minutes until puffy and slightly jiggly when tapped gently.

Heat 1.9 liters of vegetable oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven to 175°C (350°F), using a clip-on candy thermometer to monitor temperature consistently. Carefully lower 2-3 Long John dough pieces into the hot oil at a time, frying for 90 seconds per side until deep golden brown all over. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fried donuts to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain excess oil, waiting 2 minutes between batches to let the oil return to the correct frying temperature.

Let the fried donuts cool for 10 minutes on the wire rack. While they cool, make the vanilla glaze by whisking 360g powdered sugar, 60ml whole milk for the glaze, 5ml vanilla extract, and 15ml light corn syrup in a shallow bowl until completely smooth with no lumps remaining. The glaze should be thick but pourable, coating the back of a spoon evenly; add 1 tsp extra milk if too thick, or 2 tbsp extra powdered sugar if too thin.

One at a time, dip the top half of each slightly warm Long John fully into the glaze, holding it above the bowl for 3 seconds to let excess glaze drip off. Place glazed donuts back on the wire rack, and let rest for 15 minutes at room temperature until the glaze sets into a smooth, non-sticky coating before serving.