honey-dipped doughnuts

makes 24
1 cups warm water
4 ½ tsp active dry yeast
4 ½ cups flour
10 tbs butter
2/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tbs vanilla
zest of 1 lemon
honey, for dipping
canola oil, for deep-frying

In a medium bowl, combine yeast and water. After five minutes, when yeast is dissolved, stir in 1 cup of the flour (set aside remaining 3 ½ cups). Cover and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes, until bubbly and risen.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between additions. Blend in vanilla and lemon zest. Add the remaining flour and the yeast mixture and mix until the flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Place dough in a well-buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise for 1 ½ hours. Punch down, cover, and let rise for another hour. (Dough will be soft and somewhat sticky, and not at all like bread dough.)

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat dough down to ½-inch. Using a floured doughnut cutter (or a large and a small round cutter), cut out doughnuts and holes. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment or wax paper. Set in a warm place, uncovered, to rise for ½ hour. Deep-fry doughnuts and holes in 365-degree canola oil, until golden on both sides. Let drain on wire rack.

In a saucepan, pour honey to a depth of two inches. Carefully bring to a low boil. As doughnuts finish frying, place each in boiling honey for fifteen seconds on each side. Remove to a wire rack set over a baking sheet until honey has cooled and set.