Italian bar donuts

Put flour, salt, sugar, yeast, eggs, softened butter and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and start kneading.

Pour in the warm milk as it kneads; knead 2 to 3 minutes, until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pull it together until smooth.

Put it in a bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, a couple of hours; or rise slowly in the fridge overnight.

Cut the dough into eight pieces and roll each into a ball by hand without extra flour, or stretch it and pinch the ends to seal; keep them roughly the same size.

Cover with plastic wrap and rest about 20 minutes so they do not spring back when shaped.

With hands dipped lightly in water, roll out and shape each piece and set it on a parchment-lined baking sheet dusted with flour.

Cover with a lint-free kitchen towel and let rise until more than doubled, so they are fluffy and light.

Fry in oil at about 350 for about a minute on each side, until lightly golden.

Drain briefly on paper towels, then coat in granulated sugar while still oily so it sticks.