Krofne - serbian doughnuts for good luck in 2010!

Ingredients

• 7 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting and kneading
• 1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 stick (4 ozs.) unsalted butter, cut up into 1 tablespoon chunks
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 gallon vegetable oil

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Preparation

• Blend 7 cups flour and instant yeast in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine milk, water, sugar, salt and butter in a microwave-safe bowl .
• Microwave at intervals (depending on how strong your microwave is), until the liquids register between 110° 120°F.
• Pour liquids and eggs into flour and yeast mixture and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture in blended and sticky.
• Generously flour a work surface and dump the dough on the flour. Knead for about 5 minutes, adding flour a little at a time until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky.
  
• Lightly grease a bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl and flip it over so that the entire surface of the dough is covered in oil.
• Place the dough in a warm part of the kitchen and allow it to rise until it is double in size. When the dough has doubled in size, place it on a floured work surface and punch it down with your hands.
• Sprinkle a little flour on top and fold the dough over itself a couple of times. Knead for a couple of minutes and using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it is about 1/2? thick.
• Using a 2.5 cookie cutter dipped in flour, cut dough into rounds as shown below. Here we're using an old cookie cutter which is leaving a circular impression in the dough which disappeared as the doughnuts rose.
  
• Allow to rest for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a fryer to 350°F. Fry doughnuts until light brown, flipping them over after about 2 minutes.
• Drain for a couple of minutes on a cookie rack that has been placed on newspaper. Transfer each dough round onto a floured cookie sheet lined with a silpat, parchment or wax paper.
• Transfer the doughnuts to a serving platter and dust with confectioner's sugar. Serve with your choice of jams or preserves, honey, cinnamon or Nutella.