Carnival Doughnuts — Chocolate Berliners

Put the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center.

Stir the yeast with 60 g sugar and 250 ml milk until smooth, pour into the well and lightly dust with a little flour from the rim.

Cover the bowl and let the starter rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes.

Distribute the salt, 4 egg yolks and the softened butter around the rim of the bowl and knead everything into a smooth, elastic dough.

Cover the dough again and let it rise until it has approximately doubled in size.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 4 cm thickness.

Cut circles about 5 cm in diameter.

Fry the rounds in hot frying fat until golden brown and briefly drain on kitchen paper.

For the cream, bring 200 ml milk with the vanilla sugar, finely grated lemon zest and a pinch of salt to a boil.

In a bowl, whisk the remaining milk with 2 egg yolks, 60 g sugar, cocoa powder and 30 g flour until lump-free.

Pour the boiling milk into the egg mixture while stirring, then return everything to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes.

Let the cream cool slightly, then melt the milk chocolate into it and stir until smooth. Let cool completely.

Slice the carnival doughnuts horizontally and fill them with the cooled chocolate cream.