Old-Fashioned Yeast Doughnuts

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm milk
• 1/4 cup sugar plus extra for dusting doughnuts
• Pinch of salt, or to taste
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus additional for frying
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour, approximately
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace

1. Place the water in a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer.
2. Sprinkle the yeast over it and stir it in.
3. Add the milk, quarter-cup sugar, salt, egg and three tablespoons vegetable oil and mix.
4. Beat in one cup of the flour until the mixture is smooth.
5. Sift another cup of flour with the nutmeg or mace and stir it into the batter mixture with a wooden spoon.
6. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft but manageable dough.
7. Cover and set aside to rise until doubled, about one hour.
8. Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a well-floured surface.
9. Dust it liberally with flour and knead 8 or 10 times, until elastic and smooth.
10. Cover dough with large inverted bowl and rest for 15 minutes.
11. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough to one-half-inch thickness.
12. Cut with a floured three-inch doughnut cutter and, using a spatula, carefully place the cut doughnuts on a floured cloth or surface.
13. Reroll the scraps and cut more doughnuts.
14. Cover the cut doughnuts with a cloth and allow to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
15. Meanwhile, pour at least two inches of oil into a deep pan and bring it to 375 degrees over moderate heat.
16. When the doughnuts have risen, slide them into the oil with a spatula and fry them, two or three at a time a minute or so on each side, until golden brown.
17. Lift them out of the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on several thicknesses of paper towel to drain.
18. Dust them with sugar while they are still warm.

warm water, active dry yeast, warm milk, sugar, salt, egg, vegetable oil, unbleached flour, ground nutmeg

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/4049 (may not work)