mini doughnuts with chocolate sauce

for the starter:
10g fresh yeast or 5g dried yeast
100g plain flour

To make the starter, dissolve the yeast in 100ml warm water and mix in the flour. Leave to rest in a warm place for about 15-30 minutes. It will start to bubble.

Mix the flour, sugar, yeast and 1 tsp salt together. Add the egg yolks, starter and butter and stir to a soft dough; you will probably also need to add a splash of water. Knead for 10-15 minutes. Tip the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave for a couple of hours or until doubled in size. Knead the dough lightly on a floured surface for a few seconds, then roll into 30gl rounds. Leave for about 10 minutes before frying.

Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 170C. Carefully drop the doughnuts in a few at a time; they will sink and then bob-up again. Cook for about 3 minutes, turning them over a couple of times so they brown evenly. Drain and then roll while still warm in sugar with a little cinnamon mixed in.

For the chocolate sauce, bring the sugar and water to a simmer in a pan. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously, until all of the sugar has dissolved.