Portuguese Malasada's (Portuguese Doughnuts)

Step-by-Step:In a large bowl, add the yeast to â…“ cup of the milk. Let stand until frothy--about 5 minutes.In a separate bowl, combine the butter and sugar and 1 cup of milk. Stir together well.Add milk mixture to yeast mixture and mix. **I used the dough hook on my stand mixer as I don't like to change attachments all the time. However, if you aren't lazy you may want to start with the paddle attachment and then move to the dough hook once you get it all combined.**Slowly add the eggs and flour. Let the dough hook do the work here and really mix up your dough. You will want the dough to pull away from the sides and become smooth and supple. You may need to add a bit more flour or milk to get it to the correct consistency.Place your dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl and cover in a warm area. I put mine on a shelf outside since it has been so warm lately. Or, you can just set on the stove-top with the oven on. Let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.After an hour, punch down your dough and roll it out into a rectangle.Cut the dough into small circles. You don't have to picky about the shape of them but you want them to be about 2 inches in diameter.Lay the circle on parchment paper on a cookie sheet or other flat surface. Cover and let rise in a warm area for 2-10 hours.When you are ready to fry them, heat up 2-3 inches of oil in a pan. Use a thermometer to keep the oil right at 350 degrees.Drop one or two dough balls into the oil at a time, turning at about 1 minute. They should turn nice and brown on each side. You may want to test one to see if they are done in the middle but with the oil at 350 degrees and cooking for 1-1½ minutes per side---you should be OK.Immediately after the hot oil bath, toss them in a large bowl of granulated sugar. Toss until covered completely.Eat warm!