Nadiya’s pulled chicken doughnuts

Ingredients For the bread

(Makes 12) 550g strong bread flour

175g unsalted butter, softened 60g caster sugar

1tsp fine salt

14g fast-action yeast

4 eggs, lightly beaten 100ml cold water

1½ litres of oil, to deep fry

For the chicken filling 1 large chicken breast or 2 small – around 280g

7tbsp barbecue sauce (125g) 3tbsp mayonnaise (60g) 1tsp chilli flakes

1 small handful of fresh chives, finely chopped

For the savoury dust 1tsp garlic granules; 1tsp ground cumin; 1tsp salt; 1tsp caster sugar; 1tsp dried coriander

Method 1. Start by making the dough. Put the flour in a bowl, add the butter and rub in until there are no big butter chunks remaining.

2. Now add the sugar and salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other side. Mix thoroughly and then make a well in the centre. Mix the eggs and water in a jug, then pour into the well and mix with the dry ingredients.

3. If you are kneading the dough by hand, flour the work surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is stretchy and shiny. But I prefer to do it using a mixer, as the dough is quite sticky and buttery. When using a dough hook on a mixer it only needs kneading for six minutes on a medium speed. Leave to prove in a warm place covered with a wet tea towel or greased cling-film.

4. Make the filling by boiling the chicken breast in a small pan of water on a medium heat for 15 minutes until the meat is cooked through. Once cooked, lift it out of the water and leave on a plate until it’s cool enough to handle. Use two forks to shred and pull it apart. Now add flavour with barbecue sauce, mayo, chilli flakes and chives and giving it all a good mix around. Cover and set aside in the fridge.

5. Once the dough has doubled in size, tip out on to a floured work surface. Roll into a sausage shape and cut out 12 equal portions.

6. Have a lined and greased baking tray at the ready. Roll out a dough ball to about 12cm diameter. Add a tablespoon of chicken mix, not heaped, into the centre. Gently lift up the edges of the dough from all around the sides and seal the chicken inside, pinching firmly in the centre. Pop it on the tray, pinched side up. Do this to the rest of them, then pop into the fridge for an hour.

7. Make the dust by mixing the garlic, cumin, salt, sugar and coriander.

8. Just before the hour is up, add the oil to a medium sized pan. Make sure the oil is not higher than halfway up the sides. Prepare a baking tray lined with kitchen paper to drain the doughnuts on.

9. Gently place a doughnut into the oil, pinched side up. Don’t overcrowd the pan, just do three at a time. Cook gently for six minutes until golden brown all over. You don’t need to turn them, just occasionally push them down into the oil. When ready, take out and pop onto the paper to drain, then pop in the oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking. While still hot, sprinkle with the dust.