Warm the milk in a small pan until it's tepid. Pour it into a large mixing bowl or bowl of your food mixer, add the yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar. Stir until the yeast is dissolved. Cover and leave for ten minutes or until the milk has turned frothy.

Whilst you're waiting, melt the butter in the same pan you used for the milk. Butter or oil your doughnut moulds and place on a baking tray.

Add the melted butter and remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir by hand or use a food mixer until the mixture comes together to form a dough. Knead for five minutes.

Cut the dough into twelve evenly sized pieces. Lightly oil your work surface then roll each piece into a string long enough to fit around each doughnut hole mould.

Lay them in the moulds and pinch the ends together so that the dough rounds are more or less even.

Cover with a tea towel or large plastic bag and leave to rise until doubled in size. This usually takes about an hour, but could be a bit less or a bit more depending on the state of your flour, how active the yeast is and how warm the room is.

When the doughnuts look as though they're nearly there, preheat the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).

Remove the tea towel or plastic covering and bake in the top part of the oven for fifteen minutes. You know the doughnuts are done when they're golden in colour and if you tap one on the bottom it sounds hollow inside. But for doughnuts, it's better to err on the side of caution. If you overbake them they will be dry and not nearly as pleasant to eat.

Whilst the doughnuts are baking melt the butter in a small pan over a gently heat. Mix the sugar and spice together in a large shallow bowl.

Turn the doughnuts out of the moulds whilst hot and immediately brush each one with the melted butter then dunk in the sugar bowl, turning them over when one side is done.