Heat the milk in a little pot or in the microwave until its lukewarm. 

In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix flour with yeast and sugar and add salt. Stir together milk with egg and vanilla and add this wet mix to the dry ingredients.

Knead everything with the hook attachment for about 2 minutes, then add butter or bacon fat and let the stand mixer knead the dough for about 10 minutes more, until a smooth and elastic dough forms. Add some more flour along the way if you feel the dough is too soft. It should be elastic and smooth but yet able to hold a shape.

Shape dough into a ball. Line a bowl with a bit of oil and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for about an hour to 1 1/2 hours until it has doubled in size.

Alternatively, you can let the dough proof in the fridge overnight. 

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Knead the dough shortly and cut it into 10 equal pieces. With a rolling pin, roll each piece into an oval. It should be about 7mm thick. Place the rolled out doughnuts on the baking sheet.  If you like, you can score a criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife. Do not cut too deep! Cover the sheet with a kitchen towel and let rise another 1/2 hour

Use the time to prepare any toppings. 

Here are my favorites: 

Kirsch whipped cream, grated chocolate, and cherries

Greek Yoghurt, fresh raspberries, and chia seeds

Peanut butter, apple slices and a sprinkle of cinnamon. (I like to heat the peanut butter up in a pot with a splash of vanilla, maple syrup, and some cinnamon, to make it more spreadable)

Heat the oil on medium heat until it reaches 350 F. Prepare a shallow plate with cinnamon sugar. Fry the Canadian doughnuts without crowding the pan for two minutes per side, until golden. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet, then roll them in cinnamon sugar.

Enjoy the Beaver Doughnuts with your prepared toppings while still slightly warm!