The night before or early in the day,
place 2 cups flour, 1/2 packet yeast and
1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl.
Mix with wooden spoon until blended,
cover with plastic wrap. Set aside
at room temperature 10 to 12 hours.
Mixture should double.
Refrigerate if not ready to continue with recipe.
Run half the cherries through a juice extractor
or purée in a blender and strain.
Place juice in saucepan with apple and
3/4 cup sugar. Simmer until thick and jamlike,
10 to 15 minutes. Cool. Chop and add
remaining cherries. Refrigerate.

Set 1/3 cup flour aside.
Place remaining flour on a work surface.
Make a well in center, and add risen
flour-yeast mixture, remaining yeast, milk,
egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, lemon zest
and butter. Work flour into other ingredients
from outside to center, forming a sticky mass.
Knead by hand or machine 10 to 15 minutes,
adding more flour if needed,
until barely sticky and very elastic.
Place dough in lightly floured bowl. Cover.
Refrigerate at least 1 1/2 hours.

No more than 8 hours before serving, roll out
dough to about ½" thick on floured surface.
Allow to sit 20 minutes.
Place remaining sugar on a salad-size plate.
Meanwhile, in a wok or large saucepan,
heat oil 2 to 3 inches deep to 360F (no hotter than 375F).
Using a 3 ½" biscuit cutter, cut 8 rounds,
or use a 2 ½" cutter to make 12 rounds.
Scraps can be kneaded briefly, then rerolled.
Place in oil, and fry until brown,
90 seconds or so on each side.
Place cooked doughnuts on several thicknesses
of paper towel absorb excess oil,
then immediately roll in sugar on plate.
With a pastry tube, fill warm doughnuts
with cherry mixture. Or poke a hole in each
with the narrow end of a wooden spoon,
and force in filling through a funnel.
Serve with ice cream, if desired,
and with remaining cherry mixture as a sauce.
Yield: 8 to 10 large doughnuts,
12 to 16 medium-size ones.