Prepare Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour into a bowl and add the dry yeast and sugar.
Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the lukewarm plant-based milk, vanilla extract, room-temperature margarine, and rum. Stir well.
Combine & Knead: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Knead for 5–10 minutes, then cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Shape the Doughnuts: Once risen, divide the dough into 14 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Cover with a cloth or place in a preheated oven at 30°C (86°F) to rise further.
Heat the Oil: Warm up the oil and check its temperature with a toothpick—small bubbles should form around it. If too many bubbles appear, the oil is too hot.
Frying the Doughnuts: Place the doughnuts into the oil and immediately cover with a lid. Fry for about 3 minutes, then flip and fry for another 3 minutes without the lid. If too many bubbles appear around the doughnuts, reduce the heat to prevent excessive browning.
Draining Excess Oil: Transfer the fried doughnuts onto a wire rack lined with paper towels underneath to absorb any excess oil.
