Sufganiyot (Hanukkah Jelly Doughnuts)

Tags: #israeli #jewish #hanukkah #dessert Serving: 16 pieces Total time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Pillowy, yeast-raised doughnuts filled with jam and dusted with sugar, a beloved Hanukkah staple across Israel.

Ingredients

• 230 ml warm water (30–35°C)
• 8 g instant yeast (or 10 g active dry yeast)
• 75 g granulated sugar
• 100 g eggs (about 2 large), room temperature
• 40 g neutral oil
• 5 ml vanilla extract
• 3 g finely grated lemon zest
• 8 g fine sea salt or kosher salt
• 500 g all-purpose flour
• 20 g all-purpose flour, for dusting
• 5 ml neutral oil, for greasing
• 1500 ml neutral frying oil
• 350 g smooth strawberry or raspberry jam
• 60 g confectioners’ sugar

Steps

1. Whisk warm water, yeast, and 20 g of the sugar in a large bowl.
2. Rest the mixture for 5 minutes until foamy.
3. Add the remaining 55 g sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt to the bowl.
4. Beat the mixture until smooth.
5. Add the flour to the bowl.
6. Mix the dough until a shaggy mass forms.
7. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, 8–10 minutes.
8. Grease a clean bowl with 5 ml oil.
9. Place the dough in the greased bowl.
10. Cover the bowl.
11. Proof the dough at room temperature until doubled, 60–90 minutes.
12. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
13. Deflate the dough gently.
14. Divide the dough into 16 portions of about 55 g each.
15. Shape each portion into a tight ball.
16. Arrange the balls on parchment-lined trays.
17. Cover the dough balls.
18. Proof the dough balls until puffy and very light, 45–60 minutes.
19. Heat the frying oil in a deep pot to 175°C.
20. Line a tray with paper towels.
21. Fry 3–4 dough balls for 2 minutes.
22. Flip the doughnuts.
23. Fry the doughnuts for 1–2 minutes until deep golden.
24. Transfer the doughnuts to the paper towel-lined tray.
25. Return the oil to 175°C.
26. Repeat frying with the remaining dough balls.
27. Warm the jam gently until fluid and pipeable.
28. Strain the jam if seedy.
29. Fit a piping bag with a 5–8 mm round tip.
30. Fill the piping bag with the jam.
31. Pierce the side of each doughnut with a paring knife to create a pocket.
32. Pipe 20–25 g jam into each doughnut.
33. Sift confectioners’ sugar over the doughnuts.
34. Rest the doughnuts for 5 minutes to set the sugar.

Notes

• Classic texture comes from a soft, enriched dough and a gentle second proof; the dough balls should feel very light before frying.
• Maintain oil at 170–175°C to avoid greasy doughnuts; adjust heat between batches and avoid crowding to prevent temperature drops.
• Pareve version (shown) is dairy-free to accompany meat meals; for a richer dairy variation, use 200 ml warm milk plus 30 ml water and replace the 40 g oil with 50 g softened butter.
• If the yeast mixture does not foam in Step 2, discard and restart with fresh yeast.
• For smooth filling, select seedless jam or pass jam through a fine sieve; a small squeeze of lemon can brighten sweet jams.
• Related: Berliners and Italian bomboloni use similar techniques; for custard-filled sufganiyot, substitute jam with 450 g crème pâtissière.