Sufganiyot
Israeli jelly doughnuts: yeasted rounds, deep-fried golden, injected with jam (strawberry, raspberry or apricot) and dusted with icing sugar. Eaten by the dozen for Hanukkah - the oil of frying recalls the miracle of the Temple oil. Pillowy, sweet, perfumed, with a soft crumb.
Overview
A rich yeasted dough, flour, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, eggs, milk and a splash of vanilla. Long first rise for 1 hour. Roll to 1 ½ cm thick; stamp 6 cm rounds; second rise for 30 minutes. Fry at 175°C 2 minutes per side. Drain; inject jam into the centre with a piping bag; dust heavily with icing sugar.
Ingredients
Dough
- 500 g plain flour
- 1 sachet (7 g) fast-action yeast
- 60 g caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 60 g unsalted butter (melted)
- 2 eggs (large, beaten)
- 220 ml warm whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 lemon (optional, zest)
Frying
- 1 ½ litres vegetable oil
Filling and finish
- 300 g strawberry, raspberry (or apricot jam, smooth, not chunky)
- 150 g icing sugar
Method
Stage 1 - Dough
- Whisk flour, yeast, sugar, salt.
- Whisk melted butter, eggs, warm milk, vanilla and lemon zest.
- Pour wet into dry; mix to a soft sticky dough.
- Knead 6-8 minutes in a stand mixer (or 12 by hand) until smooth.
- Cover; rise 1 hour 30 minutes until doubled.
Stage 2 - Shape
- Tip onto a lightly floured surface.
- Roll to 1 ½ cm thick.
- Stamp out 6 cm rounds with a cutter.
- Place on a lightly floured tea-towel-covered tray; cover; rise 30 minutes.
Stage 3 - Fry
- Heat oil to 175°C in a deep heavy pan.
- Fry doughnuts in batches of 4-5, 2 minutes per side, until deep gold.
- Drain on a wire rack 1 minute.
Stage 4 - Fill
- Warm the jam slightly to loosen it; transfer to a piping bag with a small nozzle (or a squeezy bottle).
- Pierce each doughnut from the side with the nozzle; pipe in about 1 ½ tablespoons of jam (you'll feel it expand slightly).
Stage 5 - Sugar
- Dust heavily with icing sugar.
Stage 6 - Serve
- Eat warm or at room temperature on the day made.
Notes
- Inject from the side: Top-injection leaves a visible hole and looks unprofessional. Side-injection is the standard Israeli method.
- Warm jam: Pipes more easily and distributes through the doughnut.
- Eat fresh: Sufganiyot stale fast. Best within 4 hours of frying.
Storage
- Eat day made. Keep wrapped at room temperature 12 hours.
- Don't refrigerate (dries them).
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