by: Ari Laing
Cook Time
15 minutes
Prep Time
45 minutes
Yield
15 servings
@wellseasonedstudio
“These are best enjoyed warm so, if possible, have friends or family help you stuff them with fruit filling (for a shortcut, use your favorite store-bought jam!).”
Total Time
15 minutes
Prep Time
45 minutes
Yield
15 servings
summary
Sufganiyot are jelly-filled donuts that are typically enjoyed during Hanukkah. My family loves to fill these with strawberry jelly, but you can use any fruit filling that you like! Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy while warm.
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (9g) instant yeast
- 1 cup (240g) whole milk, lukewarm
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, divided
- 2 large (100g) eggs
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons/57g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 3¾ cups (450g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Sunflower oil, or other neutral oil for frying
- 2 cups strawberry jam
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
- equipment
- Stand mixer with whisk and hook attachments
- Large mixing bowl
- Rolling pin
- Dutch oven
- Deep fry thermometer
- Spider skimmer
- Cooling rack
directions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine instant yeast, warm milk and 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Mix, then let sit for 5–10 minutes until bubbly.
- Add the remaining sugar, the eggs and the melted butter, then mix until combined, about 1 minute. Switch the mixer to the dough hook. Add the flour, vanilla bean paste, lemon zest, kosher salt and ground nutmeg. Mix the dough, beginning on low and gradually increasing the speed to medium, for 5–7 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic to the touch. You’ll know the dough is ready when it begins to pull away from the sides of the mixer.
- Transfer the dough to a greased bowl then cover with a kitchen towel and let sit until it doubles in size, about 1–1½ hours.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, adding a little flour on top as well, if needed. Gently roll out the dough just until it’s ½-inch thick. Use a 2½-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter to cut as many doughnuts as possible. You can combine any remaining dough, gently roll it out again and cut an additional doughnut or two if you have leftovers. Cover the cutout doughnuts with a kitchen towel, then allow them to rise for about 30–40 minutes.
- Fill a piping bag with the strawberry jelly and set aside.
- Add enough sunflower oil to a Dutch oven to come up about 2 inches. Attach a deep fry thermometer, then heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 375°F (the temperature will dip slightly when you add the doughnuts). Line a wire cooling rack with paper towels then set aside.
- Using a spider skimmer, gently lower one doughnut at a time into the hot oil, frying no more than 3 or 4 doughnuts at a time. Cook the doughnuts, flipping once, until they are golden brown and puffed up, about 1–2 minutes per side. Carefully transfer the doughnuts to the prepared wire rack, then repeat with remaining dough.
- Use a paring knife to cut a small hole at the top of each doughnut. Place the tip of the piping bag into a doughnut, then gently squeeze in about 2 tablespoons of the strawberry jelly, until it comes right up to the top. Repeat with remaining doughnuts.
- Dust the sufganiyot generously on both sides with powdered sugar, then enjoy warm!
notes
Sufganyot can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
If the sufganiyot are coated in powdered sugar while still warm and not eaten immediately, the powdered sugar will melt a bit. Best to wait to coat them in sugar until just before serving (and yes, you can cool them completely first if preferred!)
You can use any flavor of jelly you like in this sufganiyot recipe.
