Recipe

Sufganiyot

Recipe Information

Total Time: 

3 hours; 45 minutes active

Servings: 

28

Sufganiyot are the traditional jelly-filled donuts of Hanukkah. They are deep-fried in oil, to symbolize the miracle of the burning oil lamps in the Temple in Jerusalem. They are delicious little treats, no matter when you make them or what you're celebrating.

Ingredients

  • 2 /12 to 3 cups unbleached flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons quick rise or instant yeast
  • 1/4 cup sugar, plus more for rolling
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup water, heated to 120 degrees
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 cups vegetable oil, plus more for bowl
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for dusting
  • 1 cup seedless raspberry jam, sieved

Equipment

  • Cooking thermometer
  • Spider strainer (a small wire mesh basket on a long handle, also referred to as a spider skimmer)
  • Piping/Pastry bag with 1/4-1/3-inch plain tip opening

Preparation

  1. In a stand mixer with dough hook or large bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, nutmeg and salt. Mix with the dough hook or a sturdy spoon. Heat the water to 120 degrees and add the melted butter, and with the mixer on low, or by hand, stir in the warm liquids. Add the eggs and knead with the dough hook or by hand until the dough is soft, smooth and supple. If the dough is very sticky, add the remaining half cup of flour and knead it in (if the dough is still sticky, add a few additional tablespoons flour as you knead). Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough rise until doubled, about an hour.
  2. Flour the counter and transfer the dough to the floured space. Form the dough into a rectangle and roll out to 1/4 inch thick.
  3. Use a 2-1/2 inch biscuit cutter or a glass with a 2 1/2 inch opening to cut disks of dough. Transfer to a sheet pan with a rim and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the rounds rise for 15 minutes. Prepare a sheet pan with three layers of paper towels for draining the finished Sufganiyot.
  4. Pour the oil into a deep fat fryer or a 2 quart saucepan, to 3-4 inches deep. Heat the oil to 370⁰F.
  5. Carefully slip four rounds of dough into the hot oil. Use a spider strainer to flip the rounds to cook them evenly. They will become quite golden brown within a minute or two per side. Transfer to the paper towels to drain. Continue until all the rounds are fried.
  6. Use a fine-meshed sieve to dust the hot rounds with powdered sugar.
  7. Put the jam into a piping bag with a tip opening of about 1/4-1/3 inches. Use the tip of a paring knife to make a small hole in the side of each round, then pipe the jam into each one, about 2 teaspoons per round.
  8. Dust with more powdered sugar and serve. These keep for one day, tightly covered.

Nutritional Information

210 calories, 14 g. fat, 15 mg. cholesterol, 95 mg. sodium, 20 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. fiber, 2 g. protein