Soft, deep-fried yeasted doughnuts filled with strawberry jelly and dusted with powdered sugar, a beloved Hanukkah treat.
Israeli Sufganiyot is a real, traditional Israeli dish, known as Jelly-Filled Doughnuts. Soft, deep-fried yeasted doughnuts filled with strawberry jelly and dusted with powdered sugar, a beloved Hanukkah treat.\n\nSufganiyot became strongly associated with Hanukkah in the 20th century, in part promoted by Israeli labor organizations to encourage local production of fried foods symbolizing the holiday's oil miracle, and they remain a hugely popular seasonal treat today.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Israeli home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.
Serves 14
Mix flour, yeast, sugar and salt, add warm milk, eggs and softened butter, and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour until doubled.
Roll the dough out to about 1.5 cm thick and cut into rounds using a cookie cutter.
Place the rounds on a lined tray, cover, and let rise again for 30 minutes until puffy.
Fry the doughnuts in oil heated to 175°C (350°F) for about 2 minutes per side until deeply golden.
Once cooled slightly, use a piping bag to inject jam into the center of each doughnut through a small hole, then dust generously with powdered sugar.
Let the dough rise fully at both stages — a properly risen dough is what gives sufganiyot their signature light, airy texture.
Fry at a steady, moderate oil temperature; too hot browns the outside before the center cooks through.
Fill with jam once the doughnuts have cooled slightly, since piping into a very hot doughnut can cause the filling to leak out or the doughnut to collapse.
Fill with chocolate or caramel custard instead of jam for a modern variation increasingly popular in Israeli bakeries.
Some versions add a dusting of cinnamon sugar instead of plain powdered sugar.
Top with a chocolate glaze and sprinkles for a festive, kid-friendly version.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.
Sufganiyot became strongly associated with Hanukkah in the 20th century, in part promoted by Israeli labor organizations to encourage local production of fried foods symbolizing the holiday's oil miracle, and they remain a hugely popular seasonal treat today.
The oil was likely too hot, browning the outside before the inside cooked through — lower the temperature slightly and test one first before frying the full batch.
They're best fried and filled the same day for the freshest texture, though the dough can be made a day ahead and refrigerated before shaping.
Fried foods symbolize the miracle of the oil central to the Hanukkah story, and sufganiyot became the modern Israeli way of honoring that tradition.
Per serving (80g / 2.8 oz) · 14 servings total
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