Sufganiyot (Israeli Hanukkah Jelly Doughnuts)

About This Recipe

Sufganiyot (סופגניות, singular: sufganiyah) are Israel's most celebrated Hanukkah food — sold in bakeries and at street stands throughout December in quantities that boggle the imagination. The name derives from the Hebrew root meaning 'sponge,' reflecting the light, airy, slightly chewy texture of the fried dough. The tradition of eating foods fried in oil on Hanukkah commemorates the miracle of the Temple oil lasting eight days rather than one, and sufganiyot became the dominant Israeli Hanukkah food over latkes (potato pancakes) in the 20th century. The classic sufganiyah is a round, yeast-raised doughnut without a hole, fried until pale golden (they should not be dark — the exterior must stay soft), filled through a piped hole with strawberry jam, then dusted generously with icing sugar. Modern Israeli bakeries now offer elaborate versions filled with vanilla pastry cream, chocolate ganache, caramel, lotus biscoff, and every conceivable flavor, but the classic strawberry jam version remains beloved. The dough must be soft, pillowy, and slightly sweet — its great virtue is the pillowy lightness contrasting with the sticky-sweet jam inside.

Ingredients

Serves 16

• 500 gall-purpose flour (or bread flour for chewier dough)
• 7 ginstant dry yeast (1 sachet)
• 80 gwhite sugar
• 1 tspfine salt
• 3 largeeggs
• 120 mlwhole milk, warm (37°C)
• 60 mlneutral oil (sunflower)(plus 1 liter for frying)
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 1 tsporange zest(optional but traditional)
• 200 ggood-quality strawberry jam(seedless, for filling)
• 80 gicing sugar(for dusting)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer bowl. Add eggs, warm milk, oil, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix with a dough hook on medium 8 minutes until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky — it should not be stiff.

   Sufganiyah dough is notably softer and stickier than bread dough — resist the urge to add more flour.

2. 2

   First rise

   Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Rise at room temperature 1.5–2 hours until doubled in size, or refrigerate overnight for a more complex flavor.

3. 3

   Shape the doughnuts

   Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll to 1.5 cm thickness. Cut rounds with a 6–7 cm cutter. Place on parchment-lined trays with space between.

4. 4

   Second rise

   Cover lightly with a clean cloth. Rise 30–45 minutes until noticeably puffed. Do not let them over-prove — they should look light and risen but not collapsing.

   Properly proofed doughnuts spring back slowly when pressed gently with a fingertip.

5. 5

   Fry the sufganiyot

   Heat 1 liter of neutral oil in a heavy pot to 170°C — not hotter. Fry 3–4 doughnuts at a time for 2–3 minutes per side until pale golden. Israeli sufganiyot should be light gold, not dark brown.

   170°C is the correct temperature — higher heat browns the outside before the inside cooks through.

6. 6

   Drain and cool slightly

   Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towels. Cool 5 minutes — they must be warm but not piping hot when filled or the jam will run uncontrollably.

7. 7

   Fill and dust

   Thin jam slightly with 1 tsp water if very thick. Transfer to a piping bag with a narrow nozzle. Push the nozzle into the side of each doughnut and pipe jam until you feel resistance. Dust heavily with icing sugar. Eat the same day.

Variations

• •

  Vanilla custard sufganiyot: fill with homemade crème pâtissière instead of jam — popular in modern Israeli bakeries.

• •

  Chocolate ganache filling: pipe in a 50:50 cream-to-dark-chocolate ganache.

• •

  Dulce de leche sufganiyot: the caramel filling beloved by the Israeli-Argentinian community.

Storage

Sufganiyot are best eaten on the day they are made. Store at room temperature up to 1 day — they lose their lightness quickly. Do not refrigerate (the dough toughens) and do not freeze filled doughnuts. Unfilled fried doughnuts can be frozen 1 month and filled upon thawing.

Frequently Asked Questions