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Prague · 28 Cheshvan 5787

Shabbat this week · 16:02–17:11

Ashkenazi

Sufganiyot

סֻפְגָּנִיּוֹתAwaiting expert review

Yeast doughnuts fried in oil and filled with jam. In Israel, the best-known Hanukkah treat.

Servings
16 servings
Prep
40 min
Cook
30 min
Difficulty
demanding
Kashrut · dairyCategory by ingredients, not a certification. Details below.
For holidaysHanukkah
Sufganiyot

Ingredients

16
servings

Dough

Frying

Filling

Method

  1. Step 1: Dissolve the yeast in half of the lukewarm milk with a teaspoon of sugar and leave for 10 minutes to activate.

  2. Step 2: Put the flour, remaining sugar, salt and lemon zest in a bowl and add the yeast mixture, the rest of the milk and the eggs.

  3. Step 3: Knead for 8–10 minutes, then gradually work in the softened butter until the dough is smooth and glossy.

  4. Step 4: Cover and let rise in a warm place for about an hour, until doubled in volume.

  5. Step 5: Roll the dough out to a thickness of 1.5 cm and cut out rounds 6–7 cm in diameter. Place them on a floured towel, cover and let them proof for 30 minutes.

  6. Step 6: Heat the oil in a pot to 165–170 °C (check with a thermometer or a test piece of dough).

  7. Step 7: Fry 3–4 at a time with a lid on for about 2 minutes, then turn them and fry for another 2 minutes without the lid. A pale band should remain around the sides.

  8. Step 8: Drain the doughnuts on paper towels and let them cool slightly.

  9. Step 9: Using a piping bag with a nozzle, inject about a teaspoon of jam into the side of each one and dust with powdered sugar.

Tips

  • Oil that is too hot burns them on the outside before they are cooked through; oil that is too cool makes them soak up fat.
  • Sufganiyot are best on the day they are fried.

History and origins

HistoryAshkenazimIsrael⁂ To verify

Fried yeast dough filled with jam is known throughout Central and Eastern Europe (German Krapfen, Polish pączki); Ashkenazi Jews knew it by the Yiddish name ponchkes. In 20th-century Israel, under the Hebrew name sufganiyot, it became the main sweet dish of Hanukkah.1

Interpretation

Frying in oil refers to the Hanukkah miracle of the oil.2

Regional variations

Modern practiceIsrael

Besides strawberry jam they are filled with cream, chocolate or caramel (dulce de leche); Israeli bakeries come up with new flavors every year.

MinhagMizrahim⁂ To verify

North African communities make fried rings of yeast dough (sfenj) for Hanukkah, often dipped in honey or syrup.

Goes well with

Sources

See also