Israeli sufganiyot are soft, yeast-raised doughnuts, fried until golden, filled with jam, and finished with powdered sugar. They are a familiar Hanukkah treat in Israel, and this home-friendly version uses an easy-to-handle dough, steady frying temperature, and a simple piping method; fillings and toppings vary from one baker to another.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups (440 g) all-purpose flour, plus a little extra for shaping
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) whole milk, warmed to 100–110°F (38–43°C)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast, about 1 packet
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (about 50 g without the shell), at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine salt
- About 6 cups (1.4 L) neutral oil, such as canola or sunflower oil, or enough to make a 2-inch (5 cm) depth in your pot
- 3/4 cup (about 240 g) smooth jam, such as strawberry, raspberry, or apricot
- 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Mix and knead the dough, 15 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm milk, egg, and vanilla. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then work in the softened butter a little at a time. Knead by hand on a lightly floured counter for 8–10 minutes, or in a stand mixer with a dough hook for 6–8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and just a little tacky. Add flour sparingly: too much makes the doughnuts heavy. If using active dry yeast instead of instant, first stir it into the warm milk with a teaspoon of the measured sugar and wait 5–10 minutes for it to foam; then mix as directed.
- Let the dough rise, 75 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and put it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl and leave it in a comfortably warm, draft-free place until the dough has roughly doubled, about 75 minutes. The clock is a guide; a cool room can slow the rise. The dough should look puffy and retain a shallow indentation when pressed gently with a fingertip.
- Shape the doughnuts, 15 minutes. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and press it gently to release large air pockets. Roll it to about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick. Cut 12 rounds using a 2 1/2- to 3-inch (6–7.5 cm) cutter, gathering and rerolling scraps once if needed. Set the rounds on small squares of parchment or a lightly floured tray, leaving room between them. Keep the cut edges neat rather than twisting the cutter, which helps the dough rise evenly.
- Proof the rounds, 35 minutes. Cover loosely with a clean towel or lightly oiled plastic wrap and let the dough rounds puff for about 35 minutes. They should look lighter and slightly expanded but still hold their shape. Avoid letting them overproof until they sag; very loose rounds can deflate when transferred to hot oil.
- Heat the oil and fry, about 18 minutes. Pour oil into a heavy, deep pot to a depth of 2 inches (5 cm), leaving plenty of room at the top. Heat it over medium heat to 350°F (177°C), checking with a clip-on or instant-read thermometer. Fry the doughnuts in batches of two or three, carefully lowering them in with a slotted spoon or by using their parchment squares and sliding the paper out once the dough is in the oil. Fry about 1 1/2–2 minutes per side, turning once, until deeply golden. Keep the oil near 350°F (177°C): cooler oil makes greasy doughnuts, while hotter oil can brown the outside before the center cooks. Check a doughnut from the first batch with a food thermometer; its center should reach about 190°F (88°C), above the USDA FSIS safe minimum of 160°F (71°C) for egg dishes. Drain each batch on a wire rack set over a tray or on paper towels.
- Cool before filling, 15 minutes. Let the fried doughnuts cool until warm rather than hot, so the jam stays in place and the powdered sugar does not immediately melt. Meanwhile, spoon the jam into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. If the jam has large fruit pieces, press it through a fine sieve first so it will pipe smoothly.
- Fill and finish, 10 minutes. Use the tip of a small knife or a skewer to make a hole in the side of each doughnut. Insert the piping tip and squeeze in about 1–1 1/2 tablespoons (15–22 g) jam per doughnut, stopping when the doughnut feels slightly heavier but before jam starts pushing back out. Dust generously with powdered sugar and serve while fresh.
Tips
- Use the thermometer for oil, not guesswork. The temperature drops when dough goes in, so fry in small batches and let the oil return to 350°F (177°C) between them. If you do not have a thermometer, a tiny scrap of dough should bubble steadily and rise gradually; rapid darkening means the oil is too hot, but a thermometer is much more reliable.
- Keep the dough soft. A slightly tacky dough makes a more tender crumb. Flour your hands and counter lightly rather than adding several extra spoonfuls directly to the dough. If it clings heavily after kneading, add flour 1 teaspoon at a time, stopping as soon as it becomes manageable.
- Choose a jam that pipes. Smooth, thick jam is easiest to use. A loose preserve may leak from the opening, while chunky jam can block a narrow tip. Stirring a thick jam briefly can make it easier to pipe; do not thin it with much liquid.
- Handle hot oil carefully. Use a deep, heavy pot and never fill it more than halfway. Keep water away from the oil, lower doughnuts gently, and do not leave the pot unattended. Turn off the heat if oil begins to smoke; do not pour water on an oil fire.
Serving Suggestions
Serve sufganiyot shortly after filling, when the outside is lightly crisp and the middle is tender. Arrange them on a platter with extra powdered sugar nearby, since the coating can disappear as the jam settles. For a Hanukkah table, offer several small bowls of jam or other fillings so guests can choose, and serve the doughnuts alongside tea, coffee, or a glass of milk.
These are rich, sweet pastries, so one medium doughnut makes a satisfying dessert portion. If you are serving them after a meal, fill and dust them just before bringing them out rather than leaving a platter uncovered for a long time. A little jam on the plate is normal; provide napkins and small plates to make the sticky filling easier to manage.
Variations
Change the filling. Raspberry, strawberry, apricot, and cherry jam all work well. Thick chocolate-hazelnut spread or pastry cream can also be piped inside, though pastry cream makes the doughnuts perishable and they should be refrigerated promptly. For a less sweet contrast, choose a tart fruit preserve.
Add citrus or spice. Finely grated zest from 1 lemon or orange can go into the dough with the wet ingredients. A small pinch of cinnamon or cardamom is another option; use a light hand so the spice complements rather than overwhelms the jam. These additions change the aroma but do not require changing the dough’s liquid or rising times.
Make smaller doughnuts. Cut 16 rounds with a 2-inch (5 cm) cutter for more, smaller portions. Begin checking them sooner, since their centers cook faster; keep the same oil temperature and confirm that the centers are fully cooked. Alternatively, leave them larger and use a little extra filling in each.
Try a topping instead of powdered sugar. Dusting is the familiar finish, but you can dip the tops in a simple glaze made by mixing 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar with 1–2 tablespoons (15–30 ml) milk. Add the liquid gradually for a thick coating. A glaze takes longer to set and makes the doughnuts sweeter, so allow it to firm before stacking them.
Storage and Reheating
Sufganiyot are at their best the day they are fried. Because this recipe contains egg and dairy, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking or serving. Store them in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days; the dough will become firmer and the powdered sugar may absorb moisture, so the texture will not be quite as light as when freshly made.
For the best reheated texture, warm refrigerated doughnuts in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 5–7 minutes, then add a fresh dusting of powdered sugar. Check that the center of a leftover doughnut reaches 165°F (74°C) when reheating, the USDA FSIS temperature for leftovers. Jam can become very hot, so let each one stand briefly before eating. Avoid reheating several times, which dries out the dough.
To freeze, place fully cooled, unfilled doughnuts in a freezer-safe container with parchment between layers and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then warm in the oven and fill with jam shortly before serving. Filled doughnuts can be frozen, but the jam may make the crumb damp as it thaws, so freezing them before filling gives a better result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes. After kneading, cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for up to 12 hours instead of giving it the full first rise at room temperature. The cold rise will be slower; let the dough sit out until it is workable, then shape it and allow the cut rounds to puff before frying. If the dough is still cold, the second proof may take longer than 35 minutes, so judge by its appearance rather than the clock.
Why did my doughnuts turn dark outside but stay raw inside?
The oil was probably too hot, or the doughnuts were cut unusually thick. Keep the oil close to 350°F (177°C), fry only a few at once, and turn each doughnut after the first side is golden. If the outside colors too quickly, lower the heat and allow the oil to settle before the next batch. A thermometer check of a sample center helps confirm the cooking time is right for your pot and doughnut size.
Can I bake these instead of frying them?
This dough is designed for frying, which gives sufganiyot their characteristic browned exterior and tender interior. Baking is possible, but it produces a more bread-like roll rather than the same doughnut texture. For a baked version, use a recipe written specifically for baked yeast doughnuts, since baking temperature and timing are different from frying instructions.
Can I use a different kind of flour or milk?
All-purpose flour gives a balance of structure and tenderness. Bread flour can make the dough chewier and may need slightly more liquid, while whole-wheat flour makes it denser; replacing more than a small portion is not recommended for this formula. Unsweetened, unflavored plant milk can replace the dairy milk in equal volume, and a plant-based butter can replace the butter, though flavor and browning may vary.
How do I know the dough has risen enough?
Look for a dough that has roughly doubled and feels airy, rather than relying only on the stated 75 minutes. For the shaped rounds, look for visible puffiness and a lighter feel while they still hold their round shape. Room temperature, yeast freshness, and the warmth of the milk all affect rising time, so a cooler kitchen may need extra time at either stage.
Do I have to fill the doughnuts after frying?
Filling after frying is the simplest method for this recipe and makes it easy to control how much jam goes into each doughnut. You can also sandwich jam between two thin dough rounds before frying, sealing the edges firmly, but leaks are more likely and the center may cook unevenly if the dough is too thick around the filling. A piping bag gives the most consistent result with less risk of a seam opening in the oil.
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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