Sufganiyot

Hanukkah is synonymous with latkes, but those potato pancakes aren’t the only star of the holiday table. Enter sufganiyot, the lesser-known but equally delicious fried Hanukkah food. Sufganiyot are light and fluffy doughnuts made with a yeasted, enriched dough. Once fried, they’re sprinkled with sugar and filled with sweet fruit preserves, jam or jelly. Hanukkah just wouldn’t be Hanukkah without them.

Doughnut recipes can be intimidating, but they’re pretty easy once you get started (especially when you use our helpful tips for deep-frying with confidence).

What are sufganiyot?

Fried foods like latkes and sufganiyot (singular sufganiyah) are eaten on Hanukkah to symbolize the miracle of one night’s worth of lamp oil lasting eight days. Sufganiyot, a cross between a beignet and a traditional jelly doughnut, are soft and pillowy yeasted doughnuts rolled in sugar and filled with sweet fruit preserves. They’re simply delicious, a once-a-year treat we love during the holiday.

The tradition goes back centuries, and sufganiyot fillings include everything from the traditional strawberry jelly to more modern options like halva, Nutella, custard, flavored creams and more.

Sufganiyot Ingredients

• Flour: We use all-purpose flour for the bulk of the recipe, and a small amount of whole wheat flour for a slightly nuttier, whole-grain flavor and texture.
• Yeast: Active dry yeast is used as a leavening agent so the doughnuts will rise and have their characteristic fluffy texture.
• Cloves: This warm fall spice goes well with sweet bread, and adds a subtle flavor to our sufganiyot.
• Honey: Sugar helps the fermentation process, so we add a bit of honey to warm water to feed the yeast.
• Canola or peanut oil: You need a little oil for the dough to add moisture.
• Eggs: Most baking projects call for room-temperature eggs, which whip up better and give baked goods a light and fluffy texture.
• Vanilla extract: A little vanilla goes a long way. Use the best vanilla extracts instead of imitation vanilla.
• Frying oil: The best oils for frying, like canola or vegetable oil, have a high smoke point.
• Raspberry preserves: This easy sufganiyot recipe calls for raspberry preserves to fill the doughnuts, but you can use whichever flavor of preserves, jams or jellies you prefer.
• Confectioners’ sugar: Dust your sufganiyot with some powdered sugar once they’re fried and filled.

Directions

Step 1: Make the dough

TASTE OF HOME

In a large bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, yeast, ground cloves and 1-1/4 cups of all-purpose flour.

TASTE OF HOME

In a small saucepan, heat the water, honey and oil to 120° to 130°F. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, then beat on medium speed for two minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat for two minutes longer. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (know that the dough will still be sticky).

Editor’s Tip: Make things easy on yourself and mix this sticky dough with a stand mixer and a dough hook.

Step 2: Knead and rest the dough

TASTE OF HOME

Turn the dough onto a clean, floured surface. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, about six to eight minutes. Place it in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about one hour.

Editor’s Tip: It’s OK if your dough takes more time to rise. Just make sure it doubles in size and looks nice and puffy.

Step 3: Roll out dough

TASTE OF HOME

Punch down the risen dough. Turn it onto a lightly floured surface, then use a rolling pin to roll it out to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out the doughnuts with a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter.

Editor’s Tip: Cut the doughnuts as closely together as possible to get the most sufganiyot from the dough. Gather the scraps and roll out the dough again to get more doughnuts. Cover the sufganiyot with storage wrap and let them rest while you heat the oil.

Step 4: Fry the sufganiyot

TASTE OF HOME

Fill an electric skillet or deep fryer with frying oil and heat it to 375°. Working in small batches, fry the doughnuts, a few at a time, for 45 seconds on each side or until they’re golden brown. Drain them on paper towels. Repeat with the remainder of the dough.

Editor’s Tip: One of the biggest mistakes when deep-frying is not maintaining the oil temperature. If you let it get too hot, the sufganiyot will brown too quickly, leaving the insides doughy and uncooked. If it’s not hot enough, the doughnuts will become overly saturated with oil and taste heavy. It’s also important not to overfill the pan; cook only a few sufganiyot at a time.

Step 5: Prepare the filling

TASTE OF HOME

Cut a small hole in the tip of a pastry bag or the corner of a zip-top storage bag, then insert a small pastry tip for piping. Fill the bag with preserves, then twist or tie the end to keep the preserves from coming out the top.

Step 6: Fill the sufganiyot

TASTE OF HOME

Use a small knife to pierce a hole into the side of each doughnut. Fill the sufganiyot with the raspberry preserves.

Step 7: Dust them with sugar

TASTE OF HOME

Finish by dusting the sufganiyot with confectioners’ sugar. Serve them immediately.

JOSH RINK FOR TASTE OF HOME

Sufganiyot Variations

• Try different fillings: Any fruity preserve filling, from plum-orange jam to lemon-blueberry jam, will work well. You can also fill them with custard, chocolate or creamy homemade dulce de leche.
• Air-fry your sufganiyot: Instead of frying these in oil, make them in an air fryer for a quick and oil-free cooking project.

How to Store Sufganiyot

Sufganiyot are always best when fresh, so we suggest eating them the day they’re made. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for one day. You can reheat them in the microwave, not more than a few seconds.

Can you freeze sufganiyot?

This dough freezes well! Make this easy sufganiyot recipe through Step 3, then freeze your cut dough on parchment-lined sheet trays. Once the dough is frozen, bag it up and label it. It can last for up to three months in the freezer.

Can you make sufganiyot ahead of time?

One great thing about yeasted dough is that you can make it ahead of time and let it rise in the fridge overnight. Make your sufganiyot through Step 2, but instead of letting it rise on the counter, put it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before rolling out and continuing with the recipe.

Sufganiyot Tips

JOSH RINK FOR TASTE OF HOME

What else can you use to cut the sufganiyot dough if you don’t have a biscuit cutter?

If you want to make sufganiyot but don’t have a biscuit cutter, you can just get a little creative. Use a drinking glass, a bowl or a circular cookie cutter instead.

What else can you serve with sufganiyot?

Make these sufganiyot alongside your other favorite Hanukkah recipes, like latkes, brisket and chicken matzo ball soup. They also make a great afternoon snack with a cup of coffee.