Homemade Sufganiyot for Hanukkah

Whether you call them dam doughnuts, jelly donuts, sufganiyot, sufganiyah,  Hanukkah bread these are delicious deep fried treats. Traditionally filled with sweet jam and dusted with powder sugar. This simple, easy and effortless recipe for jam doughnuts will have your kids asking for them all year round. Strawberry jam is traditional but raspberry or apricot is quite a treat as well.

How to make Jam Doughnuts, Hanukah Sufganiyot, Israeli Jam Doughnuts, Hanukah Donuts, Jam Donuts

Jam Doughnuts are huge in our family!! I mean my Aadi! Rhea loves them but not as obsessed as Aadi is. If he had a way he’d be eating doughnuts every day of the year. Now, I will be honest and say. I never use to enjoy making doughnuts at home a long time ago. I’m not a big fan of the smell of oil in the house when it comes to deep frying. But these fried treats are so irresistible, they will have you addicted in no time.

These deep-fried Israeli treats are called sufganiyot. These are traditionally filled with jam and dusted with powdered sugar. Made during the festival of Hanukah which celebrated the miracle of the burning lamp in the ancient holy temple of Jerusalem.  Hence the deep fried not baked. Hanukah comes very close to Christmas and so we usually have an overlap of Christmas and Hanukah treats in our home. So while I have the gingerbread, marzipan, and fruitcakes. I also make sufganiyot and latkes.

The best part? this recipe for jam donuts is easier than the ring donuts. There is no rolling or cutting the donut shapes. Yup, Just make the dough, ball them up, fry them and fill them.

I definitely want you to try my other donut recipes but if you are looking for easy donuts? This is it!

How to make Jam Doughnuts, Hanukah Sufganiyot, Israeli Jam Doughnuts, Hanukah Donuts, Jam Donuts

Nothing beats the kid’s excitement. This is my Aadi a few years back when he was only 5. He’d claim all the doughnuts – mama made for me.!!

How to make Jam Doughnuts, Hanukah Saufganiyot, Israeli Jam Doughnuts, Hanukah Donuts, Jam Donuts

Recipe – How to make Jam Doughnuts aka Sufganiyot (Save/Pin)

Tools

• Stand Mixer – K-mix/ Kitchen-Aid type
• Mixing bowl
• Measure cups& measure spoons
• Spatula, Slotted spoon
• Heavy based deep frypanordeep fryer

How to make Jam Doughnuts, Hanukah Saufganiyot, Israeli Jam Doughnuts, Hanukah Donuts, Jam Donuts

Ingredients

For the Dough

• Warm milk  – 190 ml (3/4 cup) – 110 F
• All-purpose flour – 500 grams
• All-purpose flour – 50 grams for kneading
• Egg –  1 large
• Instant dry yeast – 2 1/4 tsp (1 envelope)
• Sugar – 50 grams (1/4 cup)
• Butter – 60 grams (1/4 stick)
• Salt – 1/2 tsp
• Vanilla extract- 1 tsp (or rose essence)

For  Deep-frying

• Cooking oil for deep frying and to oil the bowl – 1 liter (4 cups)

Filling and Dusting

• Strawberry jam for filling – 1/4 cup
• Powdered sugar for dusting – 1/4 cup

Method

Prepare Yeast Mix

• In a cup or bowl – add warm milk, yeast, and one tablespoon sugar.
• Stir well and set aside for five mins to foam.
• When formed up (about 3 to 5 mins) – add the egg, remaining sugar and vanilla.
• Mix to combine well.

Prepare Dough

• In a larger bowl or mixer with hook attachment.
• Add flour and salt – mix to combine.
• Pour in the yeast mixture.
• Mix on medium speed scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Once all the flour is mixed in – knead for 2 minutes on medium-low speed (or with your hands for 5 minutes).
• This is a soft dough so do not be tempted to add more flour.
• Then add the soft butter.
• Knead for 3 minutes more on medium speed.
• By this time the dough will still be soft and elastic but less sticky and shinier.
• Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until double in volume for about 45 minutes.

Forming the Doughnuts

• Once double in volume and chilled – invert on a floured surface.
• Divide the dough into 14 to 16 portions – (roll into a log then cut the log in half, then half again until you have 14 to 16 portions).
• Roll each portion into a ball and place it on a flour dusted parchment paper to prevent sticking.
• Once all the balls are rolled – press with your palm on top of each to flatten it slightly. This will make sure it becomes a doughnut shape rather than a ball shape.
• Tip – Always make one or two mini doughnuts for the purpose of testing oil temperature.
• Cover with a damp kitchen cloth and let rise again for 30 minutes in a warm place.

Deep Fry the Doughnuts

• Heat cooking oil in a pot or fryer to about 325 F.
• Tip – ideally,  you want the oil hot but not so it will brow the doughnut instantly. These need to be cooked thru before they brown.
• You need enough oil so the doughnuts will float in them.
• Add a mini doughnut to test the oil.
• Once the oil is ready – add two or three doughnuts at a time.
• Do not crowd the pan as the temperature of the oil will drop/cool down too fast.
• The doughnuts should rise in 30 secs as they puff.
• Let cook for 30 seconds before you flip so it can continue to puff on the other side.
• Cook for another 30 seconds on the other side and again.

Filling and Dusting

• Place jam in a piping bag with a piping tip for easy use.
• You can let the doughnuts cool completely before you fill with jam.
• I prefer to fill them while they are still warm so the jam melts and spreads inside the doughnut.
• When cooled completely dust with powder sugar.

How to make Jam Doughnuts, Hanukah Sufganiyot, Israeli Jam Doughnuts, Hanukah Donuts, Jam Donuts

How to make Jam Doughnuts - Sufganiyot

Whether you call them dam doughnuts, jelly donuts, sufganiyot, sufganiyah,  Hanukkah bread these are delicious deep fried treats. Traditionally filled with sweet jam and dusted with powder sugar. This simple, easy and effortless recipe for jam doughnuts will have your kids asking for them all year round. Strawberry jam is traditional but raspberry or apricot is quite a treat as well. 

5 from 23 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Israel

Adjust Servings Here: 16 Doughnuts

Calories: 93kcal

Author: Veena Azmanov

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 190 ml Warm milk  110 F
• 500 grams All-purpose flour
• 50 grams All-purpose flour extra for kneading
• 1 Egg large
• 2 1/4 tsp Instant dry yeast (1 envelope)
• 50 grams Sugar
• 60 grams Butter
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

For Deep-Frying

• 1 litre Cooking oil

Filling and Dusting

• 1/4 cup Strawberry jam
• 1/4 cup Powdered sugar

Metric - US customary

Instructions

Prepare Yeast Mix

• In a cup or bowl - add warm milk, yeast, and one tablespoon sugar.
• Stir well and set aside for five mins to foam.
• When formed up (about 3 to 5 mins) - add the egg, remaining sugar and vanilla.
• Mix to combine well.

Prepare Dough

• In a larger bowl or mixer with hook attachment.
• Add flour and salt - mix to combine.
• Pour in the yeast mixture.
• Mix on medium speed scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Once all the flour is mixed in - knead for 2 minutes on medium-low speed (or with your hands for 5 minutes).
• This is a soft dough so do not be tempted to add more flour.
• Then add the soft butter.
• Knead for 3 minutes more on medium speed.
• By this time the dough will still be soft and elastic but less sticky and shinier.
• Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until double in volume for about 45 minutes.

Forming the Doughnuts

• Once double in volume and chilled - invert on a floured surface.
• Divide the dough into 14 to 16 portions - (roll into a log then cut the log in half, then half again until you have 14 to 16 portions).
• Roll each portion into a ball and place it on a flour dusted parchment paper to prevent sticking.
• Once all the balls are rolled - press with your palm on top of each to flatten it slightly. This will make sure it becomes a doughnut shape rather than a ball shape.
• Tip - Always make one or two mini doughnuts for the purpose of testing oil temperature.
• Cover with a damp kitchen cloth and let rise again for 30 minutes in a warm place.

Deep Fry the Doughnuts

• Heat cooking oil in a pot or fryer to about 325 F.
• Tip - ideally,  you want the oil hot but not so it will brow the doughnut instantly. These need to be cooked thru before they brown.
• You need enough oil so the doughnuts will float in them.
• Add a mini doughnut to test the oil.
• Once the oil is ready - add two or three doughnuts at a time.
• Do not crowd the pan as the temperature of the oil will drop/cool down too fast.
• The doughnuts should rise in 30 secs as they puff.
• Let cook for 30 seconds before you flip so it can continue to puff on the other side.
• Cook for another 30 seconds on the other side and again.

Filling and Dusting

• Place jam in a piping bag with a piping tip for easy use.
• You can let the doughnuts cool completely before you fill with jam.
• I prefer to fill them while they are still warm so the jam melts and spreads inside the doughnut.
• When cooled completely dust with powder sugar

Nutrition Information

Serving: 37g | Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 16.6g | Protein: 2.5g | Fat: 1.7g | Saturated Fat: 0.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 5.3g | Vitamin A: 0% | Vitamin C: 0% | Calcium: 0% | Iron: 0%

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

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Love doughnuts?

Well, check out some of my other doughnuts aka donut recipes here. From simple cinnamon sugar donuts to traditional jam doughnuts as well as glazed chocolate doughnuts. Fall inspired pumpkin doughnuts, mini- baked 

Jam Doughnuts, Chocolate Doughnuts, Cinnamon Sugar Donuts, Pumpkin Donuts, Baked mini donuts.

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