Sufganiyot (Israeli Jelly Donuts)

Sufganiyot are so good that in Israel you can find them almost all year round now, but Hanukkah just isn't Hanukkah without them. There are lots of things to fry for the holiday, like latkes, sfenj and ring donuts, but my favorite is the classic sufganiya: soft and puffy, with a simple jam filling and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Before you start

• For soft, puffy donuts, give the dough its full rising times.
• The oil should be between 320 and 340°F (160–170°C). If it's too hot, the donuts will stay doughy inside.
• Cut squares of parchment paper and set each donut on its own square.
• After the second rise, fry the donuts together with their parchment. After a few seconds the paper floats off and you can lift it out.

Ingredients for about 12 donuts

• 500 g all-purpose flour.
• 10 g instant dry yeast (1 tablespoon).
• 50 g sugar (¼ cup).
• 60 g vegetable oil (¼ cup).
• 2 large eggs.
• 145 ml water (½ cup + 3 tablespoons).
• 1 teaspoon good vanilla extract.
• A pinch of salt.
• Oil for deep frying.

For the classic filling

• Smooth strawberry jam.
• Powdered sugar, for dusting.

For the Loacker filling

• 100 g milk chocolate.
• 1 tablespoon hazelnut nougat paste (or Nutella if you don't have any).
• 40 g Loacker hazelnut wafers, roughly crushed.

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the flour, yeast and sugar.

2. Add the oil, eggs and vanilla, and knead on low speed until clumps of dough form.

3. Add the water and salt, and knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, even and slightly sticky (add a little more water if needed).

4. Oil your hands lightly and move the dough to a wide, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for about an hour, or until doubled (on cold days it takes longer).

5. Knead the risen dough briefly to knock out the air, and divide it into balls of about 60–70 g each (work with lightly floured hands).

6. Set each ball on its own square of parchment, spaced apart. Spray or brush each one with a little oil, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for about an hour.

   

7. Fill a wide pot with oil (it should come at least halfway up the pot) and heat it to 320–340°F (160–170°C).

8. Lower the donuts into the oil parchment side down. After a few seconds the paper floats off; lift it out with tongs. Fry each donut for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden. Move them to a tray lined with paper towels and let them cool a little.

   

9. Make a small hole in the side of each donut, pipe in jam with a piping bag and dust with powdered sugar.

10. For the Loacker filling: melt the milk chocolate in short bursts in the microwave, add the nougat paste or Nutella and stir.

11. Stir in the crushed Loacker wafers.

12. Let it cool for a few minutes, move it to a piping bag and pipe it into the donuts.

13. If you have filling left over, use it to decorate the tops.