Sufganiyah

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Sufganiyah is a round, deep-fried doughnut filled most commonly with jam and widely associated with Jewish communities, particularly in Israel, where it is produced in large quantities during Hanukkah and sold in bakeries, cafés, and markets. Its development traces to earlier European jelly-filled pastries such as the German Berliner and Central European sufganiyot-style fried doughs that Jewish migrants adopted and adapted, eventually becoming integrated into local cuisines in the Levant during the twentieth century when commercial bakeries began standardizing the recipe and promoting it as a convenient holiday food that aligned with the regional emphasis on cooking with oil during the season. The dough is usually made from flour, eggs, yeast, sugar, and fat, mixed into a soft enriched dough that is left to rise before being shaped into small rounds, proofed again, and fried in oil until golden, after which they are filled through a small opening with jam, custard, chocolate, halva cream, or other fillings introduced by modern bakeries; the surface is often dusted with powdered sugar. One notable element is the ring-less shape that sets it apart from American-style doughnuts and the focus on post-frying filling rather than mixing the flavor into the dough, a method that preserves a clear contrast between the soft interior and the filling. It is eaten primarily during Hanukkah in Israel and Jewish communities worldwide but is available year-round in many places, served with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and other warm drinks that balance the sweetness and richness of the fried dough.