# Golden Raspberry-Jam Sufganiyot

> Cloud-soft citrus-kissed brioche rounds fried in shimmering oil until a pale golden ribbon circles each doughnut, piped full of warm ruby-red raspberry jam, and showered in snowy powdered sugar for Hanukkah.

- Page: https://waituntilyoutry.com/recipe-golden-raspberry-jam-sufganiyot
- Tools & cookware used in this film: https://waituntilyoutry.com/recipe-golden-raspberry-jam-sufganiyot#gear
- Recipe film: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WoS70XbCbaA
- Provenance: HANUKKAH FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS • PILLOWY JELLY DOUGHNUTS

## AUTHENTIC ISRAEL RECIPE (12 Hanukkah jelly doughnuts)

- 450 g (3 1/2 cups) unbleached bread flour or high-protein all-purpose flour
- 7 g (2 1/4 tsp) instant or active dry yeast
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) lukewarm whole milk (38°C / 100°F)
- 55 g (1/4 cup) granulated cane sugar and 5 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt
- 3 large egg yolks plus 1 whole large egg, at room temperature
- 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 6 g (1 tsp) finely grated fresh lemon and orange zest plus 5 ml pure vanilla extract
- 300 g (1 cup) smooth seedless ruby-red raspberry jam, whisked until pipeable
- 750 ml (3 cups) neutral frying oil and 50 g confectioners' powdered sugar for dusting

## How to make it

1. Mix & Knead the Citrus-Brioche Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a wide ceramic bowl), combine 450 g bread flour, 7 g yeast, 55 g granulated sugar, and 5 g fine sea salt. Add 180 ml lukewarm milk (38°C / 100°F), 3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, 1 teaspoon grated lemon-orange zest, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Knead for 4 minutes until cohesive, then add 60 g softened butter one tablespoon at a time and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is satin-smooth, elastic, and pulls cleanly from the bowl.
2. First Fermentation: Shape the dough into a smooth ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly, and let rise in a warm spot (26°C / 78°F) for 60 to 75 minutes until doubled in volume.
3. Roll & Stamp Uniform Dough Rounds: Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gently roll to an even thickness without compressing the gas bubbles. Using a sharp 7 cm (2 3/4-inch) round brass pastry cutter dipped in flour, stamp straight down without twisting to cut 24 uniform circular discs (12 bottom rounds and 12 top rounds).
4. Fill & Pinch-Seal the Raspberry Jam Core (Traditional Two-Disc Method): Spoon 15 g (1 rounded teaspoon) of thick, smooth seedless ruby-red raspberry jam into the center of 12 bottom dough rounds, leaving a clean 1.5 cm border around the edge. Brush the border lightly with water, lay a second dough round on top like a pillow, and firmly pinch and crimp the circular edges all the way around so the raspberry jam is completely sealed inside a plump dough sphere.
5. Buoyancy Proofing on Parchment Squares: Place each sealed jam-filled dough ball on an individual oiled square of parchment paper on a baking sheet, cover loosely with a damp towel, and proof for 35 to 45 minutes until puffy, pillowy, and nearly doubled in height.
6. Fry at 175°C (350°F) for the Signature Pale Ribbon: Heat 5 cm (2 inches) of neutral oil in a wide heavy Dutch oven to 175°C (350°F), monitored with a clip-on thermometer. Slip 3 to 4 dough balls into the oil paper-side up and peel off the parchment with tongs. Fry covered for 90 seconds until the underside is deep mahogany-gold, then uncover, flip, and fry for another 90 seconds so a pale cream equator belt remains around the middle. Drain on a wire rack.
7. Crown with a Ruby Raspberry Jam Jewel: Fit a piping bag with a stainless-steel Bismarck tip filled with warm seedless raspberry jam and pipe a glossy ruby-red jewel dot onto the top center of each fried sufganiyah (simultaneously topping off the warm jam pocket inside).
8. Dust in Powdered Sugar Snow & Serve Warm: Arrange the sufganiyot on a festive platter, sift a generous snowfall of confectioners' powdered sugar over the warm golden domes around the ruby jam crowns, and pull apart warm while the crumb is cloud-soft.

## History

Evolving from Central European Krapfen and Ponchiki brought to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in the early 20th century, Sufganiyot—named from the Hebrew root sfog ('sponge') mentioned in the Talmud—are fried in oil to commemorate the miracle of the single cruse of temple oil that burned for eight days.

## Fun fact

That pale golden 'equator belt' around a bakery-perfect sufganiyah is proof of proper fermentation: when the dough rounds are proofed until airy and buoyant, they float high enough in 175°C (350°F) oil that the middle strip never submerges!

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## Golden Raspberry-Jam Sufganiyot: How to Make Pillowy Hanukkah Jelly Doughnuts at Home

### What are Sufganiyot?

[Sufganiyot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufganiyah) (singular: *sufganiyah*) are plump, round yeast-risen doughnuts deep-fried in oil, injected with sweet fruit preserves or custard, and dusted with powdered sugar for the Jewish festival of [Hanukkah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah).

Unlike American ring doughnuts, which are cut with a central hole before frying, sufganiyot are stamped as solid discs of egg-and-butter [brioche](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brioche)-style dough, proofed until airy, fried so they puff into hollow-centered golden spheres, and piped full of ruby-red [raspberry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry) or strawberry jam.

### How do you get the pale golden 'ribbon' around the middle of each doughnut?

In Israeli bakeries, the hallmark of a perfectly made sufganiyah is the pale cream-colored band (*white belt*) encircling the equator of the golden-brown doughnut. That ribbon is not decorative icing—it is pure physics:

1. **High gas retention (buoyancy):** When a high-protein bread-flour dough is kneaded to full gluten development and proofed until its density drops below about 0.45 g/cm³, the dough ball floats high on top of 175°C (350°F) frying oil rather than sinking.
2. **Covered first-side steaming:** Covering the pot during the first 90 seconds traps steam over the upper hemisphere of the floating dough, expanding the equator upward so that even when flipped for the second 90 seconds, the middle band never touches the hot oil.

| Frying Oil Temperature | What Happens to the Doughnut | Interior Texture |
|---|---|---|
| Below 165°C (330°F) | Dough absorbs excess oil and sinks deeper, losing the pale belt | Heavy, greasy crumb |
| **172°C–176°C (342°F–350°F) — Ideal** | Dough floats high; golden crust sets in 90s per side | Feathery, cloud-soft, dry crumb |
| Above 188°C (370°F) | Exterior chars mahogany before heat reaches the center | Raw dough core |

### Why proof the cut rounds on individual parchment squares?

The most fragile moment in doughnut making is transferring a fully proofed, pillowy disc of yeast dough from the counter into hot oil. Touching the proofed dough with your fingers leaves thumbprints and pops the carbon-dioxide bubbles near the surface. By placing each stamped round onto its own lightly oiled 10 cm (4-inch) square of parchment paper before the final rise, you can lift the paper by its corners and invert the doughnut gently into the oil with zero deflation.

### How do you make Golden Raspberry-Jam Sufganiyot step by step?

1. **Knead the enriched dough:** Mix 450 g bread flour, 7 g instant yeast, 55 g sugar, 5 g sea salt, 180 ml lukewarm milk, 3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, 1 teaspoon grated citrus zest, and 1 teaspoon vanilla, then knead in 60 g softened butter until silky and elastic.
2. **First rise:** Let rise in a covered oiled bowl at 26°C (78°F) for 60 to 75 minutes until doubled.
3. **Roll, stamp, and seal the jam core:** Roll the dough onto a lightly floured counter and stamp 7 cm rounds with a floured brass cutter without twisting. Spoon a dollop of thick seedless raspberry jam onto the center of half the rounds, cap each with a second dough round, and pinch the circular seam tightly shut.
4. **Proof on parchment squares:** Transfer each sealed jam-filled dough ball to an oiled parchment square and proof for 35 to 45 minutes until puffed and airy.
5. **Fry at 175°C (350°F):** Fry 3 to 4 rounds at a time in 5 cm of neutral oil—90 seconds covered on the first side, then 90 seconds uncovered on the second side—until golden-brown with a pale middle ribbon.
6. **Pipe and dust:** Inject 20–25 g of smooth seedless raspberry jam into each warm doughnut using a Bismarck piping tip, then dust generously with powdered confectioners' sugar.

### Frequently asked questions

#### Why should I avoid twisting the biscuit cutter when stamping doughnuts?

Twisting a round cutter crimps and seals the top and bottom edges of the dough disc together, preventing the sides from rising evenly during proofing and frying. Press the floured cutter straight down and lift straight up for tall, symmetrical spheres.

#### Can I use jelly with seeds for filling sufganiyot?

Seeds can clog a narrow Bismarck filling nozzle and cause the jam to spurt unevenly. Always use smooth seedless raspberry or strawberry jam, and stir it briskly with a spoon before loading your piping bag so it flows like velvet.

#### How do I keep sufganiyot fresh if I fry them a few hours before guests arrive?

Fry the doughnuts up to 4 hours ahead and keep them uncovered on a wire rack at room temperature. Wait until 15 minutes before serving to warm the fried shells in a 150°C (300°F) oven for 4 minutes, then pipe the raspberry jam and sift the powdered sugar right before bringing them to the table.

### Watch it, bake it, tell us what's next

The film at the top of this page shows every step in 32 seconds, set to an original recipe song. Watch it on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@WaitUntilYouTry?sub_confirmation=1), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/waituntilyoutry/) or [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@WaitUntilYouTry?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc), and tell us which dish we should cook next.

*AI-created visuals. Culinary inspiration, not a complete cooking guide.*

Published by WAIT UNTIL YOU TRY (https://waituntilyoutry.com). AI-created visuals. Culinary inspiration, not a complete cooking guide.