Have you ever heard of sufganiyot? Even if you’ve never heard of them by name, they probably look familiar, because they are in fact a variety of a well-known food: jelly sufganiyot. Sufganiyot (pronounced soof-gan-ee-ott) are a particular variety of fried jelly sufganiyot which are often served at Hanukkah. Oil-based foods are traditional fare during Hanukkah, and sufganiyot (or sufganiyah for a single unit) are one of the more popular delicacies. This recipe is a fine illustration of why these sufganiyot are so beloved. Lightly sweet, pillowy dough is fried to light and fluffy perfection in Colavita Olive oil, which imparts an inimitable flavor on the finished sufganiyot while also imparting a light texture and pleasingly crispy edges. Piped full of seedless jam and topped with a snowy dusting of confectioners’ sugar, they have just the right amount of sweetness. These sufganiyot would make a fine morning snack, but taste good all day long.
Time to make the sufganiyot. Place the flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, sugar, and olive oil until the mixture reaches about 105°F. Remove from heat and whisk in the eggs.
Add the wet mixture to the dry, and using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Increase the speed to medium-high, and continue mixing until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, five to seven minutes. It will still be somewhat sticky.
Form the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
Near the end of the rising period, prepare your work area. Dust a work surface with flour, and place the dough on top. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough to about ¼ inch thick. Using a 2- or 3-inch round cutter (or even a floured drinking glass rim, or the top of a wide mouth mason jar), cut out as many circles as you can and place on a lightly floured baking sheet.
Re-roll the scraps and continue cutting out circles until you've used all of the dough. Cover the rounds with plastic wrap and again let them rise, this time for about 30 minutes. They will begin to look slightly puffy.
Place paper towels under a wire rack. Have it near your frying surface. This is where you'll put the sufganiyot to cool off after frying.
It's time to get frying. Heat your oil in a large deep skillet or deep pan until it has reached 350°F.
Transfer the rounds a couple at a time (you don't want them crowded) and fry until browned—about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip, and remember the second side takes less time to fry. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the wire rack. Continue frying until you've finished them all.
By the time you're done frying, the first of the fried sufganiyot should be cool enough to handle. Using a chopstick or small knife, make a hole and slightly "shimmy" it without enlarging the hole too much, to make more space in the doughnut for the filling.
Load up a piping bag with your seedless jam, and pipe a little over a tablespoon-ful into each doughnut. (You can also spoon it in if you prefer, slicing the doughnut in half and spooning the jam inside). Once filled, place the sufganiyot back on the wire rack.
Dust the finished sufganiyot with confectioners’ sugar, and enjoy.
Servings 24