This recipe is my little Chanukah gift to all my Ashkenazi friends, who never got to wake up on Sunday mornings in Casablanca to the smell of the world’s greatest doughnuts — my mother’s sfenj. You won’t find these hot, doughy marvels at Krispy Kreme or any of those trendy new doughnut joints. For one thing, how would they market a doughnut pronounced “shfinz”?
Sfenj are a ubiquitous fried pastry in North Africa. The name is based on the Arabic word for “sponge,” not because they soak up oil, but because a perfect sfenj — my mother’s — is light and springy.
The doughnuts really make their star appearance in Jewish homes around Chanukah, when foods fried in oil take center stage. They are the perfect complement to Ashkenazi latkes — a culinary model of Jewish unity.
Thanks to some help from my cousin Sydney Suissa, who did grow up with me in Morocco, the recipe below includes a few “tricks” gathered by my mother over 50 years of making the same item. If you follow the instructions, your sfenj will be so delicious, you can tell your kids it’s their Chanukah gift.
SFENJ (Moroccan Chanukah doughnuts)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 envelope active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups water (105 to 110 F)
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Powdered sugar for sprinkling
- Honey for dipping
Mix together flour, yeast, salt and granulated sugar. Add oil and egg, mixing lightly. Add the water slowly, using your hands to work it into the mixture.
Knead the dough gently; shape it into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours.
Wet hands slightly, then roll dough into small balls. Flatten, then create a hole using your finger, and stretch the dough gently.
In a deep pot, heat oil to 350 F. Drop sfenj carefully into hot oil. When lightly browned and crusty, turn and finish frying.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm with honey for dipping.
Makes about 20 sfenj.
