Jelly donuts are undoubtedly one of the most popular food symbols for Hanukkah. However, have you ever thought about how this actually happened? Among all the delectable food items to enjoy during this holiday such as schnitzel, fried cheese, fried chicken, fried pancakes – how and why did the jelly donut, or sufganiya (singular of sufganiyot), gain such massive popularity? Well, the answer, just like all food-related questions, has got to do with our taste buds, politics, traditions, and agriculture. Oily (fried) foods have been used to symbolize the miracle of Hanukkah since the very first celebration. However, it was not until the Middle Ages that jelly donuts started to be associated with Hanukkah.Gil Marks, a well-known food historian, revealed that the very first jelly donut recipe was discovered in 1485, in a recipe book printed in Nuremberg, Germany, titled Kuchenmeisterei, which is known for being one of the first cookbooks run off of Gutenberg’s famed printing press. The initial recipe did not come with a hole. Rather, it was a jam-filled pocket of dough. According to the recipe, bakers had to make a jam “sandwich” using two round pieces of dough and then had to fry them in lard. Adding jam was quite revolutionary because donuts were typically savory food items filled with meat, mushrooms, or cheese. The donuts were costly treats to prepare, regardless of the filling, and thus, they were not that popular among the masses. Later, in the 16 th century, two crucial events related to jelly donuts happened. Firstly, the price of sugar fell. Secondly, the book Kuchenmeisterei got translated into Polish. From its German roots, the dessert swiftly gained popularity in several parts of Europe. It was known as krapfen by the Austrians, Berliners by the Germans, and packzki by the Polish. Substituting goose fat or schmaltz for lard in their fryers, the Jews of these regions also enjoyed the desert, especially Polish Jews who named them ponchiks and started eating them regularly on Hanukkah. As these groups migrated to Israel in the early 1900s, they brought their delectable jelly donuts with them, where they implemented the fried-dough tradition of America. However, what was it that made jelly donuts such a strong symbol of Hanukkah? The main credit goes to the Israeli Histradut, which made them the official Hanukkah food item. You might think, what have jelly donuts got to do with labor? Well, the latke, the fried potato pancake that was already associated with the Hanukkah celebration, could be made at home quite easily. However, the sufganiyot (jelly donuts) are way more difficult and thus provide the Israeli people with jobs –just imagine the baking, transportation, and merchandising that goes into a single jelly donut box. This ultimately led to the massive popularity of jelly donuts as a staple Hanukkah food item. Today, sufganiyot can be found all over the US as well as during Hanukkah, made by non-Jewish and Jewish bakers alike.
Hanukkah Jelly Donut Recipe
Now that you know all about the jelly donut, here is a Hanukkah donut recipe that you can make and enjoy at home.
Ingredients
● 2 tbsp dry active yeast
● ½ cup lukewarm warm water
● ¼ cup + 1 tsp sugar
● 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
● 2 eggs
● 2 tsp salt
● 3 cups vegetable oil
● 2 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
● ½ tsp nutmeg (freshly grated)
● 1 cup raspberry jam
Method
In a bowl, mix water, sugar, and 1 tsp yeast. Set aside for nearly 10 minutes.
Add all-purpose flour to a large bowl.
Then, add the yeast mixture, eggs, sugar, salt, butter, and nutmeg and stir to form a sticky dough.
Knead the dough until it is soft, smooth, and bounces when poked.
Keep the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Place the bowl in a warm place for proofing for around 90 minutes.
Roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness.
Use a 2 ½-inch circular cutter and cut 20 rounds.
Cover the rounds with plastic wrap and allow them to rise for 10 to 15 minutes.
In a saucepan, heat the oil to 370 degrees.
Then carefully place four rounds into the heated oil.
Fry for around 40 seconds till the rounds become golden.
Flip the donuts on the other side and fry for 40 seconds more.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the donuts to baking sheets. Roll the donuts in sugar while warm.
Repeat this step to fry all the rounds.
Fill up a pastry bag with jam.
Use a toothpick or wooden skewer to make a hole in the side of every donut.
Fit the tip inside a hole and pipe approximately one and a half teaspoons of jam into one donut.
