Moroccan "Sfenj" Donuts - Alternate Recipe (Sfinge, Doughnuts)

5 from 3 votes

Prep time: 1 30

Cook time: 10

Total time: 2 10

Servings: donuts

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DESCRIPTION

This is an alternate recipe (source: www.geniuskitchen.com) to our family recipe, and very good nonetheless.

This recipe uses more flour, less sugar, and less yeast. The result is a thicker dough (still light and airy) with more of a challah interior than a donut. The dough is very easy to shape into the traditional sfenj donut shape and cooks a few minutes faster. The exterior is thinner yet still crispy. The taste isn't as sweet or doughy-scented as our traditional family recipe.

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Make yeast starter by dissolving 2 tbsp. sugar and ½ teaspoon salt in 4 tbsp. warm water in a small bowl. Stir in 1 Tbsp. dried active yeast. Let proof 15 minutes.
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle with your hands. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and begin to mix with your hand. Add a little warm water from time to time as mix, until it is the consistency of a stiff dough.
Knead dough for 10-15 minutes by machine or by hand, pulling the dough away from the bowl, slapping it down and kneading it into the bowl again with the heel of your hand, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Little by little, add remainder of water, sprinkling 2 tbsp. at a time into the bowl. Knead the dough in the bowl until water is dissolved, continuing until the dough is spongy, very elastic and very sticky.
Oil a mixing bowl lightly. Oil your hands and push dough down into the center of the original bowl with oiled hands until you can easily pick it up and transfer to the oiled bowl. Wipe any dough that might stick to your hands, dip fingers in oil again, and turn dough over in bowl. Then cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and allow to rise 1 -1 ½ hours.
When dough is risen, punch it down in bowl with your fist. Heat frying oil in a pan or deep fryer.
When oil is hot, oil the fingers of both hands. Take a piece of dough approximately the size of a small egg and make a hole in the center using your fingers and twirl the dough to enlarge hole to size of a golf ball. Plunge ring of dough into hot oil. The dough will puff up.
Turn the rings once or twice until golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to drain dry on kitchen paper.
Serve hot. May dip in sugar or honey if desired. Great with hot mint tea.