5 from 2 votes

Jelly Doughnuts (Sufganiyot)

Blackberry Jelly Doughnuts (Sufganiyot) in a loaf pan with parchment paper

Amber Wilson’s cookbook, For the Love of the South is a delight. It is one of the most strikingly beautiful books I’ve seen recently. The photography and recipes are romantic, sultry, so Southern, and yet, they are entirely approachable.

When I first flipped through the pages, I wanted to make everything, but these jelly doughnuts grabbed me the most. I adore a great doughnut and she delivers. Her dough is scented with lemon zest, then filled with blackberry preserves, but there are a number of other homemade fillings to choose from. I’ve since made these doughnuts several times and filled them with everything from pastry cream (vanilla and coconut), lemon curd, whipped milk chocolate mascarpone, and coated them in ganache, all from my Zoë Bakes Cakes book. So, I turned them into the cake they were meant to be! 😉

You can watch me make Amber’s jelly doughnuts on my instagram story and she’s generously allowed me to share the recipe with you here.

A line of Blackberry Jelly Doughnuts (Sufganiyot)
Blackberry Jelly Doughnuts (Sufganiyot) on a marble countertop
Blackberry Jelly Doughnuts (Sufganiyot) on a marble countertop
Blackberry Sufganiyot Jelly Doughnuts

Jelly Doughnuts (Sufganiyot)

This recipe is from For the Love of the South: Recipes and Stories from My Southern Kitchen.
5 from 2 votes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp rapid rise yeast
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
  • Peanut or other oil for frying

Superfine Vanilla Sugar

  • 1 cup sugar
  • Vanilla seeds scraped from 1 pod

Instructions

Dough

  • In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, eggs, lemon zest, and water. Mix on medium speed for about 8 minutes or until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a ball.
  • Allow the dough to rest for one minute, then continue mixing and slowly add the butter. Once the butter is incorporated, turn to high speed and mix until glossy and smooth, about another 5 minutes.
  • Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover loosely with plastic and let rest until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Knead the dough in the bowl, then cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, shape them into balls and then place them on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic and let rest until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Superfine Vanilla Sugar

  • Blend 1 cup sugar with vanilla seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod. Set aside.

Fry the Dough

  • In a heavy-bottomed medium pot, heat about 3 inches of oil over medium heat until it reaches 360°F on a thermometer. Line a plate with paper towel. Once the oil it hot, carefully slide the dough into the oil. Only put a couple in at a time, so they have plenty of room to float. Allow to fry for about 2 minutes, then flip them over to cook the other side. Drain the doughnuts on the paper towel for a minute, then dredge the doughnut in the vanilla sugar. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
  • Once the doughnuts have cooled slightly, pierce the "seam" of the doughnut with a paring knife, creating a pocket for the filling. Use a pastry bag with a round tip (make sure it is big enough for any fruit to fit through) or use a gallon-sized plastic bag as Amber does. Fill each doughnut.
  • Top the jelly doughnuts with a fresh blackberry and serve immediately.

Notes

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Thank you to Amber Wilson for sharing this fantastic jelly doughnuts recipe and for sending me her lovely new book. The book was a gift from the publisher, but the opinions of it are all my own!

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13 thoughts to “Jelly Doughnuts (Sufganiyot)”

    1. Hi. They really should be eaten when you fry them. You can store the dough for a couple of days and just fry them fresh.

      Thanks, Zoë

        1. Hi Nat! You can store it in the fridge or freezer, but Zoë recommends not doing it for too long—24 hours at most.

  1. I made these for Christmas morning with a chocolate marshmallow filling. They were delicious! Thank you for sharing this great recipe!

  2. I have made these plenty of times and played around with different fillings. I’m back to print the recipe and make them with my girlfriends tonight! Make them!

  3. 5 stars
    Wow, I tried two other donut recipes before I landed on this one and it doesn’t disappoint! The other recipes were too dense, and lacking a bit in flavor. These are light, delicious and fluffy! I’ve now made three separate batches and they’ve all come out perfect! I use canola oil for frying and it imparts no oily flavor or feeling of greasiness when you eat them!

    I was however wondering how this recipe does when multiplied? Should the resting time be extended? Should I break up larger batches of dough into smaller parts for the first rise? I don’t want to mess with the perfection!

    1. Hi Gia! We’re so glad to hear you’re enjoying this recipe! This recipe should do well multiplied. The resting time might take a little longer, but not by much. Happy baking!

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