Tova's Shabbos Kitchen Make-ahead Shabbos and Yom Tov cooking

Make-Ahead Sufganiyot: Freeze the Dough, Fry Fresh on Chanukah

Pareve · · By Tova's Shabbos Kitchen · Jump to recipe

Pareve sufganiyot you can start days ahead: chill the dough overnight or freeze shaped rounds, then fry fresh. Plus how to freeze fried donuts and refill them.

Sufganiyot are the one Chanukah food everyone agrees should be eaten warm, which is exactly why they feel impossible on a busy party night. The trick is to split the work. Do the dough on a quiet evening, and leave only the frying for Chanukah.

There are three ways to get ahead, depending on how much time you have.

Pick your make-ahead path

OptionWhen you do the workWhat is left for party dayBest for
Overnight doughThe night beforeRoll, cut, rise, fry, fillMost people
Frozen shaped roundsUp to 1 month aheadThaw, rise, fry, fillBig batches
Fried and frozenUp to 1 month aheadRewarm, fill, dustLeast work on the day

Frying fresh from frozen dough gives the closest result to a just-made donut. Fried and frozen donuts are softer once rewarmed but still very good, and the kitchen stays clean on the day.

Why freezing the dough works

Yeast survives freezing. It slows down in the cold and wakes up as the dough thaws, so a frozen round of dough just needs time to thaw and finish its rise. What matters is freezing the rounds flat and separate, and thawing them on their own parchment squares so you can lower each one into the oil without deflating it.

The frying setup

  • A heavy pot at least 4 inches deep, with 2 inches of oil
  • A thermometer clipped to the side, aiming for 350 F
  • A wire rack over a sheet pan for draining
  • A piping bag or squeeze bottle for the jam

Fry a test donut first. If it browns in under a minute, the oil is too hot. If it takes more than 3 minutes per side, it is too cool and the donut will be greasy.

How many to make

Plan on 1 to 2 donuts per person after a full meal, and 2 to 3 for a donut and latke party. This recipe makes about 16, so double it for a crowd of 15 to 20.

Building a whole Chanukah party around them

Sufganiyot pair well with make-ahead latkes because both can be done before the guests arrive: latkes fried and frozen, donut dough frozen in rounds. Serve the latkes with homemade applesauce and see the full make-ahead Chanukah party menu for a timeline. If you are hosting dairy, the dairy Chanukah party menu works with these donuts too.

Recipe card · Pareve

Make-Ahead Pareve Sufganiyot (Jelly Donuts)

Soft yeast donuts fried in oil and filled with jam, made pareve with water or a non-dairy milk, with overnight and freezer make-ahead options.

Prep
40 min
Cook
20 min
Total
2 hr 45 min
Yield
About 16 donuts, 2 1/2 inches each
Kashrus
Pareve

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups (450 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
  • 2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) instant yeast
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup warm water or unsweetened pareve oat or soy milk (about 105 to 110 F)
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus about 6 cups for frying
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup strawberry or raspberry jam, stirred smooth
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

  1. Mix: In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm water or pareve milk, eggs, 1/4 cup oil, and vanilla. Mix into a shaggy dough.
  2. Knead: Knead 8 to 10 minutes by hand, or 6 minutes with a dough hook, until smooth, soft, and slightly tacky. Add a spoonful of flour only if it sticks badly.
  3. First rise: Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour. Or refrigerate the covered bowl overnight, up to 24 hours (see make-ahead notes).
  4. Roll and cut: Roll the dough 1/2 inch thick on a floured counter. Cut 2 1/2 inch rounds and set them on parchment squares on a sheet pan. Reroll scraps once.
  5. Second rise: Cover loosely and let rise until puffy and about 1 1/2 times the size, 30 to 45 minutes. A fingertip pressed gently into the side should leave a dent that slowly springs back.
  6. Heat the oil: Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350 F. Use a thermometer, because oil that is too hot browns the outside before the center cooks.
  7. Fry: Fry 3 or 4 at a time, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, until deep golden. Let the oil come back to 350 F between batches. Drain on a wire rack.
  8. Fill and dust: When cool enough to handle, poke a hole in the side with a chopstick, pipe in about 2 tsp jam with a piping bag or squeeze bottle, and dust with powdered sugar.

Make-ahead and storage

  • Overnight dough: after kneading, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Cold dough is easier to roll. Let it sit 20 minutes at room temperature, roll, cut, and give the second rise a little longer, 45 to 60 minutes.
  • Freezer dough: cut the rounds, freeze them uncovered on a parchment-lined tray until solid (about 2 hours), then bag. Keeps up to 1 month. To fry, set the frozen rounds on parchment squares, cover loosely, thaw 1 1/2 to 2 hours, then let rise until puffy, about 1 hour more, and fry.
  • Fried donuts: freeze fried, cooled, unfilled donuts in a single layer, then bag, up to 1 month. Rewarm from frozen at 300 F for 6 to 8 minutes, cool slightly, then fill and dust.
  • Filled donuts are best the day they are made. Fill and dust them just before serving.

Notes

  • These are pareve when made with water or a pareve non-dairy milk and a pareve jam. Check the hechsher on the jam and the oil.
  • Never leave hot oil unattended, keep a lid nearby, and never use water on an oil fire.

Questions people ask

Can you make sufganiyot ahead of time?

Yes. You can refrigerate the dough overnight, freeze the cut rounds for up to a month and fry them fresh, or fry the donuts, freeze them unfilled, and rewarm and fill them before serving.

Can you freeze sufganiyot dough?

Yes. Cut the rounds, freeze them on a tray until solid, then bag them. Thaw on parchment squares for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, let them rise until puffy, and fry.

Should you freeze sufganiyot filled or unfilled?

Unfilled. Jam makes the inside soggy as it thaws. Freeze plain fried donuts, rewarm them, then fill and dust with powdered sugar.

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Make-Ahead Sufganiyot: Freeze the Dough, Fry Fresh

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