Moroccan Sfinge Donuts
I have a confession: I’m not thoroughly obsessed with donuts. Definitely not for the amount of work they take to make. But even aside from that. Donuts have never been my favorite pastry. I honestly prefer a cookie. Make it chocolate chip.
But. But but but. These donuts. These Moroccan sfinge donuts. These I am thoroughly obsessed with. I wayyyyyyyyy prefer them to classic donuts. They’re so much better, imho. AND. The dough is much quicker and easier than a regular donut dough.
And so. With Chanukah coming up this Sunday evening (!!!!!!!), it’s time for these sfinge donuts to make their grand debut.
Sfinge are weird looking. They are. They look peculiar. They don’t look pretty. They are misshapen and highly imperfect. But still. They are perfect. In their way.
And the sfinge batter slash dough. Lemme tell you. It looks even more odd than the final product. If you can believe it.
The batter (dough?) is loose and wet and super sticky and kinda runny and not at all like the thick yeast donut doughs you’re probably used to.
These Moroccan sfinge donuts also have a very short list of ingredients in ‘em— flour, dry yeast, sugar, salt, water, and vanilla extract (the latter being a non-classic addition, but hey, stop me if you can)— that are quickly mixed together to form the runny mixture.
And that runny mixture. It’s set aside to rise (twice, but it doesn’t take THAT long). After which the donuts are shaped in an almost crude fashion before being fried to crispy, golden perfection.
This sfinge dough is not really sweet. It’s very lightly sweetened. There’s only 1/4 cup of sugar for 3 cups of flour, and that’s even more sugar than most sfinge recipes usually call for.
However. While the sfinge donuts are still warm from the fryer, they get rolled in granulated sugar. Which sweetens ‘em up wonderfully. And provides a delightful crunch to every bite.
Now let’s finally discuss the textures and flavors we have going down here.
These rustic-looking babes pack the lightest, chewiest punch to a donut that I’ve ever encountered.
I love chewy pastries. But you don’t expect to come across a chewy donut very often. Donuts are generally soft and fluffy.
But these sfinge donuts. They are soft and fluffy, but also, so light and chewy it’s crayyyyyy. I’m not sure how to adequately describe the texture, and I don’t think I’ll do it justice until the sfinge has made its way to your mouth, but it’s spongy and stretchy (ooh “stretchy” is good) and chewy and airy.
It’s da best. Best donut texture ever.
Chewy and stretchy and soft and airy and yeasty inside and deep-fried to hot, crispy, crunchy, golden, sugary bombness.
Moroccan sfinge donuts- you is the only donuts I ever need ever. This Chanukah, at least.
Moroccan Sfinge Donuts
Yield: about 15-20 sfinge
3 cups packed flour
1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4-1 3/4 cups warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-Canola or vegetable oil, for frying
-Granulated sugar, for rolling
1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.
2. Add in 1 1/4 cups warm water and vanilla extract and stir until just combined. Dough should be loose and VERY sticky, but not too runny. If dough is too thick, add up to 1/2 cup more water.
3. Oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the oiled bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or towel and allow to rise in warm spot until doubled in size, at least 30 minutes. Knead dough in the bowl a few times and allow to rise until doubled in size again, another 30+ minutes.
4. Fill a heavy-bottomed pot or donut fryer with a few inches of oil. Heat the oil, bringing it to a temperature of 350°F to 375°F. Use a candy thermometer to ensure that the oil temperature stays within this range throughout the frying process.
5. Place a carrot chunk into the oil (the carrot helps absorb any burnt pieces floating in the oil). Wet your hands with water, break off a small handful of the dough, and shape it into a ball. Poke your thumb through the center of the ball and form a very large hole. It won’t look perfect. Gently drop dough into the pot. Fry a few at a time (sfinge shouldn’t touch each other in pot) for a couple minutes until golden brown, then flip and fry on the other side until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the donuts from the oil and place them on a cooling rack with paper towels lined underneath to drain the excess oil.
6. Place granulated sugar into a bowl and roll sfinge in the sugar while they’re still warm. Serve right away (best warm) or same day. Freeze leftover sfinge and then reheat in the oven when needed, as they’re only good the day they’re fried.
