These 3-Ingredient, One-Bowl Moroccan Doughnuts Are Crispy, Golden, and Delightfully Chewy

Golden, crispy, and deliciously chewy, sfenj are Morocco’s beloved yeasted doughnuts. Although they’re not normally completely spherical like the everyday American doughnut, they’re no much less scrumptious. The identify, derived from the Arabic phrase for “sponge,” refers to their ethereal, tender texture, which is achieved with a extremely hydrated dough and a novel frying method.

Historically, sfenj in Morocco are bought from neighborhood stalls moderately than being made at house. Individuals line up on the stalls on the nook of slender streets in metropolis facilities or at souks, drawn by the aroma of scorching candy dough and the rhythmic motions of the sufnajeen—the sfenj makers—who are sometimes generational masters of their craft.

These distributors fry the doughnuts to order, fishing them out with lengthy metallic sticks earlier than handing them over. For bigger orders, generally many doughnuts are strung collectively and offered on a palm frond. Whether or not eaten plain, dusted with sugar, or drizzled with honey, sfenj are most frequently loved for breakfast or a day deal with.

The Finest Methodology for Kneading the Dough

Initially believed to have originated with the Andalusians, sfenj share similarities with different fried doughs discovered throughout North Africa, reminiscent of bambalouni, khfaf, or sfinz. Their preparation is seemingly easy however requires a couple of key methods. A primary dough of flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and water is kneaded collectively and left to proof till bubbly and lightweight, then kneaded. The dough is especially moist, which makes it troublesome to knead utilizing your palms the standard approach. As a substitute of the acquainted push-and-fold kneading motions, sfenj dough is historically repeatedly slapped towards the bowl or work floor to develop the mandatory gluten construction. Since making the dough by hand requires a good quantity of endurance and powerful arms, I favor to make use of a stand mixer, which saves effort and time.

Learn how to Create the Sfenj’s Signature Gentle and Ethereal Texture

In contrast to many different yeasted doughs, sfenj dough will not be punched down or deflated after its rise. Gently dealing with the dough is important to protect the valuable air bubbles all through the dough, which contribute to the doughnuts’ signature ethereal, honeycomb-like inside.

The Distinctive 2-Step Frying Course of for Traditional Sfenj

The frying course of is one other essential side of sfenj preparation. In Morocco, conventional sufnajeen typically use custom-built tilted deep fryers with two distinct oil depth ranges. The dough begins on the shallow aspect, the place the underside of the dough is submerged within the oil however the prime will not be lined by the recent oil. This permits the underside to set and switch gentle golden whereas the highest of the doughnut puffs. As soon as the highest of the dough has bubbled up and the underside is gentle golden, the sfenj is flipped and slid into the deeper oil to complete frying, leading to a crisp exterior and a comfortable, ethereal, barely chewy inside. 

I acknowledge that almost all house cooks don’t have entry to this actual setup of their kitchens, so I’ve give you a two-stage frying set-up to realize comparable outcomes at house. I name for utilizing two pans, one a high-sided skillet for shallow frying and the opposite a Dutch oven or massive pot for deep frying. It takes a bit extra consideration to watch the oil temperature of each pots, however it’s is effectively definitely worth the effort to realize sfenj that may impress any sufnajeen.

Learn how to Serve Sfenj

Sfenj are finest loved recent, ideally inside minutes of popping out of the recent oil. I like them merely sprinkled with sugar or drizzled with honey. Nevertheless, their versatility extends far past these easy toppings. A preferred and hearty Moroccan breakfast pairs sfenj with a freshly fried egg within the heart, a mix beloved for its satisfying distinction of textures and candy and savory flavors. Whereas sfenj are sometimes purchased from avenue distributors, when served at house, they’re typically set out with quite a lot of candy spreads, reminiscent of jam and even Nutella for smearing over prime, making for a easy but indulgent deal with.

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