The Ultimate Jelly Doughnuts!

This week is Chanukah and my family revels in the amount of doughnuts (sufganiyot) we can eat. It is tradition during the holiday to eat fried food, lots of it, which is something I easily embrace. We start with lacy potato latkes and end the meal with jelly doughnuts. This year I filled the doughnuts with many types of jam, jelly and preserves, each had a different topping to go with it. Each one became my new favorite. With a bucket of brioche dough from ABin5 and some oil you are ready to make doughnuts that are better than the bakery down the street.

We want to thank Willie Geist for featuring Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day on this weekends broadcast of the TODAY SHOW. What a thrill!

1 pound brioche dough from page 189 of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Vegetable oil for frying

1 jar of your favorite jam, jelly or preserves

powdered sugar for dusting on top (ganache or cream cheese icing)

Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick and use a Round Cutter to for the circles. Put any scraps back in the bucket. Cover them loosely with plastic and let them rest for about 30-45 minutes. You can fry them right away, but the doughnuts will be lighter if you allow them to rest. You can get everything else ready to go while you wait.

Heat about 3 inches of oil in a large pot, you want to make sure there is plenty of room above the oil. Set up a Candy Thermometer on the rim.

Once the oil reaches 360 F degrees you can fry the doughnuts. Depending on the size of your pot you will want to fry 2 or 3 at a time. Make sure they have plenty of room to expand without crowding each other. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes on one side and then flip, you may have to do this a couple of times until they are golden brown.

Remove the doughnuts and allow them to cool on a plate covered in paper towel.

The doughnut on the LEFT was cooked without resting first. You can see that it didn’t rise as well in the oil. The one on the RIGHT is a nicer shape and the interior is light and fluffy.

Once the doughnuts are completely cool, poke the tip of a pairing knife into one end to create a hole.

Fill a Decorating Bag with jelly.

Cut a small hole in the pastry bag and fill the doughnut with the jelly. You want enough jelly so that every bite will have some, but not so much that it will be a huge mouth full of it.

For a simple finish just use a Sugar Shaker or sieve filled with powdered sugar and dust the tops. I also used ganache with toasted pecans and cream cheese icing with sprinkles.

Jelly doughnuts are a tradition for the Jewish holiday, but I also love to fill the doughnuts with pastry cream, chocolate and other fillings and eat them all year long. What is your favorite doughnut filling?

60 thoughts to “The Ultimate Jelly Doughnuts!”

    1. Hi Penny,

      These are perfect for a snow day! My boys came home and devoured these doughnuts today, then went snowboarding. 🙂 That is why they can eat so many doughnuts!

      Thanks, Zoë

  1. I am in love. I’ve been trying to figure out which one of the doughs to use for sufganiyot, and am thrilled at the excuse to make the brioche again.

    Speaking of Jewish dishes, I’ve also been using the brioche for my Zwetchekuchen during the High Holy Days. It’s been working perfectly. Thanks for the inspiration!

  2. You have just made a pregnant lady’s day! Now I can make my own doughnuts for the next 7 months. You guys are the best!

  3. I piped in a traditional raspberry jelly filling this year… but switched things up with a chocolate dough!
    Last year, I used your Pain au Chocolat dough (I think it was from here), but this year I used another. Pretty much any dough will be scrumptious when deep-fried, but the ABin5 ones are guaranteed to be fast & easy!

  4. Zoe – maybe this time when you come visit (I hope you do come this spring or summer, and maybe with the boys), maybe you can teach me how to make brioche.

    You have made me a pizza expert. You are thanked for doing so in the new book.

    How lucky we all are to have your great recipes and your inspiring presence in our lives.

    Your photographs only add to your magical talents and charm. Thanks for sharing.

    These donuts look amazing! I am jealous and sad that I was not in Minneapolis to have some.

    Happy Holidays!

    Suvir and Charlie

    1. Hi Suvir,

      I will make you and Charlie a dozen doughnuts, made with brioche from your chickens’ eggs. Oh, the paring will be out of this world!

      Cheers, Zoë

  5. Perfect timing! I’ll make sufganyiot for tonight. Now Leah tell us all how you make the Zwetzkenkuchen with the brioche dough? Just put the plums on top? and then what else?

  6. Wow, thanks for the wonderful step by step! No fancy injector equipment either! I am guessing I could use a squished up zip lock bag instead of a pastry bag?

    Do you think challah dough would work?

    Thanks!

    Judy

      1. Jeff, I am reviewing this post. My, how things have changed. I began cake decorating classes a couple years later. I have piping bags now…

        But I still haven’t gotten the courage to deep fry, LOL

        Two questions.

        1. How do I dispose of the oil after frying? I have an Crisco can, if that helps.

        2. Another option would be to bake them, but wouldn’t that be just rolls?

        Happy Chanukah!! Hugs to you and Zoe!!!

      2. Hi Judy,

        In the summer I put the oil down the drain while running hot water. In the winter I put it in a can and throw it in the garbage so it won’t clog my pipes.

        People certainly do bake doughnuts, but I agree that they are really just rolls at that point! 😉

        Happy holiday and enjoy the doughnuts! Zoë

  7. Can I use egg replacer in brioche dough? I am trying to make vegan brioche for a friend.

    I love the doughnut idea. I have brioche downstairs. I must make some tomorrow 🙂

    1. Hi Laura,

      I have never tried using an egg replacer for the brioche dough. It has a lot of eggs to be replaced. If you try it I would start with a half batch. Do let me know if you make it!

      Thanks, Zoë

  8. Yum, once a year I don’t feel guilty making fried doughnuts ;o) Last year I learned not to make them too thick (I think I rolled up balls of brioche dough) –raw in the middle–BLECH!

  9. I would only be making a 1/4 batch anyway so only 2 eggs to be replaced.

    I’ll let you know how it works out (once the egg replacer arrives)

  10. Hi, I am just getting tuned into HB5 but haven’t bought the book yet. I am wondering if it will include recipes from AB5 ? I can’t wait to get baking ! Thanks, Lois

    1. Hi Lois,

      The two books don’t share any recipes. ABin5 is based on traditional European style breads, which use mostly all-purpose flour. HBin5 uses more whole grains and focuses on healthier breads.

      Thanks and happy baking! Zoë

  11. Hi. I tried to make the sweet potato spelt bread from your Healthy Breads in 5 minutes a day book. I left the dough in the fridge for 2 days. When I took it out it was very wet on the bottom. I added some flour but it was still extremely wet. Was I supposed to squeeze the shredded sweet potatoes before mixing them in? The bread appears to be stuck to the stone. ( never happened with any of the other breads).
    Thank you.

    1. Bernadett— just work in additional flour until you can handle it. No need to squeeze the shreded sweet potatoes. Jeff

  12. Has anyone used an egg replacer (i.e. EnerG) for the brioche dough with good results? My son is allergic to milk and eggs. I would love to make him doughnuts!!! I could make him great fillings!! Thanks!!

    1. Kimberly: Haven’t tried this, look forward to hearing if anyone else has. Try Tweeting it to me at @ArtisanBreadIn5 if you’re on Twitter. Jeff

  13. I believe I will go ahead and give it a try today with a quarter recipe. Hoping for great results! Will let you know what happens. Thank you!

  14. Question about rye bread and shaping loaves: Made your rye and it was absolutely the best I’ve had since my grandmother used to bring us bread from Brooklyn. Only issue – the loaf was pretty wide and not very high (though it had great texture!). This sometimes happens to my loaves (challah) and I wondered if it would work to put “walls” on either side of the bread while it was rising to encourage upwards rather than sideways movement. What do you think?

    1. Hi Amy,

      I wonder if your dough isn’t a tad too wet and just doesn’t have enough structure?

      What kind of flour (brand) are you using? Do you use the scoop and sweep method of measuring?

      Thanks, Zoë

  15. I posted on Twitter about adding extra butter.

    I halved the brioche recipe, but used 2 sticks of butter instead of 1.5 sticks. It developed more of the buttery tasted I was going for, but it was very doughy in the middle. I think I both under baked it, and did not let the gluten develop like it should (with all the extra fat.)

    I have been reading a few bread baking books, and many that include extended rising times. Next time, I was thinking about making the dough without the butter, letting it rise for an hour, and then mixing in the melted butter. I will let it rise from that point for an hour or two before refrigerating it. Thoughts?

    1. EB: 40 minutes was a compromise for our 1st book; some people are happier with 60 or even 90 minutes and that might make all the difference.

      But, having said that… I’m guessing that a 33% increase in butterfat might be more than our no-knead, stored-dough method can accommodate! More power to you if you can get it to work. Jeff

  16. Suggestion for new book, it may be to late, however it would be nice to include a list of recipes rather than grouping them by type. E.g. Peasant loaves, “European Peasant bread (P.46), Tuscan bread salad (P.48), Pan Bagna(p.49), Olive Bread (P.51), Tapenade Bread (P.55), etc. Just suggestion. I have done this with each of the books. Thanks for your grat books. I have given them as presents.

  17. Hi Zoe: I use King Arthur flour and have been adding a bit of water (a little less than 1/4 cup) to make up for the protein content (my first batch ever was a bit dry). I do use the scoop and sweep method. Would it work to have “walls” as the dough rises?

    1. Hi Amy,

      Well, it sounds like you are doing everything just right! This can also happen if the dough over-proofs, is your kitchen particularly warm or are you letting it rest much longer?

      You certainly could bake these loaves in a pan or somehow create “walls” around it.

      Thanks, Zoë

  18. I made the brioche recipe with EnerG egg replace and dairy-free margarine… it was so good! My son loves it! It was sweet and light. I cannot wait to make some doughnuts for him tonight.

    I am going to recommend your ABin5 book to a group I belong to that tries to educate about food allergies since the recipes adapt well. I hope to be able to purchase all of your books.

    Thank you!

  19. @Jeff and Zoe

    So, day 3, and my higher fat brioche turned out well. I made mini baked donuts and a monkey bread type of thing. I let them both rise for 90 minutes (my house is cold), and baked them. It did well! I think the three day rest helped it, this round was more bread like.

    Thanks for your help!

  20. Your book has revolutionized my kitchen; thank you! Made doughnuts with brioche dough tonight, and used gingerbread man cookie cutters… Topped with a simple semisweet chocolate glaze… Might be the best thing I’ve ever tasted from my own kitchen! And my boys loved them!

  21. Wow, these were the best doughnuts I’ve ever had! Would anyone mind giving recipes for the ganache or icing, though? …My icing didn’t come out as great as the picture, but we managed to gobble down every last doughnut!

  22. I’m a new fan! Loving the books and all the tips on the website!!

    I was wondering if you could explain the use of unsalted butter in your recipes. Does it make a difference, and if so, how should I adjust if I only have salted butter on hand?

    Also, I have baked our families dinner rolls for as long as I can remember…an old family recipe. I have a new baby in the house and was going to try to use your method. My recipe calls for eggs, milk, sugar, Crisco(which I’ve switched to butter), etc, etc……..but I was wondering if I can replace milk for water 1:1 in your recipes?

    1. Lynnea: Assume one stick of salted butter (a quarter-pound or one-half cup) adds a quarter-teaspoon of salt to your batch and correct accordingly.

      Generally, yes, milk can replace water 1:1, but the result will be more tender and shouldn’t be stored in the fridge for longer than 5 days or so bec of the dairy– that can spoil. Check back to our Thanksgiving posts and see our own recipes for dinner rolls…

  23. Hi Zoe and Jeff,
    I cook and bake ahead on my blog. I’ve had so much fun experimenting with the 100% whole wheat olive oil dough (i use king arthur white whole wheat). I’ve made calzones, pizza, flatbread, cinnamon rolls and sandwich thins! I made 3 batches in 1 week to give away and some to freeze. I can’t wait to try these doughnuts b/c I won’t let my kids “buy” doughnuts but once a year. I’m brutal when it comes to homemade. I can’t wait for your new pizza book.

  24. I used 2 loaves’ worth of the Master Recipe from ABI5 to make toutons for breakfast this morning. (Toutons are bits of fried bread dough served with butter & syrup (or molasses or jam), a traditional breakfast treat in my late mother-in-law’s Newfoundland, and (as “doughats”) also among my late dad’s French-Canadian relatives in upstate New York. Here’s a link to an explanation of the traditional method: https://www.suite101.com/content/toutons-made-by-frying-bread-dough-a90076 , and here’s a recipe I posted for them some time ago, using bread machine dough: https://www.cooking.com/Recipes-and-More/recipes/Toutons-Newfoundland-Style-Fried-Dough-recipe-10000142.aspx .) As you can see from the links, any kind of basic white bread dough works for this (including yours), although something richer like your brioche dough would certainly be OK also. If I hadn’t left the dough I was using for toutons rise overnight like I normally do, the shorter baking-day rise called for in the Master Recipe would probably have worked, too (the dough could have risen while I made the coffee, nuked some syrup and set the table). Anyway, the Master Recipe dough made delicious toutons, and I think I liked the slightly lighter taste using a leaner dough gave them.

  25. Although brioche would make the most decadent ones, could the Master Recipe Boule dough be used for these as well?

      1. I do–I also have HB5M. My AB5M is well-worn with flour dust and stains. I really love all the recipes, and love coming here to find some really awesome ones, too!

      2. Sorry, didn’t answer your question– yes, you can use the white dough, as you say, will be very different though.

  26. I tried a small batch of the butterless dough and they were not too bad. didn’t fillthem. they tasted okay.

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