Sufganiyot (jelly filled donuts) are a traditional dessert, served on Hanukkah. I've tweaked the recipe to allow for baking, and filling with chia jam...and guess what? They're so tasty and filled with nostalgia, you won't miss the frying or the jelly! They're my own Hanukkah miracle...enjoy!
Use a 2 cup glass measuring cup and measure ½ cup hot water. Use a thermometer, if you have one, to register around 110 degrees. Otherwise, make it hot to the touch, but not scalding!
Pour the honey directly into same cup. Sprinkle on the salt and 1 package yeast. Mix well and leave to proof, about 5 minutes. it will get bubbly/foamy and rise up a bit.
Place applesauce, vanilla and oil into bowl of food processor or mixer. Pour in the yeast mixture, once it's proofed and pulse to combine.
Pour in 1 ½ cups of the flour and mix until thoroughly combined. Then pour in the remaining 1 ½ cups flour and let the machine knead into a cohesive dough. It should be a bit tacky, but pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times, rolling into a large ball.
Place the dough in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Roll dough ball around, so outside is coated with the oil. Cover with a dish towel and set in a warm spot to double in size, about 90 minutes. If you have a "proof" setting (100 degrees) on your oven, that's a great spot.
Use a rolling pin to flatten out into a large rectangle that's at least ½" thick, or closer to ¾" thick, uniform throughout.
Use a circular cookie cutter or a small glass to cut dough into circles. Reroll the scraps and cut a few more. I like a smallish donut. If you use a 2 ½" circle, you should be able to get about 18 donuts. Place them onto a large rimmed baking sheet that's lined with parchment paper. Cover with a towel and let rise for about an hour.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 6 minutes, flip onto the other side and bake for an additional 6 minutes.
Let sit until cool enough to handle. Use the end of a chopstick or metal straw to poke a hole in one side of each donut. Scoop the raspberry jam into a piping bag (use a disposable zip top bag if you don't have one...and then cut off one corner) fitted with a metal tip. Squeeze a couple teaspoons jam into each donut.
Spray the outside of donuts with either a spritz of olive oil or even a spritz of water for something for the sugar to stick to. Place the turbinado sugar into a small bowl and use two spoons to coat the donuts into the sugar.
Serve immediately for best taste. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few hours or in the fridge for up to a week. They will taste best at room temperature, so allow time to take them out of the fridge before serving.
Notes
Jelly filling: Use my raspberry chia jam or cranberry chia jam recipe for a healthy donut filling. OR, read the labels carefully and find a store bought jelly that doesn't have added sugar. I used raspberry chia jam in these photos.
Raspberry Chia Jam
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 tablespoon chia seeds
Place berries (if using frozen, it's ok to put them in straight from the freezer), water, maple syrup, water and lemon juice into a small saucepan.
Bring to simmer and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally, using the back of a wooden spoon to mash any berries that don't fall apart on their own.
Turn off heat and stir in chia seeds. Let sit for 5 minutes. Stir again. Let sit another 5 minutes. Stir again.
Store in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to a month or freeze for 3 months.