One of the most unforgettable memories from my childhood is my first school Hanukka celebration in first grade. The teacher explained to us in detail about the traditions of the holiday, including special foods. On Passover we eat matza, she said, on Purim we have hamentashen, on Rosh Hashana we dip apples in honey, and on Hanukka we make sufganiot. At this point, she drew a picture on the chalkboard of a big round sufgania with jelly bursting out of the top. I ran home after school that day, burst through the door and fearfully asked my mother, Are we Jewish? I mean, we didn't eat anything that remotely looked like what my teacher had drawn on the board. On Hanukka, my mother prepared ring-shaped pastries and other sweet, fried dough delicacies. She just smiled at me and told me that of course we were Jewish, and that each community made their own types of fried pastries on Hanukka. From that day on I became obsessed with the different dishes prepared by the various Jewish communities. Other than sufganiot, the second-most popular Hanukka treat is North African sfenj – airy fried dough that no one can resist devouring. Sfenj are made with sticky, yeasty dough, and are ring-shaped. In Tripoli Jews would make flat, pancake-shaped sfenj, whereas in Hungary they made langos, which can also be made in a savory version served with sour cream, herbs, scallions and shredded cheese. Romanians make gogosi, which are flattened sufganiot, and Yemenites make zalabiya, which can be served with hilbe or syrup. The main differences between all of these pastries are in the types of dough, techniques and shapes. Dough: Sfenj is always made with soft, sticky, wet dough, which makes it easy to form airy pastries that rise nicely. The dough is made from flour, yeast, water and a little sugar. Each family uses different amounts of each ingredient, and Spanish and Balkan versions also include eggs. Some Moroccan recipes add egg yolk, a little oil or even alcohol, such as arak. Technique: Sfenj must always be made by hand, and the dough is kneaded by folding it, stretching it and then wrapping it around itself. This makes the dough more elastic. Most people let the dough rise once, but others let it rise a few times. After the dough has risen enough, wet your hands, take a piece of dough and form a ring. Place it in the pot of boiling oil for deep frying. Another method is to first fry the rings in a thin layer of oil in a pan and then to add it to the deep fryer. Shape: Most people make sfenj in a ring shape, but sometimes it's made in the shape of a ball, or a pancake. Some communities don't make any shape and just throw a bit of dough into the boiling oil. And, of course, some people add jelly filling inside. Serving suggestion: Sfenj are yummiest when eaten straightaway while they are still hot. You can sprinkle sugar or drizzle honey on them or serve them just as they are. Since the amount of sugar in the recipe is extremely small, sfenj can also be served with cheese or eggs. Healthy version: You can also prepare a gluten-free version of sfenj. In this case, an additional 30% liquid should be added. Sugar substitutes can also be used, which will make the sfenj a lighter color. One option is to use 2 tablespoons of sugar-free silan, which will give the sfenj a nice, dark hue. Below, you will find a basic sfenj recipe that I find makes the best pastries. Makes 25-30 rings 1 kg. flour, sifted 1 package (50 gr.) Shimrit yeast ¾ cup sugar 1 tsp. salt 3½ cups water Oil for deep frying Toppings: ½ cup sugar Syrup For Hungarian version: 1-2 containers sour cream ½ cup scallion, chopped Salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup hard cheese, shredded Place the flour in a deep bowl. Form a well in the middle and add the yeast. Sprinkle the sugar and salt around the edges. Pour the water in while you're kneading the dough, until it has become very sticky. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for an hour until dough doubles in volume. Knead again and then cover and let rise another hour. Heat oil in a big pot. Get your hands wet or cover them with oil and then take 2-3 tablespoons of dough and pull the dough in all directions. Put the dough in the boiling oil and fry on both sides until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a strainer or paper towels. Dip the sfenj in sugar or sprinkle sugar on top. Serve hot alongside a bowl of sugar. If you're preparing the Hungarian version, flatten the dough until it's very thin and then add to oil. Remove with slatted spoon and place on a strainer or paper towel. Add on top one or two tablespoons of sour cream, a tablespoon of chopped scallion and some shredded cheese. Serve immediately. Translated by Hannah Hochner.
