Sfinj (also spelled sfenj) are Moroccan ring doughnuts: light, chewy, and airy inside with a thin crisp shell. The dough is made with just flour, yeast, salt, and water, with no eggs or milk, and is deliberately wet and sticky, which is what creates the open, bubbly crumb. Across North Africa, sfinj are sold hot from street stalls and eaten in the morning with mint tea (see our Moroccan mint tea on the site).
They are usually dusted with sugar or dipped in honey, and the name is related to the Arabic word for sponge, a good description of the texture. Sfinj are a regular part of Moroccan mornings, festivals, and the evening meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan. For a related fried treat from Greece, see our Loukoumades, and for another Moroccan breakfast staple, try Msemen or Baghrir (all on the site).
The one trick is handling the dough. It is too sticky to shape on a floured counter, so cooks wet their hands, scoop a portion, poke a hole through the center with a thumb, and slide the ring straight into hot oil.
Sfinj Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) instant or active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/4 cups warm water (about 105°F), plus more as needed
- Neutral oil for deep frying (about 1 1/2 quarts; canola or sunflower)
- Granulated sugar or honey, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm water and mix with a wet hand or wooden spoon for 3 to 5 minutes until you have a very soft, sticky, stretchy dough. Add a tablespoon more water if it feels stiff.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled and full of bubbles.
- Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350°F. Set a bowl of water and a wire rack over a tray next to the stove.
- Dip your hand in water, scoop a golf-ball-to-lime-sized piece of dough, and gently stretch it. Poke a hole through the center with a wet thumb and widen to about 2 1/2 inches.
- Carefully slide the ring into the oil. Fry 2 to 3 batches at a time, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until deep golden and puffed.
- Drain on the rack, then roll in sugar or drizzle with honey. Serve warm.
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