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

Why It Works

Adding ample water to the dough promotes proper gluten development, which helps give the doughnuts their signature airy, slightly chewy texture.
Using a stand mixer with a dough hook to knead the sticky dough is easier, faster, and less messy than the traditional hand kneading method.
Gently handling the dough once it is proofed preserves the dough’s air bubbles, contributing to the doughnut’s hallmark light and airy interior.
A two-stage frying technique mimics the traditional cooking method used by street vendors in Morocco and further promotes their light, airy texture.

Golden, crispy, and deliciously chewy, sfenj are Morocco’s beloved yeasted doughnuts. Though they’re not usually perfectly round like the typical American doughnut, they’re no less delicious. The name, derived from the Arabic word for “sponge,” refers to their airy, tender texture, which is achieved with a highly hydrated dough and a unique frying technique.

Traditionally, sfenj in Morocco are purchased from neighborhood stalls rather than being made at home. People line up at the stalls on the corner of narrow streets in city centers or at souks, drawn by the aroma of sizzling sweet dough and the rhythmic motions of the sufnajeen—the sfenj makers—who are often generational masters of their craft.

Serious Eats / Debbie Wee

These vendors fry the doughnuts to order, fishing them out with long metal sticks before handing them over. For larger orders, sometimes many doughnuts are strung together and presented on a palm frond. Whether eaten plain, dusted with sugar, or drizzled with honey, sfenj are most often enjoyed for breakfast or an afternoon treat.

The Best Method for Kneading the Dough

Originally believed to have originated with the Andalusians, sfenj share similarities with other fried doughs found across North Africa, such as bambalouni, khfaf, or sfinz. Their preparation is seemingly simple but requires a few key techniques. A basic dough of flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and water is kneaded together and left to proof until bubbly and light, then kneaded. The dough is particularly wet, which makes it difficult to knead using your hands the traditional way. Instead of the familiar push-and-fold kneading motions, sfenj dough is traditionally repeatedly slapped against the bowl or work surface to develop the necessary gluten structure. Since making the dough by hand requires a fair amount of patience and strong arms, I prefer to use a stand mixer, which saves time and effort.

How to Create the Sfenj’s Signature Light and Airy Texture

Unlike many other yeasted doughs, sfenj dough is not punched down or deflated after its rise. Gently handling the dough is essential to preserve the precious air bubbles throughout the dough, which contribute to the doughnuts’ signature airy, honeycomb-like interior.

Serious Eats / Debbie Wee

The Unique 2-Step Frying Process for Classic Sfenj

The frying process is another crucial aspect of sfenj preparation. In Morocco, traditional sufnajeen often use custom-built tilted deep fryers with two distinct oil depth levels. The dough starts on the shallow side, where the bottom of the dough is submerged in the oil but the top is not covered by the hot oil. This allows the bottom to set and turn light golden while the top of the doughnut puffs. Once the top of the dough has bubbled up and the bottom is light golden, the sfenj is flipped and slid into the deeper oil to finish frying, resulting in a crisp exterior and a soft, airy, slightly chewy interior.

I recognize that most home cooks don’t have access to this exact setup in their kitchens, so I’ve come up with a two-stage frying set-up to achieve similar results at home. I call for using two pans, one a high-sided skillet for shallow frying and the other a Dutch oven or large pot for deep frying. It takes a bit more attention to monitor the oil temperature of both pots, but it’s is well worth the effort to achieve sfenj that would impress any sufnajeen.

How to Serve Sfenj

Sfenj are best enjoyed fresh, ideally within minutes of coming out of the hot oil. I love them simply sprinkled with sugar or drizzled with honey. However, their versatility extends far beyond these simple toppings. A popular and hearty Moroccan breakfast pairs sfenj with a freshly fried egg in the center, a combination beloved for its satisfying contrast of textures and sweet and savory flavors. While sfenj are typically bought from street vendors, when served at home, they’re often set out with a variety of sweet spreads, such as jam or even Nutella for smearing over top, making for a simple yet indulgent treat.