{"id":534,"date":"2025-12-21T08:54:03","date_gmt":"2025-12-21T08:54:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tals-cooking.com\/en\/?p=534"},"modified":"2025-12-21T08:54:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-21T08:54:06","slug":"sufganiyot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tals-cooking.com\/en\/sufganiyot\/","title":{"rendered":"The “Mustard Trap” Doughnuts (Sufganiyot)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The “Mustard Trap” Doughnuts (Sufganiyot)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m certain you didn’t arrive at this recipe after a Google search for “mustard doughnut recipe.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless you are a descendant of the Surasky family, I doubt any sane person would fill their doughnuts with mustard. Well, okay\u2014not all<\/em> of them. Just one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it\u2019s the one hidden inside the pile\u2014a single, lonely doughnut that will sow terror and dread, forcing people to start thinking about “Game Theory” and developing strategies on the best time to grab a doughnut: do you go early to increase your odds before the mustard one is found, or do you grab one as fast as possible before they all run out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\""Mustard
“Mustard Trap” Doughnuts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before I get ahead of myself, I\u2019ll just mention that in my grandmother\u2019s house, there was a family tradition of making one mustard doughnut hidden among the rest. To preserve that tradition, I make one mustard doughnut in memory of my grandmother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week, I received a very, very moving email from my father’s cousin. She shared her experience of lighting candles and eating doughnuts as a child at my grandparents’ house:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This year the ending changed… things change…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since our childhood, Hanukkah was a holiday of gathering and joy. Every evening, we played the game of ‘Groyse Loyse’<\/em> (The Grand Prize) \u2014 a card game where every child earned their Hanukkah gelt with dignity. And to finish: candle lighting, singing, and doughnuts \u2014 homemade, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Family tradition dictated that one doughnut was filled with mustard \u2014 a doughnut that created tension until someone ‘won’ it. One time, there was no clear winner of the mustard doughnut. My aunt stood there, arms crossed over her chest, scanning each child\u2019s face with a searching look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When her gaze landed on my brother, his cheeks were puffed out and red. My aunt\u2019s stare pierced his cheeks until they ‘burst,’ and we, of course, burst into laughter…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We continued the doughnut tradition ourselves. Our children, who are now grown, remember it with a smile, and even today, our friends are still a little afraid…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

So, if you were looking for a mustard doughnut recipe\u2014or just a really good doughnut recipe\u2014you\u2019ve come to the right place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three Rules for Doughnut Success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before the recipe, here are three essential principles for success:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. How long should you knead the dough?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

More than the recipe itself, it is crucial to knead the dough long enough to develop the gluten. Well-developed gluten holds the “structure” of the doughnut. it traps more CO2 bubbles produced by the yeast, giving you a lighter doughnut that floats in the oil rather than sinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Proofing the Dough<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hand-in-hand with quality kneading, you must proof the dough properly. Unless you live in Australia where Hanukkah falls in summer, proofing dough in the Israeli winter takes time. Remember\u2014if the dough hasn’t risen enough, three things will happen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n