Baking & pastry
Sfenj Doughnut Tools: Moulds, Oil Thermometers & Spider Skimmers
Sfenj is Morocco's morning doughnut: a wet, sticky, yeasted dough stretched into a ragged ring by wet hands and dropped into hot oil, where it puffs into something chewy inside and crisp-edged outside, eaten hot with sugar or honey. There is a beautiful lack of specialist equipment involved — the shaping is done by hand — but a couple of simple frying tools turn a risky, uneven job into a safe and reliable one.
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- 7 min
- Guide
- Baking & pastry
- Updated
- 20 July 2026
At a glance
- Sfenj is shaped by hand from a wet, sticky dough — no cutter or mould, just wet fingers.
- An oil thermometer is the one tool that most improves results, keeping the oil in the right range.
- A spider skimmer or slotted spoon lifts and drains the doughnuts safely from the hot oil.
Shaping sfenj: hands, not moulds
Unlike moulded cookies or cutter doughnuts, sfenj is deliberately rustic. The dough is very wet, sticky and highly hydrated, worked until stretchy and full of air, and it is shaped entirely by hand: you wet your fingers, pinch off a piece, poke a hole in the middle and gently stretch it into an uneven ring, then lower it straight into the oil. There is no cutter, no mould and no rolling — the ragged, hand-torn look is authentic and part of the charm.
The main 'tool' for shaping is simply a bowl of water or oiled hands to stop the sticky dough clinging to you. Some cooks keep a bowl of water beside the fryer and wet their hands before each ring. Because the dough is so slack, do not try to make it neat: a loose, irregular ring puffs and fries better than a tight, over-worked one, so a light touch beats any gadget here.
The oil thermometer: the tool that matters most
If you buy one thing for frying sfenj, make it a thermometer. Oil temperature is the difference between a doughnut that is greasy and raw in the middle and one that is light, cooked through and crisp. Too cool and the dough drinks up oil and turns heavy and sodden; too hot and the outside browns and burns before the inside cooks. A clip-on probe or a digital instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out and keeps you in the right frying window, roughly moderate deep-frying heat around 170 to 180°C.
A thermometer also helps you hold the temperature steady as you fry batches, because the oil drops each time cold dough goes in and needs a moment to recover between rounds. Without one, cooks judge by the sizzle and by dropping in a scrap of dough to see how fast it rises and colours — workable with experience, but far less reliable than simply reading the temperature. For anyone new to deep-frying, it is the single best investment.
- Right range: moderate deep-frying heat, roughly 170–180°C.
- Too cool gives greasy, raw doughnuts; too hot burns the outside.
- Let the oil recover between batches — a thermometer shows when it is ready.
Skimmers, draining and frying safely
A spider skimmer — the wide, shallow wire-mesh scoop on a long handle — is the ideal tool for lifting sfenj from the oil: it drains as it lifts, holds the fragile ring gently, and keeps your hand well away from the hot fat. A long-handled slotted spoon does the job too. Turn the doughnuts in the oil so both sides colour, then lift them onto a rack or plenty of kitchen paper to drain before tossing in sugar or drizzling with honey while still warm.
Deep-frying demands respect: use a deep, heavy, stable pan filled no more than a third to half with oil so it cannot boil over, keep water well away from the hot fat, never leave the pan unattended, and have a lid or fire blanket within reach in case of trouble. Lower each ring in gently away from you to avoid splashes. With a thermometer, a skimmer and a sensible pan, sfenj is a safe and hugely rewarding thing to fry at home.
Frequently asked questions
What tools do I need to make sfenj?
Very few. The dough is shaped entirely by hand with wet or oiled fingers, so there is no cutter or mould. The tools that matter are an oil thermometer to keep the frying oil in the right range, a spider skimmer or long slotted spoon to lift and drain the doughnuts safely, and a deep, stable, heavy pan for the oil. A cooling rack or kitchen paper for draining rounds it out.
What temperature should the oil be for sfenj?
Moderate deep-frying heat, roughly 170 to 180°C. Too cool and the wet dough soaks up oil and turns greasy and raw in the middle; too hot and the outside browns before the inside cooks through. The oil also cools each time you add cold dough, so let it recover between batches. A thermometer makes holding that steady range far easier than judging by eye.
Why is sfenj dough so sticky and wet?
The high hydration is what gives sfenj its light, chewy, airy texture with a crisp exterior. A wet, slack, well-risen dough puffs dramatically in the hot oil and stays tender inside. It is meant to be too sticky to handle dry, which is why cooks shape it with wet or oiled hands rather than flouring it. Do not be tempted to add lots of flour to firm it up, as that makes heavy doughnuts.
How do I deep-fry sfenj safely at home?
Use a deep, heavy, stable pan filled no more than a third to half with oil so it cannot boil over, and never leave it unattended. Keep water well away from the hot fat, lower each ring in gently away from you to avoid splashes, and use a spider skimmer to lift them so your hands stay clear. Have a lid or fire blanket within reach, and use a thermometer to avoid dangerously overheating the oil.