How-to guide
How to Make Sfenj — Moroccan Doughnuts
Sfenj are Morocco's beloved ring doughnuts — crisp and golden outside, light and chewy within, sold from stalls in the morning and eaten warm, dusted with sugar, drizzled with honey or dipped in tea. The dough is deliberately wet and sticky, leavened only with yeast, and shaped with oiled or wet hands straight into hot oil. No sugar in the dough itself; the sweetness comes at the end. This guide gets the springy texture right. Find more breakfast and street-food ideas on our recipes index.
About 2 hours including proving
Step by step
- 1
Mix a wet dough
Combine flour, salt and yeast, then work in warm water to a very soft, wet, sticky dough — much wetter than a bread dough. Beat and stretch it in the bowl rather than kneading on a surface. This high hydration is what gives sfenj their characteristic light, chewy, holey interior.
- 2
Let it rise
Cover the bowl and leave the dough somewhere warm until it has doubled and is bubbly and airy, around an hour or more. A good, full rise develops the flavour and the open texture. The dough should look alive and full of bubbles before you shape it.
- 3
Heat the oil
Heat a good depth of oil for deep-frying to a moderate-to-hot temperature. It needs to be hot enough that the doughnuts puff and crisp quickly without soaking up oil. Test with a small piece of dough: it should sizzle and rise promptly to the surface.
- 4
Shape the rings
Keep your hands and fingers wet or oiled to handle the sticky dough. Pull off a lump, poke a hole through the middle with your fingers and gently stretch it into a ring, then lower it straight into the hot oil. Work quickly; the wetter the hands, the less it sticks.
- 5
Fry until golden
Fry the rings, turning them once, until deep golden and crisp on both sides, a couple of minutes each side. They will puff as they cook. Do not crowd the pan. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper.
- 6
Serve warm and sweet
Eat sfenj while still warm, when they are at their best. Toss them in granulated sugar, drizzle with honey, or serve them plain to dip in sweet mint tea. They are a morning treat and do not keep well, so make only as many as you will eat fresh.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Making the dough too firm, giving heavy, dense doughnuts instead of light, chewy ones.
- Handling the sticky dough with dry hands, so it tears and sticks.
- Frying at too low a heat, so the sfenj soak up oil and turn greasy.
- Not letting the dough rise fully, losing the airy texture.
- Trying to keep them for later; sfenj are only good fresh and warm.
Tips from the kitchen
- Embrace the wet dough — its high hydration is the secret to the texture.
- Keep your hands wet or oiled to shape the rings without sticking.
- Fry at a steady moderate-to-hot heat for crisp, non-greasy results.
- Eat them warm; sfenj stale quickly and are meant to be fresh.
- Sugar, honey or a dunk in mint tea are the classic ways to serve them.
Questions
Why is sfenj dough so sticky?
Because it is deliberately made very wet, with a high proportion of water to flour. That high hydration is what gives sfenj their light, chewy, open interior. Rather than fighting the stickiness by adding flour, work the dough in the bowl and shape it with wet or oiled hands straight into the oil.
Is sfenj dough sweet?
No, the dough itself contains no sugar — it is essentially a wet, yeasted bread dough. All the sweetness comes at the end, when the fried rings are tossed in granulated sugar, drizzled with honey or dipped in sweet mint tea. This is why plain sfenj can also be eaten with savoury accompaniments.
How do you eat sfenj?
Warm and fresh, ideally within an hour of frying. They are a popular breakfast and street food, dusted with sugar, drizzled with honey, or torn and dunked in sweet mint tea. Some people thread them on string to carry home. They do not keep well, so they are made and eaten fresh.
Can I make sfenj without a deep fryer?
Yes. Any deep, heavy pan with a good depth of oil works; you do not need a dedicated fryer. Heat the oil to a moderate-to-hot temperature and test with a scrap of dough before you start. Take the usual care with a pan of hot oil, and never leave it unattended.
Learn it hands-on in Marrakech
Reading is one thing; doing it beside a local host is another. Book a Marrakech cooking class, or explore the medina on a guided food tour.