STRAWBERRY SUFGANIYOT

Steps:

• Make the dough:
• Combine yeast, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 tablespoons warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer*; let stand until yeast starts to foam, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk in egg yolks, whole egg, milk, orange zest, orange juice, brandy, if using, salt, vanilla, 2 cups flour, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Mix on low speed with dough hook until combined, about 2 minutes.
• Add 6 tablespoons butter 1 piece at a time, mixing well between additions. (Any small lumps of butter will get worked into dough when more flour is added.)
• Gradually add remaining 2 cups flour (you may not need all of it), mixing until mostly combined between additions, until dough is soft, smooth, and shiny-the dough will begin to pull away from the sides of bowl and climb up dough hook.
• *If you don't have a stand mixer, you can get the same results by mixing the dough with a sturdy wooden spoon and kneading on a lightly floured surface.
• Knead and proof the dough:
• Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead, adding more flour as needed, until no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a buttered bowl, turn to coat, and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Cut the dough:
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until 3/4" thick. Using a floured cutter, cut out rounds of dough, twisting cutter to release the dough (this strengthens the edges so the dough puffs when frying). Reroll scraps once.
• Transfer rounds of dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover loosely with another kitchen towel. Let rise until not quite doubled in size, 40-50 minutes.
• If you are not ready to fry dough, refrigerate rounds up to 3 hours.
• Fry the dough:
• Fit a large heavy saucepan with thermometer; pour in vegetable oil to measure 4" and heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 350°F. Working in batches, fry dough until golden, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and let cool slightly before filling.
• Fill and finish the sufganiyot:
• Pulse jam in a food processor until smooth (this will make it easier to pipe). Scrape jam into piping bag fitted with 1/4" tip*. Insert tip into top of sufganiyot and gently fill until jam just pokes out of hole. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
• *If you don't have a piping bag, make a shallow hole with a toothpick, then use a plastic bag with a 1/4" opening cut diagonally from 1 corner.
• Switch it up:
• Once you master the sufganiyot technique, you can swap in whatever preserve, pastry cream, or sugar coating you'd like.