Jam-Filled Challah Doughnuts

Fluffy, homemade challah doughnuts filled with sweet seedless jam and coated in sugar. These yeasted doughnuts are made with a rich, buttery dough and fried until golden brown before being injected with your favorite jam filling.

12 servings

2 hr 29 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
•1 tablespoon sugar
•5 large egg yolks
•1 teaspoon kosher salt
•2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
•6 tablespoons unsalted butter
•2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•8 cups vegetable oil
•1 cup sugar
•1½ cups seedless jam
•1 piece biscuit cutter
•1 piece deep-fry thermometer
•1 piece pastry bag
•1 piece pastry tip

Cooking Instructions

1.
Mix yeast, 1 Tbsp. sugar, and 1/2 cup warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment to combine; let sit until mixture is foamy, 8-10 minutes.
10 min
2.
Add egg yolks, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat on medium-low speed to combine, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and gradually add 2 1/3 cups flour; mix until combined and thick, about 3 minutes. Remove paddle, scrape down mixture back into bottom of bowl, and swap in dough hook.
4 min
3.
With mixer on low speed, add butter a piece at a time, mixing until incorporated after each addition. Once all the butter has been added, mix until dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, about 5 minutes.
5 min
4.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour by the tablespoonful, until no longer sticky, about 3 minutes. Place dough in a lightly oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
60 min
5.
Punch down dough and roll or pat out on a lightly floured surface to 1/2" thick. Punch out rounds of dough with cutter and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 1" apart. Reroll scraps once and cut out more rounds. Cover doughnuts loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until not quite doubled in size, 30-40 minutes.
40 min
6.
Fit a large heavy saucepan with thermometer; pour in oil to come 3" up sides and heat over medium-high until thermometer registers 350°F. Working in batches and adjusting heat to maintain oil temperature, fry doughnuts, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet; let cool slightly.
15 min
7.
Place sugar in a medium bowl, and working in batches, toss doughnuts to coat. Transfer back to baking sheet.
5 min
8.
Stir jam to loosen and spoon into pastry bag fitted with tip (or use a squeeze bottle). Working one at a time, poke a small hole into side of doughnuts (a chopstick works great) and gently pipe in a generous amount of jam.
10 min

Ingredients

•1½ teaspoons active dry yeast

•1 tablespoon sugar

•5 large egg yolks

•1 teaspoon kosher salt

•2⅓ cups all-purpose flour

•6 tablespoons unsalted butter

•2 tablespoons vegetable oil

•8 cups vegetable oil

•1 cup sugar

•1½ cups seedless jam

•1 piece biscuit cutter

•1 piece deep-fry thermometer

•1 piece pastry bag

•1 piece pastry tip

Cooking Instructions

Mix yeast, 1 Tbsp. sugar, and 1/2 cup warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment to combine; let sit until mixture is foamy, 8-10 minutes.

10 min

Add egg yolks, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat on medium-low speed to combine, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and gradually add 2 1/3 cups flour; mix until combined and thick, about 3 minutes. Remove paddle, scrape down mixture back into bottom of bowl, and swap in dough hook.

4 min

With mixer on low speed, add butter a piece at a time, mixing until incorporated after each addition. Once all the butter has been added, mix until dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, about 5 minutes.

5 min

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour by the tablespoonful, until no longer sticky, about 3 minutes. Place dough in a lightly oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

60 min

Punch down dough and roll or pat out on a lightly floured surface to 1/2" thick. Punch out rounds of dough with cutter and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 1" apart. Reroll scraps once and cut out more rounds. Cover doughnuts loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until not quite doubled in size, 30-40 minutes.

40 min

Fit a large heavy saucepan with thermometer; pour in oil to come 3" up sides and heat over medium-high until thermometer registers 350°F. Working in batches and adjusting heat to maintain oil temperature, fry doughnuts, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet; let cool slightly.

15 min

Place sugar in a medium bowl, and working in batches, toss doughnuts to coat. Transfer back to baking sheet.

5 min

Stir jam to loosen and spoon into pastry bag fitted with tip (or use a squeeze bottle). Working one at a time, poke a small hole into side of doughnuts (a chopstick works great) and gently pipe in a generous amount of jam.

10 min