Luqaimat | Middle Eastern Crunchy Doughnuts

Luqaimat are little golden dough balls, crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Dunked in sweet syrup, they’re irresistibly addictive! Perfect for dessert or a festive treat.

Ingredients

Sugar Syrup:

• 1 cup water
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 squeeze lemon juice
• 2 lemon slices

Dough:

• 1 cup warm water (+ ¼ cup for kneading)
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Other:

• 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)

Instructions

Sugar Syrup

1️⃣ In a saucepan, add sugar, water, lemon juice, and lemon slices. No need to stir.
2️⃣ Heat over medium until it begins to simmer, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool. Thick syrup will form.

Dough

3️⃣ In a large bowl, mix warm water and yeast. Let stand 1–2 minutes.
4️⃣ Add sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
5️⃣ Gradually add the remaining ¼ cup water, loosening the dough slightly. Continue mixing by scooping and slapping the dough back into the bowl 6–7 times to help it rise.
6️⃣ Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise for 1 hour.

Prepare for Frying

7️⃣ Transfer the stretchy dough into a large plastic freezer bag. Squish it into one corner and twist the top to form a piping bag. Do not cut the tip yet.

Frying the Luqaimat

8️⃣ Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet. Once hot, dip scissors in oil. Cut small portions of dough from the bag, letting them fall into the oil. Fry until light golden. Remove with a skimmer.
9️⃣ Fry in 2–3 batches. After the first fry, let them cool slightly, then fry again until deep golden brown for extra crispiness.
🔟 Remove from oil and immediately dunk into the prepared sugar syrup. Serve warm.