Put the warm water in a bowl and stir in the yeast (add sugar if using). Set aside for 10-15 minutes until the mixture is frothy with bubbles.

In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Make a space in the centre of the bowl and gradually pour the yeast mixture in. Combine everything together using a wooden spoon or your hands.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it well for 10 minutes. The dough should be sticky. Punch and pummel it as much as you like (or use a machine with a dough hook if you prefer). Return to the bowl and loosely cover (a tea towel is fine) and set aside for around 2 hours. The dough should have doubled in size.

Heat the vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or pot to around 350-375°F (175-190°C).

Dampen your hands with water (have a small bowl next to you) to prevent the dough from sticking, then pinch of a small handful of dough (a bit bigger than the size of a golf ball) and flatten it between your palms. Use your fingers to create a hole in the centre, similar to a doughnut, then make the hole bigger so you end up with a ring of dough about 1cm thick with a fist sized gap in the centre.

Carefully place the ring of dough into the hot oil using a slotted spoon or your hands. You can cook multiple sfenj at once, but allow space for them to grow!

Fry the sfenj on one side at a time, slightly lifting it up to check underneath. The sfenj should be a dark golden brown colour. When the bottom is cooked, gently flip over and cook the other side. They should take 3-5 minutes to cook each one.

Remove the sfenj from the oil using a slotted spoon and place them on a plate (or a colander) lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.

Serve immediately with your choice of sweet topping.

Enjoy!