Doughnut

Adoughnut(sometimes speltdonutinAmerican English; both/ˈdoʊnət/) is a type ofpastrymade from leavenedfried dough.It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased inbakeries,supermarkets,food stalls, andfranchised specialty vendors.Doughnutis the traditional spelling, whiledonutis the simplified version; the terms are used interchangeably.
Doughnuts are usuallydeep friedfrom aflour dough, but other types ofbatterscan also be used. Various toppings and flavors are used for different types, such assugar,chocolateormapleglazing. Doughnuts may also include water,leavening, eggs, milk, sugar, oil,shortening, and natural or artificial flavors.
The two most common types are the ring doughnut and the filled doughnut, which is injected withfruit preserves(thejelly doughnut),cream,custard, or other sweet fillings. Small pieces of dough are sometimes cooked asdoughnut holes. Once fried, doughnuts may be glazed with a sugar icing, spread with icing or chocolate, or topped withpowdered sugar,cinnamon,sprinklesor fruit.Other shapesinclude balls, flattened spheres, twists, and other forms. Doughnut varieties are also divided into cake (including theold-fashioned) and yeast-risen doughnuts. Doughnuts are often accompanied bycoffeeormilk. They are sold at doughnut shops, supermarkets, convenience stores, petrol/gas stations, cafes or fast food restaurants.
A recipe for adeep-fried dough ballwas recorded byCato the Elderin hisde agri cultura, using cheese, honey, and poppy seeds, calledglobi.Similar types of fried dough recipes have either spread to, or originated, in other parts ofEuropeand theWorld.
The cookbookKüchenmeisterei(Mastery of the Kitchen), published inNurembergin 1485, offers a recipe for "Gefüllte Krapfen", stuffed, fried dough cakes.
The Spanish and Portuguesechurrois achoux pastrydough that would also be served in a ring-shape. The recipe may have been brought from, or introduced to China, in the 16th century.
Dutch settlersbroughtolykoek("oil(y) cake") to New York (orNew Amsterdam) in the early 18th century. These doughnuts closely resembled later ones but did not yet have their current ring shape.
A recipe for fried dough "nuts" was published, in 1750 England, under the title "How to make Hertfordshire Cakes, Nuts and Pincushions”, inThe Country Housewife’s Family Companion by William Ellis.
A recipe labelled "dow nuts", again fromHertfordshire, was found in a book of recipes and domestic tips written around 1800, by the wife of BaronThomas Dimsdale,the recipe being given to the dowager Baroness by an acquaintance who transcribed for her the cooking instructions for a "dow nut".
The first cookbook using the near conventional "dough nuts" spelling was possibly the 1803 edition of "The Frugal Housewife: Or, Complete Woman Cook", which included dough nuts in an appendix of American recipes.
One of the earliest mentions of "dough-nut" was inWashington Irving's 1809 bookA History of New York, from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty:
The nameoly koekswas almost certainly related to theoliekoek: a Dutch delicacy of "sweetened cake fried in fat."
One of the earliest known literary usages of the term dates to an 1808 short storydescribing a spread of "fire-cakes and dough-nuts".Washington Irvingdescribed "dough-nuts", in his 1809History of New York, as"balls of sweetened dough, fried in hog's fat, and called dough-nuts, orolykoeks."These "nuts" of fried dough might now be calleddoughnut holes. The wordnutis here used in the earlier sense of "small rounded cake or cookie", also seen inginger nut.Doughnutis the traditional spelling and still dominates even in the United Statesthoughdonutis often used.At present,doughnutand the shortened formdonutare both pervasive in American English.
The first known printed use ofdonutwas inPeck's Bad Boy and his PabyGeorge W. Peck, published in 1900, in which a character is quoted as saying, "Pa said he guessed he hadn't got much appetite, and he would just drink a cup of coffee and eat a donut."According to author John T. Edge the alternative spelling "donut" was invented in the 1920s when the New York–based Display Doughnut Machine Corporation abbreviated the word to make it more pronounceable by the foreigners they hoped would buy their automated doughnut making equipment.The donut spelling also showed up in aLos Angeles Timesarticle dated August 10, 1929 in which Bailey Millard jokingly complains about the decline of spelling, and that he "can't swallow the 'wel-dun donut' nor the ever so 'gud bred'".
The interchangeability of the two spellings can be found in a series of "National Donut Week" articles inThe New York Timesthat covered the 1939 World's Fair. In four articles beginning 9 October, two mention thedonutspelling.Dunkin' Donuts, which was so-named in 1950, following its 1948 founding under the name Open Kettle (Quincy, Massachusetts), is the oldest surviving company to use thedonutvariation; other chains, such as the defunct Mayflower Doughnut Corporation (1931), did not use that spelling.According to theOxford Dictionarieswhile "doughnut" is used internationally, the spelling "donut" is American.The spelling "donut" remained rare until the 1950s, and has since grown significantly in popularity.
Hanson Gregory, an American, claimed to have invented the ring-shaped doughnut in 1847 aboard a lime-trading ship when he was 16 years old. Gregory was dissatisfied with the greasiness of doughnuts twisted into various shapes and with the raw center of regular doughnuts. He claimed to have punched a hole in the center of dough with the ship's tin pepper box, and to have later taught the technique to his mother.Smithsonian Magazinestates that his mother, Elizabeth Gregory, "made awickeddeep-fried dough that cleverly used her son's spice cargo of nutmeg and cinnamon, along with lemon rind," and "put hazelnuts or walnuts in the center, where the dough might not cook through", and called the food 'doughnuts'.
Ring doughnuts are formed by one of two methods: by joining the ends of a long, skinny piece of dough into a ring, or by using a doughnut cutter, which simultaneously cuts the outside and inside shape, leaving a doughnut-shaped piece of dough and a doughnut hole (the dough removed from the center). This smaller piece of dough can be cooked and served as a "doughnut hole" or added back to the batch to make more doughnuts. A disk-shaped doughnut can also be stretched and pinched into atorusuntil the center breaks to form a hole. Alternatively, a doughnut depositor can be used to place a circle of liquid dough (batter) directly into the fryer.
There are two types of ring doughnuts, those made from a yeast-based dough for raised doughnuts, or those made from a special type of cake batter.Yeast-raised doughnuts contain about 25% oil by weight, whereas cake doughnuts' oil content is around 20%, but have extra fat included in the batter before frying. Cake doughnuts are fried for about 90 seconds at approximately 190 to 198 °C (374 to 388 °F), turning once.Yeast-raised doughnuts absorb more oil because they take longer to fry, about 150 seconds, at 182 to 190 °C (360 to 374 °F). Cake doughnuts typically weigh between 24 and 28 g (0.85 and 0.99 oz), whereas yeast-raised doughnuts average 38 g (1.3 oz) and are generally larger, and taller (due to rising) when finished.
Daniela Galarza, forEater, wrote that "the now-standard doughnut’s hole is still up for debate. Food writerMichael Krondlsurmises that the shape came from recipes that called for the dough to be shaped like ajumble– a once common ring-shaped cookie. InCuisine and Culture: A History of Food and People, culinary historian Linda Civitello writes that the hole was invented because it allowed the doughnuts to cook faster. By 1870 doughnut cutters shaped in two concentric circles, one smaller than the other, began to appear in home-shopping catalogues".
After frying, ring doughnuts are often topped. Raised doughnuts are generally covered with aglaze(icing). Cake doughnuts can also be glazed, powdered withconfectioner's sugar, or covered withcinnamonand granulated sugar. They are also often topped with cake frosting (top only) and sometimes sprinkled with coconut, chopped peanuts, orsprinkles.
Doughnut holesare small, bite-sized doughnuts that were traditionally made from the dough taken from the center of ring doughnuts. Before long, doughnut sellers saw the opportunity to market "holes" as a novelty and many chains offer their own variety, some with their own brand names such as "Munchkins" fromDunkin' Donutsand "Timbits" fromTim Hortons.
Traditionally, doughnut holes are made by frying the dough removed from the center portion of the doughnut.Consequently, they are considerably smaller than a standard doughnut and tend to be spherical. Similar to standard doughnuts, doughnut holes may be topped with confections, such as glaze or powdered sugar.
Originally, most varieties of doughnut holes were derivatives of their ring doughnut (yeast-based dough or cake batter) counterparts. However, doughnut holes can also be made by dropping a small ball of dough into hot oil from a specially shaped nozzle or cutter.This production method has allowed doughnut sellers to produce bite-sized versions of non-ring doughnuts, such as filled doughnuts,frittersandDutchies.
Filled doughnuts are flattened spheres injected withfruit preserves,cream,custard, or other sweet fillings, and often dipped into powdered sugar or topped off with frosting. Common varieties include theBoston cream,coconut,key lime, andjelly.
Others include thefritterand theDutchie, which are usually glazed. These have been available onTim Hortons' doughnut menu since the chain's inception in 1964,and a 1991Toronto Starreport found these two were the chain's most populartype of fried doughin Canada.
There are many other specialized doughnut shapes such asold-fashioned, bars orLong Johns(a rectangular shape), or twists.Other shapesinclude balls, flattened spheres, twists, and other forms.In the northeast United States, bars and twists are usually referred to ascrullers. Another is thebeignet, a square-shaped doughnut covered with powdered sugar, commonly associated withNew Orleans.
Yeast doughnuts and cake doughnuts contain most of the same ingredients, however, their structural differences arise from the type of flour and leavening agent used. In cake doughnuts, cake flour is used, and the resulting doughnut has a different texture because cake flour has a relatively low protein content of about 7 to 8 percent.In yeast doughnuts, a flour with a higher protein content of about 9 to 12 percent is used, resulting in a doughnut that is lighter and more airy.In addition, yeast doughnuts utilize yeast as a leavening agent. Specifically, "Yeast cells are thoroughly distributed throughout the dough and begin to feed on the sugar that is present ... carbon dioxide gas is generated, which raises the dough, making it light and porous."Whereas this process is biological, the leavening process in cake doughnuts is chemical. In cake doughnuts, the most common leavening agent is baking powder. Baking powder is essentially "baking soda with acid added. This neutralizes the base and produces more CO2according to the following equation: NaHCO3+ H→ Na+ H2O + CO2."
The physical structure of the doughnut is created by the combination of flour, leavening agent, sugar, eggs, salt, water, shortening, milk solids, and additional components.The most important ingredients for creating the dough network are the flour and eggs. The main protein in flour isgluten, which is overall responsible for creating elastic dough because this protein acts as "coiled springs."The gluten network is composed of two separate molecules namedgluteninandgliadin. Specifically, "the backbone of the gluten network likely consists of the largest glutenin molecules, or subunits, aligned and tightly linked to one another. These tightly linked glutenin subunits associate more loosely, along with gliadin, into larger gluten aggregates."The gluten strands then tangle and interact with other strands and other molecules, resulting in networks that provide the elasticity of the dough. In mixing, the gluten is developed when the force of the mixer draws the gluten from the wheatendosperm, allowing the gluten matrix to trap the gas cells.
Eggs function asemulsifiers, foaming agents, and tenderizers in the dough. The egg white proteins, mainly ovalbumin, "function as structure formers. Egg solids, chiefly the egg white solids combined with the moisture in the egg, are considered structure-forming materials that help significantly to produce proper volume, grain, and texture."The egg yolk contributes proteins, fats, and emulsifiers to the dough. Emulsifying agents are essential to doughnut formation because they prevent the fat molecules from separating from the water molecules in the dough. The main emulsifier in egg yolk is called lecithin, which is aphospholipid. "The fatty acids are attracted to fats and oils (lipids) in food, while the phosphate group is attracted to water. It is this ability to attract both lipids and water that allow phospholipids such as lecithin to act as emulsifiers."The proteins from both the egg yolk and the egg whites contribute to the structure of the dough through a process called coagulation. When heat is applied to the dough, the egg proteins will begin to unfold, or denature, and then form new bonds with one another, thus creating a gel-like network that can hold water and gas.
Shorteningis responsible for providing tenderness and aerating the dough. In terms of its molecular structure, "a typical shortening that appears solid [at room temperature] contains 15–20% solids and, hence, 80–85% liquid oil ... this small amount of solids can be made to hold all of the liquid in a matrix of very small, stable, needlelike crystals (beta-prime crystals)."This crystalline structure is considered highly stable due to how tightly its molecules are packed. The sugar used in baking is essentially sucrose, and besides imparting sweetness in the doughnut, sugar also functions in the color and tenderness of the final product. Sucrose is a simple carbohydrate whose structure is made up of a glucose molecule bound to a fructose molecule.Milk is utilized in the making of doughnuts, but in large scale bakeries, one form of milk used is nonfat dry milk solids. These solids are obtained by removing most of the water from skim milk with heat, and this heat additionally denatures the whey proteins and increases the absorption properties of the remaining proteins.The ability of thecaseinand whey proteins to absorb excess water is essential to prolonging the doughnut's freshness. The majorwhey proteinin the nonfat milk solids is known as beta-lactoglobulin, and a crucial feature of its structure is that there exists a single sulfhydryl group that is protected by the alpha helix, and when heating of the milk solids occurs, these groups participate in disulfide exchanges with other molecules. This interchange prevents the renaturation of the whey proteins.If the crosslinking of the sulfide groups does not occur, the whey proteins can rebond and weaken the gluten network.
Water is a necessary ingredient in the production of doughnuts because it activates the other ingredients, allowing them to perform their functions in building the doughnut's structure. For example, sugar and salt crystals must be dissolved in order for them to act in the dough, whereas larger molecules, such as the starches or proteins, must be hydrated in order for them to absorb moisture.Another important consideration of water is its degree of hardness, which measures the amount of impurities in the water source. Pure water consists of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen, but water used in baking often is not pure. Baker'ssalt(NaCl) is usually used as an ingredient due to its high purity, whereas the salts in water are derived from varying minerals. As an ingredient, "salt is added to enhance the flavour of cakes and breads and to ‘toughen up’ the soft mixture of fat and sugar."If relatively soft water is being used, more salt should be added in order to strengthen the gluten network of the dough, but if not enough salt is added during the baking process, the flavor of the bread will not be appealing to consumers.
Doughnuts are unhealthful,though some are less so than others.According toPrevention Magazine, doughnuts made fromenriched flourprovide somethiamine,riboflavin, andniacin, along with somefiber, but they are high in sugar and calories.Steps to improve the healthfulness of doughnuts include removingtrans fats.
An important property of the dough that affects the final product is the dough'srheology. This property measures the ability of the dough to flow. It can be represented by the power law equation:τ=kDn{\displaystyle \tau =kD^{n}}whereτ{\displaystyle \tau }is the tangentic stress,k{\displaystyle k}is theviscositycoefficient,D{\displaystyle D}is the shear rate, andn{\displaystyle n}is the flow index.Many factors affect dough rheology including the type and volume of ingredients and the force applied during mixing. Dough is usually described as aviscoelasticmaterial, meaning that its rheology depends on both the viscosity and the elasticity. The viscosity coefficient and the flow index are unique to the type of dough being analyzed, while thetangential stressand theshear rateare measurements which depend on the type of force being applied to the dough.
Nom kong(នំបុ័ងកង់), the traditional Cambodian doughnut, is named after its shape – the word ‘កង់’ (pronouncedkongin Khmer) literally means “wheel”, whilstnom(‘នំបុ័ង’) is the general word for pastry or any kind of starchy food. A very inexpensive treat for everyday Cambodians, this sweet pastry consists of a jasmine rice flour dough moulded into a classic ring shape and then deep fried in fat, then drizzled with a palm sugar toffee and sprinkled with sesame seeds. The rice flour gives it a chewy texture that Cambodians are fond of. This childhood snack is what inspired Cambodian-American entrepreneurTed Ngoyto build his doughnut empire, inspiring the filmThe Donut King.
A few sweet, doughnut-style pastries are regional in nature.Cantonese cuisinefeatures an oval-shaped pastry calledngàuhleisōu(牛脷酥, lit. "ox-tongue pastry", due to its tongue-like shape).
A spherical food calledsaa1 jung(沙翁), which is also similar to acream puffbut denser with a doughnut-like texture and usually prepared with sugar sprinkled on top, is normally available indim sumCantonese restaurants. An oilierBeijingvariant of this called 高力豆沙,gaoli dousha, is filled withred bean paste; originally, it was made with egg white instead of dough. Many Chinese cultures make a chewy doughnut known asshuangbaotai(雙包胎), which consists of two conjoined balls of dough.
Chinese restaurants in the United Statessometimes serve small fried pastries similar to doughnut holes with condensed milk as a sauce.
Chinese cuisinefeatures long, deep-fried doughnut sticks that are often quite oily, hence their name inMandarin,yóutiáo(油條, "oil strips"); inCantonese, this doughnut-style pastry is calledyàuhjagwái(油炸鬼, "ghosts fried in oil"). These pastries are lightly salted and are often served withcongee, a traditional riceporridgeorsoy milkfor breakfast.
In India, an old-fashioned sweet calledgulgulais made of sweetened, deep-fried flour balls. A leavening agent may or may not be used.
There are a couple of unrelated doughnut-shaped food items. A savory, fried, ring-shaped snack called avadais often referred to as the Indian doughnut. Thevadais made fromdal,lentilorpotatoflours rather than wheat flour.In North India, it is in the form of a bulging disc calleddahi-vada, and is soaked incurd, sprinkled with spices and sliced vegetables, and topped with a sweet and sourchutney. In South India, a vada is eaten withsambarand a coconutchutney.
Sweet pastries similar to old-fashioned doughnuts calledbadushahiandjalebiare also popular.Balushahi, also calledbadushah, is made from flour, deep fried in clarified butter, and dipped in sugar syrup. Unlike a doughnut,balushahiis dense. Abalushahiis ring-shaped, but the well in the center does not go all the way through to form a hole typical of a doughnut.Jalebi, which is typically pretzel-shaped, is made by deep frying batter in oil and soaking it in sugar syrup.A variant ofjalebi, calledimarti, is shaped with a small ring in the center around which a geometric pattern is arranged.
Along with these Indian variants, typical varieties of doughnuts are also available from U.S. chains such asKrispy KremeandDunkin' Donutsretail outlets, as well as local brands such as Mad Over Donuts and the Donut Baker.
TheIndonesian,donat kentangis apotato doughnut, a ring-shaped fritter made from flour and mashed potatoes, coated in powder sugar or icing sugar.
In Japan,an-doughnut(あんドーナッツ, "bean pastedoughnut") is widely available at bakeries.An-doughnutis similar to Germany'sBerliner, except it contains redazuki beanpaste.Mister Donutis one of the most popular doughnut chains in Japan. Native toOkinawais a spheroid pastry similar to doughnuts calledsata andagi.Mochi donutsare "a cross between a traditional cake-like doughnut and chewy mochi dough similar to what’s wrapped around ice cream".This hybrid confection was originally popularized in Japan by Mister Donut before spreading to the United States via Hawaii.The Mister Donut style, also known as "pon de ring", usestapioca flourand produces mochi donuts that are easy to pull apart. Another variation developed in the United States uses glutinous rice flour which produces a denser mochi donut akin to Hawaiian-stylebutter mochi.Mochi donuts made from glutinous rice flour "typically contain half the amount of calories as the standard cake or yeast doughnut".
Kuih keriais a hole doughnut made from boiled sweet potato that is mashed. The sweet potato mash is shaped into rings and fried. The hot doughnut is then rolled in granulated sugar. The result is a doughnut with a sugar-crusted skin.
Sel rotiis aNepalihomemade, ring-shaped, rice doughnut prepared duringTihar, the widely celebrated Hindu festival in Nepal. A semiliquid dough is usually prepared by adding milk, water, sugar, butter, cardamom, and mashed banana to rice flour, which is often left to ferment for up to 24 hours. Asel rotiis traditionally fried inghee.
Doughnuts are available at most bakeries across Pakistan. The Navaz Sharif variety,available mainly in the city ofKarachi, is covered in chocolate and filled with cream, similar to aBoston cream. Doughnuts can readily be found at the manyDunkin' Donutsbranches spread across Pakistan.
Local varieties of doughnuts sold by peddlers and street vendors throughout the Philippines are usually made of plain well-kneaded dough, deep-fried in refined coconut oil and sprinkled with refined (not powdered or confectioner's) sugar. Round versions of this doughnut are known asbuñuelos(also spelledbunwelos, and sometimes confusingly known as "bicho-bicho"), similar to the doughnuts in Spain and former Spanish colonies. Indigenous versions of the doughnut also exist, like thecascaron, which is prepared similarly, but uses ground glutinous rice and coconut milk in place of wheat flour and milk.
Other native doughnut recipes include theshakoy,kumukunsi, andbinangkal.Shakoyorsiyakoyfrom theVisayasislands (also known aslubid-lubidin the northern Philippines) uses a length of dough twisted into a distinctive rope-like shape before being fried. The preparation is almost exactly the same as doughnuts, though there are variants made fromglutinous riceflour. The texture can range from soft and fluffy, to sticky and chewy, to hard and crunchy (in the latter case, they are known aspilipit). They are sprinkled with white sugar, but can also be topped with sesame seeds or caramelized sugar.Kumukunsiis ajalebi-like native doughnut from theMaguindanao people. It is made withrice flour, duck eggs, and sugar that is molded into rope-like strands and then fried in a loose spiral. It has the taste and consistency of a creamy pancake.Binangkalare simple fried dough balls covered insesame seeds.Other fried dough desserts include the mesh-likelokot-lokot, the fried rice cakepanyalam, and the banana frittermaruya, among others.
InTaiwan,shuāngbāotāi(雙胞胎, lit. "twins") is two pieces of dough wrapped together before frying.
In Thailand, a popular breakfast food ispa thong ko, also known as Thai donuts, a version of the Chineseyiu ja guoy/youtiao. Often sold from food stalls in markets or by the side of the road, these doughnuts are small, sometimes X-shaped, and sold by the bag full.They are often eaten in the morning with hotThai tea.
Vietnamese varieties of doughnuts includebánh tiêu,bánh cam, andbánh rán.Bánh tiêuis a sesame-topped, deep-fried pastry that is hallow. It can be eaten alone or cut in half and served withbánh bò, a gelatinous cake, placed inside the pastry.Bánh camis from Southern Vietnam and is a ball-shaped, deep-fried pastry coated entirely in sesame seeds and containing amung beanpaste filling.Bánh ránis from Northern Vietnam and is similar tobánh cam; however, the difference is thatbánh ránis covered with a sugar glaze after being deep-fried and its mung bean paste filling includes ajasmineessence.
InAustria, doughnut equivalents are calledKrapfen. They are especially popular during Carnival season (Fasching), and do not have the typical ring shape, but instead are solid and usually filled with apricot jam (traditional) or vanilla cream (Vanillekrapfen).A second variant, calledBauernkrapfenare also made of yeast dough, and have a thick outside ring, but are very thin in the middle.
InBelgium, thesmoutebollenin Dutch, orcroustillonsin French, are similar to the Dutch kind ofoliebollen, but they usually do not contain any fruit, except for apple chunks sometimes. They are typical carnival and fair snacks and are coated with powdered sugar.
U.S.-style doughnuts are available in theCzech Republic, but beforethey were solid shape and filled with jelly (strawberry or peach). The shape is similar to doughnuts in Germany or Poland. They are calledKobliha(Koblihyin plural). They may be filled withnougator with vanilla custard. There are now many fillings; cut in halfor non-filled knots with sugar and cinnamon on top.
InDenmark, U.S.-style doughnuts may be found at various stores, e.g.McDonald'sand mostgas stations. TheBerliner, however, is also available in bakeries.
inFinland, a sweet doughnut is called amunkki(the word also meansmonk) and are commonly eaten in cafés and cafeteria restaurants. It is sold cold and sometimes filled with jam (like U.S. jelly donuts) or a vanilla sauce. A ring doughnut is also known asdonitsi.
A savory form of doughnut is thelihapiirakka(literallymeat pie). Made from a doughnut mixture and deep fried, the end product is more akin to a savory doughnut than any pie known in the English-speaking world.
Doughnuts similar to the Berliner are prepared in the northern Balkans, particularly inBosnia and Herzegovina,Croatia,North MacedoniaandSerbia(pokladniceorkrofne). They are also calledkrofna,krafnaorkrafne, a name derived from the AustrianKrapfenfor this pastry. In Croatia, they are especially popular duringCarnevalseason and do not have the typical ring shape, but instead are solid. Traditionally, they are filled with jam (apricot or plum). However, they can be filled with vanilla or chocolate cream. Other types of doughnuts areuštipciandfritule.
The Frenchbeignet, literally "bump",is the French and New Orleans equivalent of a doughnut: a pastry made fromdeep-friedchoux pastry.
In parts ofGermany, the doughnut equivalents are calledBerliner(sg. and pl.), but not in the capital city ofBerlinitself and neighboring areas, where they are calledPfannkuchen(which is often found misleading by people in the rest of Germany, who use the wordPfannkuchento describe apancake, which is also the literal translation of it). BothBerlinerandPfannkuchenare abbreviations of the termBerliner Pfannkuchen, however.
In middle Germany, doughnuts are calledKreppelorPfannkuchen. In southern Germany, they are also calledKrapfenand are especially popular during Carnival season (Karneval/Fasching) in southern and middle Germany and on New Year's Eve in northern Germany. ABerlinerdoes not have the typical ring shape of a doughnut, but instead is solid and usually filled with jam, while a ring-shaped variant calledKameruneris common in Berlin and eastern Germany.BismarcksandBerlin doughnutsare also found in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland and the United States. Today, U.S.-style doughnuts are also available in Germany, but are less popular than their native counterparts.
InGreece, a doughnut-like snack calledloukoumas(λουκουμάς), which is spherical and soaked in honey syrup, is available. It is often served with sprinkled cinnamon and grated walnuts or sesame seeds.
Fánkis a sweet traditionalHungariancake. The most commonly used ingredients areflour,yeast,butter,egg yolk,rum,salt,milkandoilfor frying. The dough is allowed to rise for approximately 30 minutes, resulting in an extremely light pastry.Fánkis usually served withpowdered sugarandlekvar.
It is supposedthatFánkpastry is of the same origin as GermanBerliner, Dutcholiebol, and Polishpączki.
Italiandoughnuts includeciambelle,krapfenfromTrentino-Alto Adige,zippuliorzeppolefromCalabriaandCampania,maritozzifromLatium, above allRome,bombolonifromTuscany,frittellefromVenetoand many others. In the island ofSardiniathere is a particular donut, a ring cake calledlorica.
InLithuania, a kind of doughnut calledspurgosis widely known. Some spurgos are similar to Polishpączki, but some specific recipes, such ascottage cheesedoughnuts (varškės spurgos), were invented independently.
In theNetherlands,oliebollen, referred to in cookbooks as "Dutch doughnuts", are a type of fritter, with or without raisins orcurrants, and usually sprinkled with powdered sugar. Variations of the recipe contain slices of apple or other fruits. They are traditionally eaten as part of New Year celebrations.
In Norway,smultringis the prevailing type of doughnut traditionally sold in bakeries, shops, and stalls. However, U.S.-style doughnuts are widely available in larger supermarkets,McDonald'srestaurants,7-elevensand bakeries. TheBerlineris more common than U.S.-style doughnut, and sold in most supermarkets and bakeries alongsidesmultringdoughnuts.
In Poland and parts of the U.S. with a largePolish community, likeChicagoandDetroit, the round, jam-filled doughnuts eaten especially—though not exclusively—during theCarnivalare calledpączki(pronounced[ˈpɔntʂkʲi]). Pączki have been known in Poland at least since the Middle Ages.Jędrzej Kitowiczhas described that during the reign of theAugustus IIIunder influence of French cooks who came to Poland at that time, pączki dough fried in Poland has been improved, so that pączki became lighter, spongier, and more resilient.
The malasada is a common type of holeless donut created in Portugal. They are made of fried dough. InMadeiraand theAzoresthey are eaten onFat Tuesday. It is also popular inHawaiiandCape Cod. The malasada arrived after immigrants came in.
The Romanian dessertgogoșiare fried dough balls similar to filled doughnuts. They are stuffed with chocolate, jam, cheese and other combinations and may be dusted with icing sugar.
InRussiaand the otherPost-Soviet countries,ponchiki(Russian:пончики, plural form of пончик,ponchik) orpyshki(Russian:пышки, especially inSt. Petersburg) are a very popular sweet doughnut, with many fast and simple recipes available in Russian cookbooks for making them at home as a breakfast or coffee pastry.
InSlovenia, a jam-filled doughnut known askrofi, is very popular. It is the typical sweet duringCarnivaltime, but is to be found in most bakeries during the whole year. The most famouskroficome from the village ofTrojanein central Slovenia, and are originally filled withapricotjamfilling.
InSpain, there are two different types of doughnuts. The first one, simply calleddonuts, or more traditionallyberlinesas, is a U.S.-style doughnut, i.e., a deep-fried, sweet, soft, ring of flour dough.
The second type of doughnut is a traditional pastry calledrosquillaorrosquete(the latter name is typical in the Canary Islands), made of fermented dough and fried or baked in an oven.Rosquillaswere purportedly introduced in Spain by theRomans.In Spain, there are several variants of them depending on the region where they are prepared and the time of the year they are sold. In some regions they are considered a special pastry prepared only for Easter.Although overall they are more tightly textured and less sweet than U.S.-style doughnuts, they differ greatly in shape, size and taste from one region to another.
Thechurrois a sweet pastry of deep-fried dough similar to a doughnut but shaped as a long, thin, ribbed cylinder rather than a ring or sphere.Churrosare commonly served dusted in sugar as a snack or with a cup of hot chocolate.
InSwitzerland, there areZigerkrapfen,Berlinerandtortelli di San Giuseppe.
Similar to the Finnishmunkki, theSwedishmunkis a sweet doughnut commonly eaten asfikaalong with coffee. It is sold cold and is sometimes filled with jam (U.S. jelly) or a vanilla sauce. A ring doughnut is also known as simplymunk.
InUkrainedoughnuts are calledpampushky(Ukrainian:пампушки).Pampushkyare made of yeast dough containing wheat, rye or buckwheat flour. Traditionally they are baked, but may also be fried. According toWilliam Pokhlyobkin, the technology of makingpampushkypoints to German cuisine, and these buns were possibly created by German colonists in Ukraine.
In the United Kingdom, both filled and ring doughnuts are popular, withjam doughnutsand other varieties readily available at supermarkets. In some parts of Scotland, ring doughnuts are referred to asdoughrings, with the 'doughnut' name being reserved exclusively for the nut-shaped variety. Glazed, twisted rope-shaped doughnuts are known asyum-yums. It is also possible to buy fudge doughnuts in certain regions of Scotland. Fillings include jam, custard, cream, sweet mincemeat, chocolate and apple. Common ring toppings are sprinkle-iced and chocolate.
In Northern Ireland, ring doughnuts are known asgravy rings,gravybeing an archaic term for hot cooking oil.
Akurmais a small, sweet, fried cube-shaped or rectangular doughnut which originated in Eastern India but is sold in Trinidad and Tobago.
A traditionalPuntarenascream-filled doughnut is round and robust, managing to keep the cream inside liquified. They are popular inCosta Rica.
The Mexicandonasare similar to doughnuts, including the name; the dona is afried-doughpastry-basedsnack, commonly covered with powderedbrown sugarandcinnamon, white sugar or chocolate.
Frosted, glazed, powdered,Boston cream,coconut,sour cream, cinnamon, chocolate, andjellyare some of the varieties eaten in the United States and Canada. There are alsopotato doughnuts(sometimes referred to asspudnuts).
Doughnuts are ubiquitous in the United States and can be found in most grocery stores, as well as in specialtydoughnut shops.  They are equally popular in Canada.Canadians eat more doughnuts per capita than any other nation and has more doughnuts shops per capita than any other nation.
A popular doughnut inHawaiiis themalassada. Malassadas were brought to the Hawaiian Islands by early Portuguese settlers, and are a variation on Portugal'sfilhós. They are small, eggy balls of yeast dough deep-fried and coated in sugar.
Immigrants have brought various doughnut varieties to the United States. To celebrate Fat Tuesday in easternPennsylvania, churches sell apotato starchdoughnut called aFastnacht(or Fasnacht). The treats are so popular there that Fat Tuesday is often calledFastnacht Day. The Polish doughnut, thepączki, is popular in U.S. cities with large Polish communities such asChicago,Milwaukee, andDetroit.
In regions of the country where apples are widely grown, especially the Northeast and Midwest states,cider doughnutsare a harvest season specialty, especially at orchards open to tourists, where they can be served fresh. Cider doughnuts are a cake doughnut withapple ciderin the batter. The use of cider affects both the texture and flavor, resulting in a denser, moister product. They are often coated with either granulated, powdered sugar, or cinnamon sugar.
In southernLouisiana, a popular variety of the doughnut is thebeignet, a fried, square doughnut served traditionally with powdered sugar. Perhaps the most well-known purveyor of beignets isNew OrleansrestaurantCafe Du Monde.
InQuebec, homemade doughnuts calledbeignes de Noëlare traditional Christmas desserts.
The Persianzoolbiaandbamiyehare fritters of various shapes and sizes coated in a sugar syrup.Doughnuts are also made in the home in Iran, referred to as doughnut, even in the plural.
Jelly doughnuts, known assufganiyah(סופגניה, pl. sufganiyot סופגניות) inIsrael, have become a traditionalHanukkahfoodin the recent era, as they are cooked in oil, associated with the holiday account of the miracle of the oil.Traditionalsufganiyotare filled with red jelly and topped withicing sugar.However, many other varieties exist, with some being filled withdulce de leche(particularly common after theSouth American aliyahearly in the 21st century).
InMorocco,Sfenjis a similar pastry eaten sprinkled with sugar or soaked in honey.
InTunisia, traditional pastries similar to doughnuts areyo-yos. They come in different versions both as balls and in shape of doughnuts. They are deep-fried and covered in a honey syrup or a kind of frosting.Sesame seedsare also used for flavor and decoration along with orange juice andvanilla.
In Australia, the doughnut is a popular snack food.Jam doughnutsare particularly popular,especially inMelbourne,Victoriaand theQueen Victoria Market, where they are a tradition.Jam doughnuts are similar to aBerliner, but are served hot: red jam (raspberry or strawberry) is injected into the bun before it is deep-fried, and then it is coated with either sugar or sugar mixed with cinnamon as soon as it has been cooked. Jam doughnuts are sometimes also bought frozen. InSouth Australia, they are known as Berliner or Kitchener and often served in cafes. Popular variants include custard-filled doughnuts, and more recentlyNutella-filled doughnuts.
Mobile vans that serve doughnuts, traditional or jam, are often seen at spectator events, markets, carnivals andfetes, and by the roadside near high-traffic areas like airports and the car parks of large shopping centres. Traditional cinnamon doughnuts are readily available in Australia from specialized retailers and convenience stores. Doughnuts are a popular choice for schools and other not-for-profit groups to cook and sell as a fundraiser.
In New Zealand, the doughnut is a popular food snack available in cornerdairies. They are in the form of a long sweet bread roll with a deep cut down its long axis. In this cut is placed a long dollop of sweetened clotted cream and on top of this is a spot of strawberry jam. Doughnuts are of two varieties: fresh cream or mock cream. The rounded variety is widely available as well.
In Brazil, bakeries, grocery stores and pastry shops sell ball-shaped doughnuts popularly known as "sonhos" (lit. dreams). The dessert was brought to Brazil by Portuguese colonizers that had contact with Dutch and German traders. They are the equivalent of nowadays "bolas de Berlim" (lit. balls of Berlin) in Portugal, but the traditional Portuguese yellow cream was substituted by local dairy and fruit products. They are made of a special type of bread filled with "goiabada" (guavajelly) or milk cream, and covered by white sugar.
TheBerlin(pluralBerlines) doughnut is popular in Chile because of the large German community. It may be filled with jam or withmanjar, the Chilean version ofdulce de leche.
Peruvian cuisineincludespicaroneswhich are doughnut-shaped fritters made with a squash and sweet potato base.These snacks are almost always served with a drizzle of sweet molasses-based sauce.
InSouth Africa, an Afrikaans variation known as thekoeksisteris popular. Another variation, similar in name, is the Cape Malaykoesisterbeing soaked in a spiced syrup and coated in coconut. It has a texture similar to more traditional doughnuts as opposed to the Afrikaans variety.A further variation is thevetkoek, which is also dough deep fried in oil. It is served with mince, syrup, honey or jam.
The doughnut has made an appearance in popular culture, particularly in the United States and Australia. References extend to objects or actions that are doughnut-shaped.
Infilm, the doughnut has inspiredDora's Dunking Doughnuts(1933),The Doughnuts(1963) andTour de Donut: Gluttons for Punishment. In video games, the doughnut has appeared in games likeThe Simpsons GameandDonut Dilemma. In the cartoon¡Mucha Lucha!, there are four things that make up the code of mask wrestling: honor, family, tradition, and doughnuts. Also, in the television sitcomThe Simpsons,Homer Simpson's love affair with doughnuts is a prominent ongoing joke as well as the focal point of more than a few episodes. In the children's bookHomer Price, Homer's Uncle Ulysses installs a doughnut making machine in his lunchroom in the fictional town of Centerburg. There is also a children's bookArnie the Doughnutand music albumsThe Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse.
In films, TV shows, and other popular culture references, police officers are associated with doughnuts,depicted as enjoying them during theircoffee breakor office hours. Thisclichéhas been parodied in the filmPolice Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol, whereOfficer Zedis instructing new recruits how to "properly" consume their doughnuts withcoffee. It is also parodied in the television seriesTwin Peaks, where the police station is always in large supply.In thevideo gameNeuromancer, there is aDonut Worldshop, where only policemen are allowed. During a citywide "lockdown" after theBoston Marathon bombing, a handful of selectedDunkin' Donutslocations were ordered to remain open to serve police and first responders despite the closing of the vast majority of city businesses.
Cops & Doughnuts, a doughnut shop inClare, Michigan, is notable for being owned and operated by current and former members of the city's police force.
Tim Hortonsis the most popular Canadian doughnut and coffee franchise, and one of the most successful quick service restaurants in the country.In theSecond City Televisionsketch comedy "The Great White North" featuring the fictional stereotypically Canadian brothersBob and Doug MacKenzie(and in their filmStrange Brew), doughnuts play a role in the duo's comedy.
Donut Kingis Australia's largest retailer of doughnuts. AGuinness Book of Recordslargest doughnut made up of 90,000 individual doughnuts was set inSydneyin 2007 as part of a celebration for the release ofThe Simpsons Movie.
Per capita, Canadians consume the most doughnuts, and Canada has the most doughnut stores per capita.
Within the United States, theProvidence metropolitan areawas cited as having the most doughnut shops per capita (25.3 doughnut shops per 100,000 people) as of 13 January 2010.National Doughnut Daycelebrates the doughnut's history and role in popular culture. There is a race inStaunton, Illinois, featuring doughnuts, called theTour de Donut.
In the US, especially inSouthern California, fresh doughnuts sold by the dozen at local doughnut shops are typically packaged in generic pink boxes. This phenomenon has been attributed toTed Ngoyand Ning Yen, refugees of theCambodian genocidewho began to transform the local doughnut shop industry in 1976. They proved so adept at the business and in training fellowChinese Cambodianrefugees to follow suit that these local doughnut shops soon dominated native franchises such asWinchell's Donuts. Ngoy and Yen allegedly planned to purchase boxes of alucky redcolor rather than the standard white, but settled on a leftover pink stock because of its lower cost.
In the mid-1970s, pink doughnut boxes were already a common sight in the eastern and midwestern United States, due to the fact thatDunkin' Donutsused a solid pink color for its boxes at that time.(It switched to a different box design sometime after 1975.) But the chain did not begin to establish a major presence in California until the 2010s.
Owing to the success of Ngoy and Yen's business, the color soon became a recognizable standard in California. Due to the locality ofHollywood, the pink boxes frequently appeared as film and television props and were thus transmitted into popular culture.
National Doughnut Day, also known as National Donut Day, celebrated in the United States of America, is on the first Friday of June each year, succeeding the Doughnut Day event created byThe Salvation Armyin 1938 to honor those of their members who served doughnuts to soldiers duringWorld War I.About 250 Salvation Army volunteers went to France. Because of the difficulties of providing freshly baked goods from huts established in abandoned buildings near the front lines, the two Salvation Army volunteers (Ensign Margaret Sheldon and Adjutant Helen Purviance) came up with the idea of providing doughnuts. These are reported to have been an "instant hit", and "soon many soldiers were visiting The Salvation Army huts". Margaret Sheldon wrote of one busy day: "Today I made 22 pies, 300 doughnuts, 700 cups of coffee."
Soon, the women who did this work became known by the servicemen as "Doughnut Dollies".