Doughnut | Can’t Sleep? Discover A Hole Lot Of History

Doughnuts have taken many forms across cultures and centuries. This episode explores the history of doughnuts, how they’re made, and the many varieties that have developed around the world. Along the way, you’ll hear about glazed doughnuts, jelly-filled favorites, doughnut holes, and the many ways this sweet treat has evolved over time.

It’s steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping!

Transcript

Welcome to the I Can't Sleep Podcast, Where I help you drift off one fact at a time. I'm your host Benjamin Boster, And today's episode is about donuts. A donut is a type of fried or baked good made from leavened dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, Supermarkets, Food stalls, And franchised specialty vendors. Donuts are usually deep fried from a leavened dough. Baked or cake doughnuts are made with a thick leavened batter. Various toppings and flavors are used for different types, Such as sugar, Chocolate, Or maple glazing. The two most common types are the ring donut and the filled donut, Which is injected with fruit preserves, Cream, Custard, Or other sweet fillings. Small pieces of dough are sometimes cooked as donut holes. Once fried, Donuts may be glazed with a sugar icing, Spread with icing or chocolate, Or topped with sugar, Cinnamon, Sprinkles, Or fruit. Other shapes include balls, Flattened spheres, Twists, And other forms. Doughnut varieties are also divided into cake doughnuts, Including the old-fashioned, Known outside of the U. S. As baked doughnuts, And yeast-risen doughnuts. Donuts are often accompanied by coffee or milk in the U. S. A recipe for a deep-fried dough ball was recorded by Cato the Elder in his De Agricultura, Using cheese, Honey, And poppy seeds, Called globi. Similar types of fried dough recipes have either spread to or originated in other parts of Europe and the world. In the 13th century Arabic cookbook, Written by Ibn Razin al-Tujubi, Contains a recipe for a donut-like variant of sfenj, Made by frying leavened semolina dough. The dough is meant to be shaped into a small ball. The recipe also calls for shaping the dough into a cahok with a hole in the middle to test its proofing. This is done before frying the first batch and results in a shape reminiscent of a modern donut. The cookbook Kuchenmeisterei, Mastery of the Kitchen, Published in Nuremberg in 1485, Offers a recipe for gefühlte Köpfchen, Stuffed fried dough cakes. Dutch settlers brought olikook, Oil cake, To New York or New Amsterdam in the early 18th century. These donuts closely resembled later ones, But the ring donut had not yet appeared. A recipe for fried dough nuts was published in 1750 England under the title, How to Make Hertfordshire Cakes, Nuts and Pincushions, In the country housewife's family companion by William Ellis. The first cookbook using the near-conventional doughnuts spelling was possibly the 1803 edition of the Frugal Housewife, Or Complete Woman Cook, Which included doughnuts in an appendix of American recipes. One of the earliest known literary usages of the term dates to an 1808 short story describing a spread of fire cakes and donuts. Washington Irving described doughnuts in his 1809 History of New York as balls of sweetened dough, Fried in hogs fat, And called doughnuts or Oily Cooks. These nuts of fried dough might now be called donut holes. The word nut is here used in earlier sense of small rounded cake or cookie, Also seen in ginger nut. D-O-U-G-H-N-U-T is the traditional spelling, And still dominates even in the United States, Though D-O-N-U-T is often used. At present, D-O-U-G-H-N-U-T and the shortened form D-O-N-U-T are both pervasive in American English. Hanson Gregory, An American, Claimed to have invented the ring-shaped donut in 1847 aboard a lime-trading ship when he was 16 years old. Gregory was dissatisfied with the greasiness of donuts, Twisted into various shapes, And with the raw center of regular donuts. 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 Magazine states that his mother, Elizabeth Gregory, Made a wicked deep-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 may be formed by a number of methods, Including joining the ends of a long skinny piece of dough into a ring, Or 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 donut hole or added back to the batch to make more donuts. A disc-shaped donut can also be stretched and pinched into a torus until 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. Daniela Galarza for Eater wrote that the now-standard donut's hole is still up for debate. Food writer Michael Crandall surmises that the shape came from recipes that called for the dough to be shaped like a jumble, A once common ring-shaped cookie. In Cuisine and Culture, A History of Food and People, Culinary historian Linda Civitello writes that the hole was invented because it allowed the donuts to cook faster. By 1870, Donut cutters shaped in two concentric circles, One smaller than the other, Began to appear in home shopping catalogs. After frying, Ring donuts are often topped. Raised donuts are generally covered with a glaze icing. Cake doughnuts can also be glazed, Powdered with confectioner's sugar, Or covered with cinnamon and granulated sugar. They are also often topped with cake frosting, Top only, And sometimes sprinkled with coconut, Chopped peanuts, Or sprinkles. Originally, Most varieties of donut holes were derivatives of their ring donut, Yeast-based dough or cake batter counterparts. However, Donut 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 donut sellers to produce bite-sized versions of non-ringed donuts, Such as filled donuts, Fritters, And dutchies. Filled donuts are flattened spheres injected with fruit preserves, Cream, Custard, Or other sweet fillings, And often dipped into powdered sugar or topped off with frosting. Common varieties include the Boston Cream, Coconut, Key Lime, And Jelly. There are many other specialized donut shapes, Such as old-fashioned, Bars, Or long johns, A rectangular shape, Or twists. Other shapes include balls, Flattened spheres, Twists, And other forms. In the Northeast United States, Bars and twists are usually referred to as crawlers. Another is the beignet, A square-shaped donut covered with powdered sugar, Commonly associated with New Orleans. A few sweet donut-style pastries are regional in nature. Cantonese cuisine features an oval-shaped pastry called ngao le so. In Japan, Andonad, Bean paste donut, Is widely available at bakeries. Andonad are similar to the German Berliner, But contain red azuki bean paste. Mr. Donut is one of the most popular donut chains in Japan. Sel Roti is a Nepali homemade ring-shaped rice donut prepared during Tihar, The widely celebrated Hindu festival in Nepal. A semi-liquid 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. Local varieties of donuts 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 confectioners' sugar. In Austria, Donut equivalents are called Krapfen. 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. A second variant, Called Bauernkropfen, Are also made of yeast dough and have a thick outside ring, But are very thin in the middle. In Belgium, The smoutebolen in Dutch, Or croustillant in French, Are similar to the Dutch kind of oliebolen, But they usually do not contain any fruit, Except for apple chunks, Sometimes. In Finland, A sweet donut is called munkki. The word also means monk, And are commonly eaten in cafes and cafeteria restaurants. It is sold cold and sometimes filled with jam, Like U. S. Jelly donuts, Or a vanilla sauce. Donuts similar to the Berliner are prepared in the northern Balkans, Particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, And Serbia. They are also called Krofna, Krapfna, Or Krafna, A name derived from the Austrian Krapfen for this pastry. The French beignet, Literally bump, Is the French and New Orleans equivalent of a donut. A pastry made from deep-fried choux pastry. In middle Germany, Donuts are called Kreppel or Pfannkuchen. A Berliner does not have the typical ring shape of a donut, But instead is solid and usually filled with jam. While a ring-shaped variant called Camoruna is common in Berlin and eastern Germany. In Greece, A donut-like snack called Loukoumas, Which is spherical and soaked in honey syrup, Is available. It is often served with sprinkled cinnamon and grated walnuts or sesame seeds. In the Netherlands, Oliebollen, Referred to in cookbooks as Dutch doughnuts, Are a type of fritter, With or without raisins or currants, 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, Smoltering is the prevailing type of donut, Traditionally sold in bakeries, Shops and stalls. However, US-style donuts are widely available in larger supermarkets, McDonald's restaurants, 7-Elevens, And bakeries. The Malasada is a common type of hole-less doughnut created in Portugal. They are made of fried dough. It is also popular in Hawaii and Cape Cod. The Malasada arrived after immigrants came in. The Romanian dessert gogoși are fried dough balls similar to filled donuts. They are stuffed with chocolate, Jam, Cheese, And other combinations, And may be dusted with icing sugar. In Slovenia, A jam-filled donut known as krofi is very popular. It is the typical sweet during carnival time, But is to be found in most bakeries during the whole year. The most famous Krofi come from the village of Trojana in central Slovenia and are originally filled with apricot jam fillings. In Spain, There are two different types of doughnuts. The first one, Simply called doughnuts, Or more traditionally, Berlinas, Is a US-style doughnut, I. E. A deep-fried, Sweet, Soft ring of flour dough. The Spanish term berlinesas mainly refers to a type of pastry rather different from the classical donut. The second type of doughnut is a traditional pastry called rosquilla or rosquette. The latter name is typical in the Canary Islands, Made of fermented dough and fried or baked in an oven. Trotskyas were purportedly introduced in Spain by the Romans. 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 US style donuts, They differ greatly in shape, Size and taste from one region to another. The churro is a sweet pastry of deep fried dough, Similar to a donut, But shaped as a long thin ribbed cylinder, Rather than a ring or sphere. Churros are commonly served dusted in sugar as a snack or with a cup of hot chocolate. Similar to the Finnish munki, The Swedish munk is a sweet donut, Commonly eaten as fika along with coffee. It is sold cold and is sometimes filled with jam, U. S. Jelly, Or a vanilla sauce. A ring donut is also known as, Simply, Monk. In Ukraine donuts are called Pampushki. Pompushki are made of yeast dough containing wheat, Rye, Or buckwheat flour. Traditionally they are baked, But may also be fried. In the United Kingdom, Both filled and ring donuts are popular, With jam donuts and other varieties readily available at supermarkets. In some parts of Scotland, Ring donuts are referred to as dough rings, With the donut name being reserved exclusively for the nut-shaped variety. Glazed, Twisted, Rope-shaped donuts are known as yum-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. The Mexican donas are similar to donuts, Including the name. A donut is a fried dough pastry-based snack, Commonly covered with powdered brown sugar and cinnamon, White sugar, Or chocolate. Donuts are ubiquitous in the United States and can be found in most grocery stores, As well as in specialty donut shops. They are equally popular in Canada. Canadians eat more donuts per capita than any other nation, And has more donut shops per capita than any other nation. A popular donut in Hawaii is the malasada. Malasadas were brought to the Hawaiian islands by early Portuguese settlers and are a variation on Portugal's piuhas. They are small eggy balls of yeast dough, Deep fried and coated in sugar. Immigrants have brought various donut varieties to the United States and Canada. To celebrate Fat Tuesday in eastern Pennsylvania, Churches sell a potato starch doughnut called Fasnacht or Fasnacht. The treats are so popular there that Fat Tuesday is often called Fastnacht Day. The Polish donut, The pączki, Is popular in US and Canadian cities with large Polish communities, Such as Chicago, Milwaukee, Windsor, And Detroit. In regions of the country where apples are widely grown, Especially the Northeast and Midwest states, Cider doughnuts are a harvest season specialty, Especially at orchards open to tourists, Where they can be served fresh. Cider doughnuts, Or a cake doughnut, With apple cider in 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. The Persian Zulbia and Bamiye are fritters of various shapes and sizes coated in a sugar syrup. Donuts are also made in the home in Iran, Referred to as Donut, Even in the plural. Jelly doughnuts, Known as sufganiyya in Israel, Have become a traditional Hanukkah food in the recent era as they are cooked in oil associated with the holiday account of the miracle of the oil. Traditional sufganiyot are filled with red jelly and topped with icing sugar. However, Many other varieties exist, With some being filled with dulce de leche, Particularly common after the South American Alea early in the 21st century. In Tunisia, Traditional pastries similar to donuts are yoyos. They come in different versions, Both as balls and in shape of donuts. They are deep fried and covered in a honey syrup or a kind of frosting. Sesame seeds are also used for flavor and decoration, Along with orange juice and vanilla. In Australia, The donut is a popular snack food. Jam donuts are particularly popular, Especially in Melbourne, Victoria, And the Queen Victoria Market, Where they are a tradition. Jam donuts are similar to a Berliner, But are served hot. Red jam, Raspberry or strawberry, Is injected into the bun before it is deep fried, And then is coated with either sugar or sugar mixed with cinnamon as soon as it has been cooked. Jam donuts are sometimes also bought frozen. In South Australia they are known as Berliner or Kitchener and often served in cafes. Popular variants include custard-filled donuts, And more recently, Nutella-filled donuts. In New Zealand, The donut is a popular food snack available in corner dairies. There in the form of a long sweet bread roll was 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. Donuts serve 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 donuts, Popularly known as sonhos, Literally 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 Berlin, Literally 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 goyabada, Guava jelly, Or milk cream, And covered by white sugar. Peruvian cuisine includes picarones, Which are donut-shaped fritters made with a squash and sweet potato base. These snacks are almost always served with a drizzle of sweet molasses-based sauce. In South Africa, An Afrikaans variation known as the Kook Sister is popular. Another variation, Similar name, Is the Cape Malay Koo Sister, Being soaked with a spiced syrup and coated in coconut. It has a texture similar to more traditional donuts as opposed to the Afrikaans variety. A further variation is the vetcook, Which is also dough deep fried in oil. It is served with mince, Syrup, Honey, Or jam. National Donut Day, Celebrated in the United States of America, Is on the first Friday of June each year, Succeeding the Donut Day event created by the Salvation Army in 1938, To honor those of their members who served donuts to soldiers during World 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 came up with the idea of providing donuts. These are reported to have been an instant hit, And soon many soldiers were visiting the Salvation Army HUDs. Margaret Sheldon wrote of one busy day. Today I made 22 pies, 300 donuts, 700 cups of coffee. Soon the women who did this work became known by the servicemen as donut dollies.

Reviews

A tasty subject for a talk Ben, thank you

Great 👍 fell asleep right away but now I want doughnuts for breakfast 🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩