When it comes to doughnuts, we are a nation of Homer Simpsons. No matter how often the fried rolls are declared nutritionally bankrupt, their sweet, oily fragrance is overwhelming. Americans eat about 10 billion doughnuts each year, or about 40 for every man, woman and child in the country, according to industry estimates.
The fried snacks are most likely descended from the Dutch olie-kochen, or fried cakes, which arrived on these shores with Dutch settlers in the 1640s. A sea captain from Rockport, Maine, named Hanson Gregory claims credit for punching the first holes in the cakes, in 1847, to get rid of the doughy middle. By the 1920s the first doughnut-making machines had turned a kitchen craft into a growing industry.
No one mistakes a doughnut for health food. The combination of flour, sugar and fat contains very little fiber, so its 200 to 300 calories are absorbed quickly, said Randi Konikoff, a dietitian at Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston.
The body converts the simple carbohydrates in doughnuts to sugar, which prompts the release of insulin; insulin in turn converts excess sugar to body fat. And all that’s on top of the large dose of dietary fat in the snacks themselves.
At their best, doughnuts are light pastries rather than heavy gut bombs. Dipped briefly in hot oil, the sculpted dough develops a delicate crispy skin. The moisture trapped within turns to steam, cooking the dough inside, said Ralph Primo, who with wife Celia founded Primo’s doughnuts in West Los Angeles, in 1956.
In a well-made doughnut, the oil does not penetrate far into the pastry, he said. When sprayed with a film of liquefied sugar, a simple ring of yeast-raised dough becomes one of the most popular breakfast foods in the nation: the simple glazed doughnut.
Of course, there are dozens of varieties, and each carries a different package of calories and fat. Besides the simple glazed, top-sellers include the chocolate-frosted cake doughnut, the jelly-filled and the old-fashioned.
At Dunkin’ Donuts, the heaviest of these is the chocolate-frosted cake, which has 16 grams of fat and 300 calories, according to the company.
At Krispy Kreme, the glazed devil’s food old-fashioned leads with 24 grams of fat and 390 calories, while the chocolate frosted cake comes in at 13 grams and 270 calories.
A jelly-filled falls somewhere in the middle, from 8 grams of fat and 210 calories (Dunkin’ Donuts) to 14 grams and 290 calories (Krispy Kreme). Any one of these doughnuts provides roughly 20% of USDA’s recommended allowance for fat, and 15% of the day’s allowance for calories.
In a recent analysis, Tufts University researchers found that many blueberry muffins--including so-called low-fat varieties--had more fat and calories than a glazed doughnut. Even eating three of the little, fried doughnut holes can put you over the fat and calorie count for a full-sized glazed, because of the amount of fried surface area, Konikoff said.
“Most people have no idea,” she said. “They think three of those little things only equals about a half a doughnut.”
In the end, the lightest selection often is the most popular: the simple glazed, or raised, doughnut, which has about 200 calories and 8 to 11 grams of fat.
FAQs
If the temperature is too low, the crust of the donut does not set quickly enough and excessive oil is absorbed into the donut.
How to keep paczki fresh? ›
These paczki are best the same day they are made. If having leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If using active dry yeast, please make sure you activate it first by dissolving it in a bit of warm water.
How many Krispy Kreme donuts can I eat a day? ›
A: There is no set rule for how often you can eat Krispy Kreme donuts. However, it is recommended to consume them in moderation as part of a balanced diet to avoid any health risks.
Is A donut a donut if it doesn't have a hole in it? ›
Donuts with no holes in the center are made with a different kind of dough, and they are usually filled with some type of cream or jam. There's no reason for the center to be raw, any more than the center of a dinner roll or a loaf of bread would be raw.
What happens when doughnuts are fried at too high a temperature? ›
What is the correct frying temperature for yeast-raised donuts? Fry at about 375° to 380° F (190.6° to 193.3° C). Donuts brown too rapidly and may have raw or doughy centers if fried in fat that is too hot.
How to prevent donuts from being oily? ›
Draining the donuts on a bed of paper towels will keep them from getting greasy. A cooling rack seems like a good idea, but paper towels actually pull the oil out of the donut and wick it away.
Is a paczki just a jelly donut? ›
Although they look like German berliners (bismarcks in North America) or jelly doughnuts, pączki are made from especially rich dough containing eggs, fats, sugar, yeast, and sometimes milk.
What is the difference between a donut and a paczki? ›
Paczki vs Donuts
The difference between paczki and donuts is the ingredients in their dough. Paczki uses an extra amount of enriching ingredients, yeast, grain alcohol, and high-gluten flour. Together, these create a richer-than-brioche dough, but far chewier with little to no crumbs.
What does paczki mean in English? ›
noun. , plural pacz·ki. a traditional Polish doughnut, filled with jam or another sweet filling and covered with powdered sugar or icing.
How unhealthy is a donut a day? ›
It's fine to enjoy a glazed doughnut every once in a while, but for your health, it's best not to make it a habit. Glazed doughnuts are not healthy, although you can certainly enjoy one every now and again. Eating too many of them may lead to weight gain and increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease over time.
To receive your Krispy Kreme birthday gift you need to be a pre-existing subscriber of our 'The Inner Circle'.
Do Krispy Kremes have milk? ›
Dairy-Free Doughnuts (U.K. Krispy Kreme locations only)
However, the Strawberries & Kreme, Biscoff, Chocolate Dreamcake, Nutty Chocolatta, Raspberry Cheesecake, and Caramel Slice Doughnuts at Krispy Kreme do contain milk. Many of their themed donuts also contain milk, so inquire before ordering.
What does 🍩 mean in texting? ›
The Doughnut emoji 🍩 depicts a doughnut, a commonly eaten baked good. It is commonly used to represent real and metaphorical doughnuts, breakfast, bakeries and baked foods, snacks, coffee breaks, The Simpsons, and negative stereotypes of police officers.
What is a donut without a hole called? ›
Jelly Doughnut
These classic doughnuts are typically round without a hole in the middle, and generally leavened with yeast. The center is stuffed with jelly, jam, or preserves (and sometimes chocolate!), giving you a burst of flavor with each bite.
What is the hole in the middle of a donut called? ›
(pastry ball the size of the hole in the center of a donut): munchkin (genericization of Munchkin) timbit (genericization of Timbit)
What temperature should oil be for frying doughnuts? ›
In the fryer heat approximately two to three inches of CANOLA oil to 360 degrees F. I emphasize canola oil because it will give the donuts a great texture and won't leave you with an oily tasting donut.
What are the most important considerations when frying doughnuts? ›
Quality donut frying all comes down to the oil and its ability to transfer heat to the dough. Temperature must be consistently distributed throughout the fryer. The oil can't get too hot too fast or for too long or it will start to degrade, and then it can't get the job done.
What is a low temperature for deep-frying? ›
If the oil gets too cold, anything below 355°, then the food ends up absorbing all of the oil resulting in a greasy, soggy mess. If the oil gets too hot, anything above 400°, then the outside will brown too quickly before the inside can properly cook.
Why should temperature drop be avoided in frying? ›
On the other hand, food fried in oil that's too cool will retain too much moisture and emerge soggy. If the temperature drops too low, bring the oil back up to your target range before frying the next batch.
