While it may not seem like it, donuts or doughnuts, are cakes. They fall into the category into yeast-raised cakes. Donuts are typically glazed with a sugar icing but other glazes are also utilized like chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla, along with almost any topping you can think of. Have you ever wondered why there’s a hole in the middle of the doughnut? The round donut shape allows all of the dough to be cooked evenly.
Donut Trivia
- In the United States, more than 10 billion doughnuts are made every year and it is a 3.6 billion dollar industry.
- The first donut machine was invented by Adolph Levitt in 1920.
- National Glazed donut day is on June 8th.
- Donuts made with mashed potato or potato starch are called spudnuts.
- To gain weight for the Bridget Jones movie sequel, Renée Zellweger consumed 20 donuts a day.
Donut Buying Guide
We’ve racked our minds in making a donut buying guide, but here are some things to keep in mind when buying donuts from a local shop.
- The first thing you should notice when walking through the door should be the smell. The smell of the store must be that for fried dough, that will tell you immediately that the donuts that they make are tasty and not rely on the toppings and fillings.
- Their fillings should be made out of the real thing. For example, if they have a strawberry filled donut, then the filling should be made from real strawberries, and not just strawberry flavored goop.
- One of the lesser-known tests of if a donut is good is the day-old test. (This can’t be done if you’re buying donuts from a place for the first time) See, low-quality donuts don’t do very well 24 hours after they’re cooked. If you have a day-old donut and they still taste good and the texture is still palatable, then it is a good indication that they use quality ingredients.
Remember, a great donut is the sum of all its parts. It’s more than just the ingredients used. It’s more than just the toppings. It’s everything that is used to make the donut. Of course, they’re great for a sweet quick sweet fix, but you’d want to get the best in any case.
Donut Production & Farming in Texas
A lot of people will think that two words that don’t belong with each other are artisan and donuts. But things are different here in Texas. Of course, you can still find most of the big names in the donut industry, but there are also a large number of smaller family-run donut stores that offer specialty donuts. These artisan donut shops offer customized donuts for special events and they even use locally grown fruit as toppings and flavoring components.
Not only are these donut shops offering unique flavors, but they also make donuts that are suitable for almost any diet. Donuts can range from low calorie, gluten-free, sugar-free, savory donuts, and believe it or not, carb-free keto donuts. So no matter what restrictions you have on your diet, you can easily find donuts that are relatively safe to consume.
Preservatives:
Donuts are same-day products. This means that they have to be cooked and consumed on the same day. Preservatives aren’t really used on donuts for the simple reason that nobody wants to buy day-old donuts. There are so many components to donuts, from the dough, the filling, the glaze, and the toppings that preserving all of them to last for more than a day is very hard.
Packaging:
Donuts are packed in… surprise! Donut boxes. These are thin cardboard boxes that are usually discarded after use. They usually come in two sizes, a small box that fits six donuts and a large box that fits a dozen donuts.
Enjoying Donuts
Donuts are best enjoyed with coffee and immediately after purchase.
Storage:
Store leftover donuts in the fridge and they should be good for a couple of days. Depending on your preference, you can consume donuts cold or you can nuke them in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up. Don’t overheat them in the microwave as this might turn the donut’s texture into cardboard.
Cook your own Donuts:
If you’re a fan of those double letter donuts that sell fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth donuts then we have a treat for you. This is a close reproduction of the popular glazed donut so if you’re up for a challenge, then we have a recipe for you.
Ingredients
For the donut
Two tablespoons active dry yeast
one cup warm water
half cup sugar
half teaspoon salt
one stick butter, melted
half cup of warm milk
two whole eggs
two egg yolks
four and a half cups of all-purpose flour
For the glaze
Three cups powdered sugar
half cup water
one-fourth teaspoon vanilla sugar
Step one:
In a big bowl, mix water, yeast and one teaspoon of sugar and let stand for five minutes.
Step two:
Add the rest of the sugar, salt, butter, eggs, egg yolks, and warm milk. Mix them all together then add the flour. Continue mixing until they all come together. Knead for five more minutes before transferring to a bowl and let it rest for about an hour in a warm place where it can rise.
Step three:
Transfer the dough to a surface dusted lightly with flour and roll out to about half an inch in thickness. Cut out the donut with a donut mold or any other tool that can cut out donut shapes. Once everything has been cut, allow them to rise for about 30 more minutes.
Step four:
Fry over medium-low heat until lightly golden on each side.
Step five:
Combine all of the ingredients for the glaze, dip the donuts in the glaze and serve! Enjoy!
