Photo: Lila la Loop
Donut – originally doughnuts – origin of the trendy pastry
Donuts are more than just sweet pastries – they are small, golden-brown circles with a long history, and their enjoyment is still cherished today. Whether decorated with icing, chocolate, or colorful sprinkles, they bring joy not only to those at Baldeneysee, but worldwide. But before they began their triumphant march through modern bakeries and coffee shops, their journey began centuries ago.
From the Netherlands to the New World
The history of doughnuts began as early as the 17th century, when Dutch immigrants brought the deep-fried pastry "oliekoek"—literally "oil cake"—to the New World (America). These early versions, also called "oliebollen," were compact balls of dough, often filled with nuts to help the dough cook through. The name "doughnut" first appeared in the 19th century and was likely chosen because the original pieces of dough ("dough") often contained a nut ("nut") inside.
Culinary triumph of the small stream
The spelling "doughnut" persisted for a long time until the shortened form "donut" became established in American usage – primarily due to the popularity of chains like Dunkin' Donuts. The characteristic shape with the hole in the middle is said to have been invented by the American sailor Hanson Gregory, who supposedly poked a hole in the dough in 1847 to achieve more even cooking. A simple yet ingenious idea with a revolutionary effect, which likely contributed significantly to the culinary triumph of this small pastry.
Currywurst topping or licorice glaze
Donuts have become an integral part of life in the Ruhr region – whether in trendy cafes, at street food festivals, or as a sweet snack in bakeries and bakery shops around the city. Baldeneysee. The region, once dominated by coal and steel, has developed into a melting pot of modern culinary culture. Here, American classics like donuts meet down-to-earth baking traditions and creative diversity – sometimes even with currywurst topping or licorice glaze.
DIY donut
With this basicRecipe You can bring a piece of this story into your own kitchen and let your creativity run wild with the topping.
| Preparation time | portions | difficulty | Kitchen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 minutes | 4 | simply | German |
Ingredients
120 ml milk
25 g yeast
40 g sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 egg
25 g butter
1 tsp vanilla sugar
250 g flour
For the casting 100 g sugar
1 tsp cinnamon sugar
1 tbsp water
Besides that Flour for the work surface
1.4 liters of sunflower oil for deep-frying
preparation
1. Mix lukewarm milk with yeast, sugar, and salt, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes. Knead the yeast mixture with egg, butter, vanilla sugar, and flour to form a smooth dough, cover, and let rise for another 45 minutes in a warm place.
2. Dust the dough with flour and roll it out to about 1.5 cm thick. Cut out dough circles using a donut cutter and let them rise for another 30 minutes.
3. Heat oil to 160°C. Fry dough circles until golden brown on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper.
4. For the glaze, mix all ingredients together and glaze one side of the doughnuts. Let dry and serve.
| Recipe by: |
|---|
| Bianca Killmann |