Donuts

Donuts are fried or baked pastries made from sweet dough, typically shaped as a ring with a central hole or as a filled sphere. The most common varieties are yeast-raised donuts, which are light and airy, and cake donuts, which are denser.

Donuts are usually glazed or iced and topped with sugar, chocolate, or sprinkles. Fillings such as jam, custard, or cream are common in the center of the dough.

Ingredients include flour, sugar, eggs, a fat such as oil or butter, and a leavening agent (yeast for raised donuts or baking powder for cake donuts). The dough is shaped, proofed if yeast-raised, and fried in hot oil or baked.

The modern American donut emerged in the 19th century, and a popular story attributes the hole in the center to an American ship captain in 1847, though the exact origin is uncertain. Donuts spread through bakeries, coffee shops, and later fast-food chains. Regional varieties include Berliners in Germany and sufganiyot in Jewish cuisine.

Donuts are widely consumed as a snack or breakfast item and are often paired with coffee. National Donut Day in the United States honors charity workers and is observed on the first Friday of June. The donut industry ranges from artisanal bakeries to large chains, with ongoing flavor and topping innovations.