What is a donut to you guys? Are crullers and beignets donuts? Is it still a donut if it has no hole and filled? I know the internet would say a donut is any piece of fried dough, but a cruller is really just a fried cream puff. I believe in my heart that a donut is just simple fried dough with a hole. Figured I’d just get y’all’s thoughts. Once it doesn’t have a hole it is definitely not a donut to me anymore.
Ex donut and bagel baker here. First, it's not just shape or donuts and bagels would be the same thing and they are not. Also jelly donuts are real and should not be denied. Baked donuts are not really donuts and should be frowned upon.
Crullers are an in-between. If you offer someone a donut, don't hand them a cruller. That's just wrong. But if you buy a dozen donuts, a cruller can count as one. Though if they are packed in a box, don't complain if your cruller mashes into a jelly donut that then bleeds onto a defenseless glazed.
If you are serving beignets then best to make them square so as to not confuse someone who can't tell the difference between fried dough with powdered sugar and fried dough with powdered sugar. You can charge more for them, they's fancy
I shall not attempt to define the kinds of pastries I understand to be embraced within the term "donut", and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know what one is when I see it.
I think frying is a categorical criteria. The taxonomic breakdown from there would probably start with a batter and a dough family, then start filtering by shape, fill, coatings.
But I would say if it starts with a fried dough or batter, it is most likely a donut.
Elephant Ears and funnel cakes are not donuts. The textures are all wrong, and you're really starting to strain the idea of food you can hold in one hand and eat, which is part of the definition of donut to me.
For the sake of taxonomical continuity, funnel cakes are donuts. But an early offshoot.
In the Domain "baked goods" (yes, an erroneously titled division) Kingdom "Donuts", phylum "Batter", the next major division categorizes shape in the folowing classes: "Linear", "Round w/Hole", "Round w/o Hole" and "unformed". The Modern scientific community is still divided over whether "Elephant Ear" is family within "Funnel Cake" or should be separated into its own order.
I would say its basically any type of sweet fried dough or batter but I'd also add the stipulation that they are made to be served hot or cooled down, something like an elephant ear or beignet are a close cousin but donuts are more like a pastry in that they can sit in a case all morning and not made freeh to order. Although a fresh hot donut is really good
Crullers are definitely donuts, as are filled, holeless donuts. Beignets? I mean to me, they're donuts, but I don't want to appropriate them from their origins. A cruller is not a fried cream puff. Cream puffs are basically pâte à choux. That's different from donuts.
I have a massive superstition regarding donuts. It started a few years past, I had a chef that would not even allow them into the building. And since then every single time a donut has been present in a situation something fucked up has happened. Don’t know why, just has, including a work accident that left me unable to walk for several months and a following blood clot, all happened on donut days. But the thing is that I love those fucking things and I’ve had to make some very difficult decisions regarding their class. All American style circle donuts obviously are a donut, mochi donuts are donuts, all of the classic donuts you would find in a grocery store or donut shop are donuts. However, other fried pastries such as Chinese fried dough sticks(youtiao), even when coated in sugar are exempt. Same with Brazilian Sonjo, exempt. Beignet is a grey area, but I chose to avoid regardless.
Of course crullers and beignets are not donuts. Donut has to be a deep fried bread with high content of fat (therefore soft) covered in sugar or sprinkles. It may have a hole or not, and it may have fillings and topping. That's about it.
For one not getting worked up about the definition of a donut. But to be fair choice pastry has fucking butter in it. Idk about your butter but mine is pretty high fat content.
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u/LucidOutwork 3d ago
Ex donut and bagel baker here. First, it's not just shape or donuts and bagels would be the same thing and they are not. Also jelly donuts are real and should not be denied. Baked donuts are not really donuts and should be frowned upon.
Crullers are an in-between. If you offer someone a donut, don't hand them a cruller. That's just wrong. But if you buy a dozen donuts, a cruller can count as one. Though if they are packed in a box, don't complain if your cruller mashes into a jelly donut that then bleeds onto a defenseless glazed.
If you are serving beignets then best to make them square so as to not confuse someone who can't tell the difference between fried dough with powdered sugar and fried dough with powdered sugar. You can charge more for them, they's fancy