A doughnut is a sweet snack. 
A doughnut is a sweet snack. 
A doughnut is a sweet snack made of fried dough. 
There are two main types of ring doughnuts. The first type uses yeast to make the dough rise. These are often tall and soft. They are usually covered in a sweet glaze.
Some doughnuts do not have a hole. Instead, they are filled with sweet things. You might find jelly, cream, or custard inside. You can also eat small dough balls called doughnut holes. These are often made from the dough cut out of the center.
People have enjoyed fried dough for a long time. An old recipe called globi used honey and cheese. In the 1800s, the name "doughnut" became common. In the 1920s, a company used the spelling "donut." They did this to help people in other countries say the word more easily.
A doughnut is a tasty pastry made from fried dough. 
There are two main ways to make the dough. One way uses yeast to make the dough rise high. These are called yeast-raised doughnuts and they are often quite large. They usually take about 150 seconds to fry in hot oil.
Some doughnuts do not have a hole in the middle. Instead, they are filled with sweet things like jelly or custard. These are often called filled doughnuts. You might also see small, round pieces called doughnut holes. These are often made from the dough cut out of the center of a ring doughnut. Some famous shops even have special names for their holes, like Munchkins or Timbits.
People have been eating fried dough for a very long time. An old recipe called globi used cheese, honey, and poppy seeds. In the 13th century, an Arabic cookbook described a snack called sfenj. By the 1700s, Dutch settlers brought "olykoek," which means oil cake, to New York. An American named Hanson Gregory said he invented the ring shape in 1847. He used a tin pepper box to punch a hole in the dough. This helped the middle cook all the way through.
There are two ways to spell the name of this treat. The traditional spelling is doughnut, which is used all over the world. 
A doughnut is a popular pastry made from leavened fried dough. 
To make a doughnut, cooks use a dough or a batter. The dough may contain ingredients like flour, water, milk, eggs, and sugar. It might also include oil, shortening, or leavening agents to help it rise. Some recipes use natural or artificial flavors. The dough is then deep-fried in hot oil. After frying, the pastry is often decorated. Cooks might use a sugar glaze, chocolate, or powdered sugar. They can also add cinnamon, sprinkles, or fruit to the top.
There are two main categories of doughnuts: cake and yeast-raised.
Shapes and styles vary widely among these pastries. The most common styles are ring doughnuts and filled doughnuts. Ring doughnuts have a hole in the center. Filled doughnuts are injected with sweet items like fruit preserves, cream, or custard. Some doughnuts are shaped into balls, twists, or flattened spheres. Small, bite-sized pieces are often called doughnut holes. 
History shows that humans have enjoyed fried dough for centuries. Cato the Elder recorded a recipe for cheese, honey, and poppy seed dough balls called globi. A 13th-century Arabic cookbook described sfenj, a leavened semolina dough. In 1485, a German book called Küchenmeisterei listed recipes for Gefüllte Krapfen, which are stuffed fried cakes. In the 18th century, Dutch settlers brought olykoek, or "oil cake," to New Amsterdam. This was a sweetened cake fried in fat.
The iconic ring shape is often attributed to Hanson Gregory. In 1847, the 16-year-old American claimed he invented the shape while on a ship. He wanted to fix the problem of raw centers and greasy dough. He used a tin pepper box to punch a hole in the middle. This allowed the dough to cook more evenly and quickly. By 1870, home-shopping catalogues began selling doughnut cutters with two concentric circles. These tools helped people create the ring and the hole at the same time.
There is also a history behind the two different spellings. The traditional spelling is doughnut, which is used internationally. However, the spelling "donut" is common in the United States. 
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