I Can’t Sleep - Doughnut | Can’t Sleep? Discover a Hole Lot of History

Episode Date: August 26, 2026

Doughnuts have taken many forms across cultures and centuries. This episode explores the history of doughnuts, how they’re made, and the many varieties that have developed around the world. Along the way, you’ll hear about glazed doughnuts, jelly-filled favorites, doughnut holes, and the many ways this sweet treat has evolved over time. It’s steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping! Read with permission from Doughnut, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doughnut), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. — Ad-free episodes: ⁠icantsleep.supportingcast.fm⁠Have a topic in mind? ⁠Request a topic⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcfwalk.ca.ca. By now the house has gone quiet, the street, the dishwasher, everything but you. I Can't Sleep Plus keeps it that way.

The whole show was nothing in it but one voice, going gently on about otters or the Oregon Trail, until you're not listening anymore. It's a private feed you tuck into the app you already use and never think of again. Get an ad-free experience for five of. 99 a month and the first week costs nothing. Go to I Can't Sleep. Supportingcast.fm for an ad-free experience today. You can also find the link in the show notes. Welcome to the I Can't Sleep podcast, where I help you drift off one fact at a time. I'm your host, Benjamin Boster, and today's episode is about donuts.

Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcf walk.ca.ca. A donut is a type of fried or baked good made from lovin dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack

that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty vendors. Donuts are usually deep fried from a leavened dough. Baked or cake donuts are made with a thick leavened batter. Various toppings and flavors are used for different types, such as sugar, chocolate, or maple glazing. The two most common types are the ring donut and the filled donut, which is injected with fruit preserves. cream, custard, or other sweet fillings.

Small pieces of dough are sometimes cooked as donut holes. Once fried, donuts may be glazed with a sugar icing, spread with icing or chocolate, or topped with sugar, cinnamon, sprinkles, or fruit. Other shapes include balls, flattened spheres, twists, and other forms. Donut varieties are also divided into cake donuts, including the old-fashioned, known outside of the U.S. as baked donuts, and yeast-risen donuts. Donuts are often accompanied by coffee or milk in the U.S. A recipe for a deep-fried dough ball was recorded by Cato the Elder in his De Agricultura, using cheese,

honey and poppy seeds, called Globy. Similar types of fried dough recipes have either spread to or originated in other parts of Europe and the world. In the 13th century Arabic cookbook, written by Ibn Razin Al-Tujubi, contains a recipe for a donut-like variant of svenge. Made by frying leavened semolina dough,

The dough is meant to be shaped into a small ball. The recipe also calls for shaping the dough into cahawk, with a hole in the middle, to test its proofing. This is done before frying the first batch and results in a shape reminiscent of a modern donut. The cookbook Cuckemeisteri, Mastery of the Kitchen, published in Nuremberg in 1485, offers a recipe for Defeuerte Cople stuffed fried dough cakes. Dutch settlers brought Olocook oil cake to New York or New Amsterdam in the early 18th century.

These donuts closely resembled later ones, but the ring donut had not yet appeared. A recipe for fried dough nuts was published in 1750 England under the title How to Make Hartfordshire Cakes, Nuts, and Pin Cushions, and the Country Housewives Family Companion by William Ellis. The first cookbook using the near-conventional doughnuts spelling was possibly the 1803 edition of the frugal housewife, or complete woman cook, which included donuts in an appendix of American recipes. One of the earliest known literary usages of the term dates to an 1808 short story

describing a spread of fire cakes and donuts. Washington Irving described donuts in his 1809 history of New York as balls of sweetened dough, fried in hogs fat, and called donuts or oily cooks. These nuts of fried dough might now be called donut holes. The word nut is here used in earlier sense of small rounded cake or cookie, also seen in ginger nut. D-O-U-G-H-N-U-T is the traditional spelling, and still dominates even in the united states though d o n u t is often used at present d o u g h n u t and the shortened form d o n u t are both pervasive in american english

hansen gregory an american claimed to have invented the ring-shaped doughnut in eighteen forty seven aboard a lime-trading ship when he was sixteen years old gregory was dissatisfied with the greasiness of doughnuts twisted into various shapes and with the raw centre of regular dough he claimed to have punched a hole in the centre of dough with the ship's tin pepper-box and to have later taught the technique to his mother smithsonian magazine states that his mother elizabethsonian magazine states that his mother elizabeth Gregory, made a wicked deep-fried dough that cleverly used her son's spice cargo of nutmeg and cinnamon, along with lemon rind, and put hazelnuts or walnuts in the center, where the dough might not cook through, and called the food doughnuts. Ring doughnuts may be formed by a number of methods, including joining the ends of a long, skinny piece of dough into a ring, or using a donut cutter,

which simultaneously cuts the outside and inside shape, leaving a donut-shaped piece of dough and a donut hole, the dough removed from the center. This smaller piece of dough can be cooked and served as a donut hole or added back to the batch to make more donuts. A disc-shaped donut can also be stretched and pinched into a torus until the center breaks to form a hole. Alternatively, a donut depositor can be used to place a circle of liquid dough batter

directly into the friar. Daniela Galarza for Eater wrote that the now standard donut's hole is still up for debate. Food writer Michael Crandall surmises that the shape came from recipes that called for the dough to be shaped like a jumble, a once common ring-shaped cookie. In cuisine and culture, a history of food and people, culinary historian Linda Civitello writes that

the whole was invented because it allowed the donuts to cook faster. By 1870, donut cutters shaped in two concentric circles, one smaller than the other, began to appear in home shopping catalogs. After frying, ring donuts are often topped. Raised donuts are generally covered with a glaze icing. Cake donuts can also be glazed, powdered with confection or sugar, or covered with cinnamon and grains. granulated sugar. They are also often topped with cake frosting, top only, and sometimes sprinkled with coconut, chopped peanuts, or sprinkles. Originally, most varieties of donut holes were derivatives of their ring donut, yeast-based, dough, or cake batter counterparts. However,

donut holes can also be made by dropping a small ball of dough into hot oil, from a specially shaped nozzle or cutter. This production method has allowed donut cellars to produce bite-sized versions of non-ringed donuts, such as filled donuts, pritters, and duchies. Filled donuts are flattened spheres injected with fruit preserves, cream, custard, or other sweet fillings,

and often dipped into powdered sugar, or topped off with frosting. Common varieties include the Boston Cream, Coconut, Key Lime, and Jelly. There are many other specialized donut shapes, such as old-fashioned, bars or long johns, a rectangular shape, or twists. Other shapes include balls, flattened spheres, twists, and other forms. In the Northeast United States, bars and twists are usually referred to as crullers. Another is the bignet, a square-shaped donut covered with powdered sugar, commonly associated with New Orleans.

A few sweet donut-style pastries are regional in nature. Cantonese cuisine features an oval-shaped pastry called Ngal-Laiso. In Japan, On Donut, Bean Paste Donut, is widely available bakeries. On Donut are similar to the German Berliner, but contain red azuki bean paste. Mr. Donut is one of the most popular donut chains in Japan. Selroti is a Nepali homemade ring-shaped rice donut, prepared during Tehar, the widely celebrated Hindu festival in Nepal. A semi-liquid dough is usually prepared by adding milk, water, sugar, butter, cardamom, and mashed banana to rice flour,

which is often left to ferment for up to 24 hours. Local varieties of donuts sold by peddlers and street vendors throughout the Philippines, are usually made of plain, well-needed dough, deep-fried in refined coconut oil, and sprinkled with refined, not-powdered, or confectioner's sugar. In Austria, donut equivalents are called crop fun. They are especially popular during carnival season foshing, and do not have the typical ring shape,

but instead are solid and usually filled with apricot jam, traditional, or vanilla cream. A second variant called Bauern Kroppfen are also made of yeast dough and have a thick outside ring, but are very thin in the middle. In Belgian, the Smanta Bolin and Dutch, or Custillon and French, are similar to the Dutch kind of olebulon, but they usually do not contain any fruit, except for apple chunks, sometimes. In Finland, a sweet donut is called munkie,

the word also means monk, and are commonly eaten in cafes and cafeteria restaurants. It is sold cold and sometimes filled with jam, like U.S. jelly donuts. or a vanilla sauce. Donuts similar to the Berliner are prepared in the northern Balkans, particular in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

They are also called Krofna, Krafna, or Krafna, a name derived from the Austrian Kropfen for this pastry. The French bignier, literally, bump is the French and New Orleans equivalent of a donut, a pastry made from deep-fried shoe pastry. In Middle Germany, donuts are called Kreppel or Fankuchen. A Berliner does not have the typical ring shape of a donut, but instead is solid and usually filled with jam. While a ring-shaped variant called Cameroon,

is common in Berlin and Eastern Germany. In Greece, a donut-like snack called Lukumas, which is spherical and soaked in honey syrup, is available. It is often served with sprinkled cinnamon and grated walnuts or sesame seeds. In the Netherlands, Oli Bolin, referred to in cookbooks as Dutch donuts, are a type of fritter, with or without raisins or currants, and usually sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Variations of the recipe contain slices of apple or other fruits. They are traditionally eaten as part of New Year celebrations. In Norway, smeltering is the prevailing type of donut, traditionally sold in bakeries, shops, and stalls. However, U.S. style donuts are widely available in larger supermarkets, McDonald's restaurants, 7-Elevens, and bakeries. The malasada is a common type of wholeness donut created in Portugal. They are made of fried dough. It is also popular in Hawaii and Cape Cod.

The malasada arrived after immigrants came in. Romanian dessert Gogushi or fried dough balls similar to filled donuts. They are stuffed with chocolate, jam, cheese, and other combinations, and may be dusted with icing sugar. In Slovenia, a jam-filled donut known as Krofi is very popular. It is a typical sweet during carnival time, but is to be found in most of the bakeries during the whole year. The most famous Krofi come from the village of Trojana in central Slovenia,

and are originally filled with apricot jam filling. In Spain there are two different types of donuts. The first one simply called donuts, or more traditionally Berlinus, is a U.S. style donut, i.e. a deep-fried sweet, soft ring of flour dough. The Spanish term Berlinaisas mainly refers to a type of pastry rather different from the classical donut. The second type of donut is a traditional pastry called rosquilla or rosquette. The latter name is typical in the Canary Islands,

made of fermented dough and fried or baked in an oven. Roskiyas were purportedly interested in an oven. Roskiyas were purportedly reduced in Spain by the Romans. In Spain there are several variants of them, depending on the region where they are prepared, in the time of the year they are sold. In some regions, they are considered a special pastry prepared only for Easter. Although overall, they are more tightly textured and less sweet than U.S.-style donuts, they differ greatly in shape, size, and taste from one region. to another. The churro is a sweet pastry of deep-fried dough, similar to a donut, but shaped as a long, thin, ribbed cylinder rather than a ring or sphere. Churros are commonly served,

dusted in sugar as a snack, or with a cup of hot chocolate. Similar to the Finnish munkie, the Swedish monk is a sweet donut, commonly eaten as fika. along with coffee. It is sold cold and is sometimes filled with jam, U.S. jelly, or a vanilla sauce. A ring donut is also known as simply monk. In Ukraine, donuts are called Pampushki. Pampushki are made of yeast dough containing wheat, rye, or buckwheat flour. Traditionally, they are baked, but may also be fried.

In the United Kingdom, both filled and ring donuts are popular, with jam donuts and other varieties readily available at supermarkets. In some parts of Scotland, ring donuts are referred to as dough rings, with the donut name being reserved exclusively for the nut-shaped variety, Glazed, twisted, rope-shaped donuts are known as yum-yams. It is also possible to buy fudge donuts in certain regions of Scotland. Fillings include jam, custard, cream, sweet mincemeat, chocolate, and apple. Common ring toppings are sprinkle iced and chocolate.

The Mexican donas are similar to donuts, including the nymphs. name. A donna is a fried dough pastry-based snack, commonly covered with powdered brown sugar and cinnamon, white sugar, or chocolate. Donuts are ubiquitous in the United States and can be found in most grocery stores, as well as in specialty donut shops. They are equally popular in Canada. Canadians eat more donuts per capita than any other nation, and has more donuts shops per capita than any other nation. A popular donut in Hawaii is the Malasada. Malasadas were brought to the Hawaiian islands by early Portuguese settlers,

and are a variation on Portugal's Puyahas. They are small, eggy balls of yeast dough, deep fried, and coated in sugar. Immigrants have brought various donut varieties to the United States and Canada. To celebrate Fat Tuesday in eastern Pennsylvania, churches sell a potato-starch donut called Faustnacht, or Fosnacht. The treats are so popular there that Fat Tuesday is often called. called Fasnacht Day. The Polish donut, the Ponchki, is popular in U.S. and Canadian cities with large Polish communities, such as Chicago, Milwaukee, Windsor, and Detroit. In regions of the country where apples are widely grown, especially the northeast and Midwest states, cider

donuts are a harvest season specialty, especially at orchards, open to touras, where they can be served fresh. Cider donuts are a cake donut with apple cider and the batter. The use of cider affects both the texture and flavor, resulting in a denser, moisture product. They are often coated with either granulated powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar. The Persian Zulbilla and Bamiya are fritters of various shapes. and sizes coated in a sugar syrup. Donuts are also made in the home in Iran,

referred to as donut, even in the plural. Jelly donuts, known as Sufkanilla in Israel, have become a traditional Hanukkah food in the recent era, as they are cooked in oil associated with a holiday account of the miracle of the oil. Traditional Sufkaniyod, are filled with red jelly and topped with icing sugar. However, many other varieties exist, with some being filled with Dosa de Lece,

particularly common after the South American Aliyya early in the 21st century. Indonesia, traditional pastries similar to donuts are yo-yo's. They come in different versions, both as balls, and in shape of donuts. They are deep fried and covered in a honey syrup or a kind of frosting. Sesame seeds are also used for flavor and decoration, along with orange juice and vanilla. In Australia, the donut is a popular snack food.

Jam donuts are particularly popular, especially in Melbourne, Victoria, and the Queen Victoria Market, where they are tradition. Jam donuts are similar to a beryliner, but are served hot. Red jam, raspberry, or strawberry, is injected into the bun before it is deep-fried, and then is coated with either sugar or sugar mixed with cinnamon as soon as it has been cooked. Jam donuts are sometimes also bought frozen. In South Australia, they are in South Australia.

known as bearlinger or kitchener, and often served in cafes. Popular variants include custard-filled donuts, and more recently, Nutella-filled donut. In New Zealand, the donut is a popular food snack available in corner dairies. They are in the form of a long, sweet bread roll with a deep cut down its long axis. In this cut is placed a long donut. dollop of Sweden, clotted cream, and on top of this is a spot of strawberry jam. Donuts are of two varieties, fresh cream or mock cream. The rounded variety is widely available as well.

In Brazil, bakeries, grocery stores, and pastry shops sell ball-shaped donuts, popularly known as soños, literally dreams. The dessert was brought to Brazil by Portuguese colonizers that had contact with Dutch and German traders. They are the equivalent of nowadays Bolas de Berlin, literally balls of Berlin in Portugal. But the traditional Portuguese yellow cream was substituted by local dairy and fruit products. They are made of a special type of bread, filled with. filled with goyabata, guava jelly, or milk cream, and covered by white sugar. Peruvian cuisine includes picaronas, which are donut-shaped fritters made with a squash and sweet potato base.

These snacks are almost always served with a drizzle of sweet molasses-based sauce. In South Africa, an Afrikaan's variation known as the Cook Sister is popular, Another variation, similar name, is the Cape Malay Coo sister, being soaked with a spiced syrup and coated in coconut. It has a texture similar to more traditional donuts, as opposed to the Afrikaans variety. A further variation is the vet cook, which is also dough deep fried in oil. It is served with mince, syrup, honey, or jam. National Donut Day, celebrated in the United States of America, is on the first Friday of June each year, succeeding the Donut Day event created by the Salvation Army in 1938,

to honor those of their members who served donuts to soldiers during World War I. About 250 Salvation Army volunteers went to France. Because of the difficulties of providing freshly baked goods from huts established and abandoned buildings near the front lines, the two Salvation Army volunteers came up with the idea of providing donuts. These are reported to have been an instant hit, and soon many soldiers were visiting the same. Salvation Army huds. Margaret Sheldon wrote of one busy day, Today I made 22 pies, 300 donuts, 700 cups of coffee.

Soon the women who did this work became known by the servicemen as donut dollies.