The Evolution of Doughnuts: From Oliekoeks to Modern Mastery

The sweet treat we know as the doughnut has a rich and fascinating history. From its origins as oliekoeks in the Netherlands to its current popularity, the doughnut has undergone numerous transformations. This article explores the journey of doughnuts from their early days to modern iterations.

Early Beginnings: Oliekoeks in Europe

Denmark Bredick, in her 2018 book Food and Drink in Medieval Europe, suggests that doughnuts might have been introduced to North America by Dutch settlers, aligning them with traditional European sweets like oliekoeks or oliebollen. These were oily, sweet pastries that were an integral part of Dutch culinary tradition. The first written recipe for doughnuts dates back to 1667, but paintings from around 1652 offer earlier evidence of their presence.

The Early Nineteenth Century: Olykoeks as the Forerunner

The Works of Washington Irving describe the early American version of doughnuts as 'olykoeks.'

'but it was always sure to boast an enormous dish of balls of sweetened dough fried in hog's fat and called doughnuts or olykoeks—a delicious kind of cake at present scarce known in this city except in genuine Dutch families.'

Irving's description from 1836 also gives insight into the early doughnuts. He calls them 'dumplings,' which better explains the shape of the early doughnut as a 'nut' made of dough:

'a conical turret of dough-nuts. This detestable esculent the pride of our country dames sometimes resembles one of your inflexible little soup dumplings at others it appears to be a kind of mongrel pancake.'

Variations in Shape and Form

The doughnut has always had a diverse range of shapes. In his book The Civil War in Song and Story, H. B. Kent describes the array of doughnut types:

'the air was redolent of doughnuts. Every breeze sighed doughnuts—everybody talked of doughnuts. The display of doughnuts beggared description. There was the molasses doughnut and the sugar doughnut—the long doughnut and the short doughnut—the round doughnut and the square doughnut—the rectangular doughnut and the triangular doughnut—the single twisted doughnut and the double twisted doughnut—the light riz doughnut and the hardkneaded doughnut—the straight solid doughnut and the circular doughnut with a hole in the centre. There were doughnuts of all imaginary kinds, qualities, shapes, and dimensions.'

Isle of Wight Doughnuts: An Authentic Delight

Even in regions far from the Dutch settlers, such as the Isle of Wight, variations of this sweet treat were prepared. The recipe provided by L. H. Brockway in 1847 offers an example of how doughnuts were made:

'ISLE OF WIGHT DOUGH-NUTS Work smoothly together with the fingers four ounces of good lard and four pounds of flour add half a pound of fine brown sugar two tablespoonsful of allspice one drachm of pounded cinnamon half as much of cloves two large blades of mate beaten to powder two tablespoonsful of fresh yeast which has been watered for one night and which should be solid and as much new milk as will make the whole into a rather firm dough let this stand from an hour to an hour and a half near the fire then knead it well and make it into balls about the size of a small apple hollow them with the thumb and enclose a few currants in the middlegather the paste well over them. and throw the dough-nuts into a saucepan half filled with boiling lard when they are equally coloured to a fine brown lift them out and dry them before the fire on the back of a sieve. When they are made in large quantities as they are at certain seasons in the island they are drained upon very clean straw. The lard should boil only just before they are dropped into it or the outsides will be scorched before the insides are sufficiently done. Flour 4 lbs. lard 4 ozs. sugar lb. allspice 2 table. spoonsful pounded cinnamon 1 drachm cloves and mace each drachm yeast solid two large tablespoonsful: to rise. 1 to 13 hour. Currants at choice: dough-nuts boiled in lard 5 to 7 minutes.'

Modern Contemporaries: Doughnut Innovations

Modern doughnut recipes have evolved significantly from early varieties. According to The New England Economical Housekeeper and Family Receipt Book, early American recipes in the 19th century rarely mentioned specific shapes. Instead, the focus was on the ingredients and baking process:

'76. Dough Nuts No. 1. Two eggs one cup 4f sugar half a pint of sour milk a little saleratus bait and spice to your taste a small piece of butter or cream is better if you have it mix the articles together one hour before you fry the cakes mould with flour. 77. Dough Nuts No I. Three cups of sugar three eggs one cup of butter one pint of buttermilk one cup of cream one nutmeg saleratus sufficient for the buttermilk mould with flour. 78. Dough Nuts No I One cup of molasses one of sugar one of sour milk a piece of butter or lard the size of an egg two eggs a large tea-spoonful of saleratus a little salt flour enough to mould it stiff. 79. Bough Nuts No. 4. One pound of flour quarter of a pound of butter quarter of a pound of sugar five eggs spice. 80. Economical Dough Nuts No. 5. One cup of sweet milk one cup of sugar one teaspoonful saleratus flour enough to make it roll salt and spice to suit your taste. Two or three plums in each cake improve them.'

As with early doughnuts, modern varieties continue to showcase innovation in flavors, shapes, and creative presentations. From classic glazed doughnuts to the latest artisanal treats, the historical journey of the doughnut is a testament to its enduring appeal.

The origins of doughnuts stretch back centuries, evolving from the sweet Dutch treat, oliekoeks, to the delicious and diverse creations enjoyed today. This historical evolution not only highlights the versatility of the doughnut but also its significant place in culinary history.