Is there anything better than a doughnut? Whether you spell it “doughnut” or “donut,” that ring of fried dough is a universal language of sensory enjoyment. But, before it became the staple of treat-time and office gestures, the doughnut had to survive stormy seas and World War trenches.

THE “OILY” BEGINNINGS

In the early 19th century, Dutch settlers brought these treats to New Amsterdam (modern-day New York City). They were essentially balls of sweetened dough fried in pork fat. Delicious? Yes. Structurally sound? Not exactly.

  • The Problem: Because they were ball-shaped, the outsides would crisp up perfectly, but the centres often remained raw and doughy.

  • The Solution (Round 1): Bakers started stuffing the gooey centers with nuts or fruit to make them palatable. Hence, “dough-nuts.”

CAPTAIN GREGORY AND THE HOLE STORY

If you’ve ever wondered who punched the middle out of the doughnut, pour one out for Captain Hanson Gregory.

In 1847, Gregory was a 16-year-old sailor who was reportedly fed up with the greasy, raw centers of the ship’s fried cakes. The legend of how he fixed it has a few variations, ranging from practical to cinematic:

  • The Practical Version: He used the top of a round tin pepper box to punch a clean hole in the raw dough before frying it.

  • The Action Movie Version: While steering the ship through a sudden storm, he needed both hands on the wheel, so he jammed his doughnut onto one of the spokes.

Whichever version you believe, the result was the same: the dough cooked evenly, the ring shape was born, and Gregory became the unsung hero of breakfast.

Captain Hanson Gregory

Statue of Captain Hanson Gregory, inventor of the donut hole.

THE MACHINE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

By the Roaring Twenties, doughnuts were popular, but making them by hand was slow and messy. Enter Adolph Levitt, a Russian refugee running a bakery in Harlem.

Levitt saw the demand for fried doughnuts but hated the labour-intensive process. In 1920, he invented the “Wonderful Almost Human Automatic Doughnut Machine.”

  • The Impact: The machine could churn out perfect rings automatically. Levitt put the machine in his window, and crowds gathered just to watch the doughnuts drop into the oil, flip over, and emerge golden brown.

  • The Result: Doughnuts became the “hit food of the Century of Progress” at the 1934 World’s Fair.

DOUGHNUTS ON THE FRONT LINES

You might think of doughnuts as a treat, but for American soldiers, they were a lifeline.

  • WWI (The Doughnut Lassies): The Salvation Army sent female volunteers to the trenches of France. Lacking proper equipment, these brave women (known as “Doughnut Lassies”) sometimes used shell casings and helmets to roll and cut dough. They fried thousands of doughnuts a day, providing a taste of home to the troops (nicknamed “Doughboys”).

  • WWII (The Donut Dollies): The Red Cross continued the tradition with “Clubmobiles”—essentially food trucks that drove near the front lines in Europe. The “Donut Dollies” served coffee, doughnuts, and morale to exhausted soldiers.

Fun Fact: National Doughnut Day (celebrated the first Friday of June) was established in 1938 to honour the Salvation Army Lassies of WWI.

Red Cross Clubmobile Girl Katherine Spaatz serving doughnuts.Bob Landry—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images.

THE RISE OF THE TITANS

Post-war saw the rise of the two heavyweights which delight the tastebuds of consumers across the world.

Founded in 1937 – Krispy Kreme

Vernon Rudolph bought a secret yeast-raised recipe from a New Orleans chef. He famously cut a hole in the wall of his Winston-Salem bakery to sell hot doughnuts directly to people on the sidewalk.

Founded in 1950 – Dunkin’ Donuts

Originally named “Open Kettle,” founder Bill Rosenberg realized that 40% of his business was just coffee and doughnuts. He rebranded in Quincy, MA, and the rest is orange-and-pink history.

THE MODERN ERA: FROM CRONUTS TO “SWICY”

Today, we are living in the Golden Age of the Doughnut. The humble ring has gone gourmet.

  • The Cronut: In 2013, Dominique Ansel broke the internet by laminating croissant dough and frying it like a doughnut.

  • The Trends: We’ve moved past simple glaze. Now we have “swicy” (sweet and spicy) flavours like maple-sriracha, savoury options topped with bacon, and even brioche-doughnut hybrids (Brionuts).

From a raw-centered Dutch cake to a wartime morale booster and a gourmet icon, the doughnut has rolled through history with impressive resilience. It is a pastry that doesn’t take itself too seriously—it’s messy, sugary, and inevitably disappears too fast.

So the next time you bite into a glazed ring, remember: you aren’t just eating breakfast. You’re eating a piece of history.

HOW CAN BAKELS HELP YOU PUSH THE INNOVATIVE BOUNDARIES OF THE DOUGHNUT?

As a global organisation, Bakels provide solutions to suit local trends and customer processes. As well as robust and reliable doughnut mixes which produce outstanding light-tasting products, Bakels also offer a wide selection of finishing ingredients which delivers irresistable flavour and texture to doughnut creations.

We are delighted to enable you to browse our international range of products in our new Global Product Finder. From fillings and sauces and caramel, to glazes and compound chocolate, discover the wonderful world of doughnut solutions from Bakels.

Get in touch to discuss your next doughnut NPD and let us help you scale-up your success in the exciting doughnut category.

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