Every state has a culinary claim to fame. Wisconsin has Jack Link’s, Colorado is home to Russell Stover; Cabot cheese comes from Vermont; Steak-Umms hail from Pennsylvania.
And then, there’s North Carolina. Home sweet home. So many magical food products of my childhood and beyond were invented right here in the Old North State. The rapturously, cherry-ly delicious Cheerwine; Coke’s nemesis, Pepsi, was invented in New Bern; Texas Pete hails from Winston-Salem, which is nowhere near Texas. Lance. Hardee’s. Bojangles’.
And what is arguably one of North Carolina’s greatest contributions to food, Krispy Kreme, was invented just a mere 1 1/2 hours from where I grew up.
It might be that Krispy Kreme Doughnuts are related to the beignet, because founder Vernon Rudolph bought a yeast-raised doughnut recipe from a chef in New Orleans and began frying them up in Winston-Salem in 1937, 11 days after Amelia Earhart went missing.
In 1996, when the first Krispy Kreme store opened in Manhattan, we polite southerners tittered behind our hands as the glowing reviews streamed in. I remember reading a review that likened a Krispy Kreme to, and I’m paraphrasing because I can’t find the reference, an unbelievably light cross between a pastry and a croissant. (Cronuts, anyone?) Models, actors and others of the swanky NYC set were enraptured by a doughnut that we’d been enjoying forever. We were proud. But we maybe also found all of the hyperbole just a little silly.
Then again, I myself may wax rhapsodic in just a bit.
One of the hallmarks of a Krispy Kreme is its lightness. When warm, it shquooshes down when you bite into it. When still fresh but at room temperature, it shquooshes just a bit. The glaze is unbelievably thin. Were it not for the sheen, you might not be able to tell that a Virgin Doughnut is glazed at all. But once you pick up one of these beauties, dimpling the delicate doughnut, the glaze crackles away from your fingers. And when you bite into it, impossibly thin shards fall away, cascading down the front of your shirt and into your lap, or onto the floor if you’re experienced enough to lean over when you indulge.
I will admit Krispy Kremes are not for everyone. Some folks like a doughnut that is just a bit firmer. Maybe one a bit less sweet, although I can’t imagine how that could be a good thing. Some people just like a good cakey doughnut, and I guess that might be a better match to a strong cup of coffee.
I, however, was raised up in the church of Krispy Kreme, where communion bread melts in your mouth, making you lick your fingers, one after the other, until every last shard of sweet, crackled glaze is gone.
If I’m going to make doughnuts, I’m going to try and approximate my perfect doughnut: the plain glazed. The very same that started the ball rolling back in ’37.
The lighter oval guys (doughvals?) are V1. The darker, oddly-shaped ones are V2, first roll, and the lovely round guy over there on the left is V2, second roll.
Since I was in pursuit of the sweet, delicate, shquoosh of the original, I consulted the Oracle at Google and was presented with myriad recipes, all purporting to taste “just like Krispy Kreme.” I perused several of them and even decided to spend seven dimes, one nickel and four pennies to purchase the version from the Top Secret Recipes website. I spared no expense. In the end, I made two versions, the Paid For version and this one, from the Deep Fried section of Food.com. For folks who enjoy the short story, I liked the non-paid-for recipe best. For folks who enjoy a ton of detail, read on.
Version 1 (V1, the paid-for one) sought tenderness by using a mixture of cake flour and all purpose flour. But alas, I don’t think Mr. Top Secret was aware of the tenderizing properties of both sugar and fat, so he pretty much left both out. The resulting doughnut was tasty, but had more chew than a Krispy Kreme should have. I will say that, if you’ve never had a Krispy Kreme or have always wished that they were just a bit chewier, these might be the doughnuts for you. I did not test out his glaze formula, but just from reading over the ingredients, it seems a viable glaze Option.
For those of you who like a chewy-yet-light doughnut, spring for the 79 cent recipe. Add just a smidge more salt than is called for.
Version 2 (V2 from Food.com) was, for me, much closer to the mark. It used 100% all purpose flour and also was enriched with an egg, milk, shortening and a fair amount of sugar.
Both doughs were at a super-high hydration level. I calculated V1 at 77% and V2 at around 73%. For comparison’s sake, most breads fall somewhere between 58% and 68% hydration. What I ended up for both versions was much more of a batter than a dough. Rather like a flowing pate a choux. It was a bit daunting to think of having to roll out batter, but all was well in the end.
I made V1 almost exactly as called for in the recipe with the addition of some dry malt powder (available at home brew stores). I also added in a bit more flour after the initial rise, just to make the dough a bit easier to handle. I cut large doughnuts with my 3 1/2″ doughnut cutter. For V2, I added the malt powder, but I added as little flour as I possibly could for the first rolling, adding in a bit more when I rerolled. I also cut most of them with the 2 1/2″ cutter. The results: V1 doughnuts held their shape fairly well when I slipped them into the oil. They only got lightly browned though since the dough contained a negligible amount of sugar. V2 (first roll) were incredibly hard to handle and they abjectly refused to hold their shape. V2 (second roll) worked out the best of all three, I believe. While both rollings browned up beautifully, the doughnuts from the second rolling were tender enough to pass the shquoosh test, and they held their shape much better than the first roll.
The top half is a V2. V1 is on the bottom. I think you can see the difference in texture. See how the bottom one look a bit coarser and almost like the cells of a sponge? That’s all the gluten that developed without any fat or much sugar to counteract it.
I went with the glaze from V2. It’s butter-rich, which isn’t necessarily what the Krispy Kreme folks use, but it turned out to be a reasonable approximation. I was pleased with both the flavor and the way it set up, although it took some playing to get the glaze the right consistency so that most of it would run off, leaving behind a thin and unbroken sheet of sugary, buttery goodness.
The large doughnut in the front is a Version 1 doughnut. The glaze is a bit heavy on this one,I think. To its left, the sort of squished smaller guy is a Version 2, first roll. Directly above him, beautifully full and round, is a Version 2, second roll. The addition of just a bit more flour was all it took to help these guys hold their shape. Also, you should be able to tell that the glaze is thinner on that guy. Much better. Almost perfect.
I won’t be sharing a recipe since I didn’t play with either recipe nearly enough to even call them “adapted,” but I will share some of the finer Procedural Points, especially since these doughs were seriously wet. One might even say runny. It was alarming, even for me.
See what I mean? This was V2 after its initial rise and right before rolling and shaping. You want something just a smidge tighter than this. But just a smidge.
- For both doughs, rather than add ingredients in the prescribed order, I just dumped everything together and hit it with the dough hook until everything was combined. Then, I let it knead for 5 minutes on medium low. The results (both times) were like thick, sticky pancake batter. I shrugged, scraped the dough into bowls, sprayed their tops, covered them with towels and let them rise until doubled. Even in a cool kitchen, this only took about an hour since the dough was wet enough for the yeast to get all ebullient quickly and since I used the amount called for in the recipe (I usually use way less yeast than called for and then let it rise very slowly).
- I floured the counter thoroughly. As in I couldn’t see the counter under all the flour. I scraped the dough into a wet blob and floured the top. Liberally. I rolled quickly but gently with my French pin. Fortunately with such a wet dough, it was almost like rolling out a tender pie crust–no spring back.
- Have your bench knife handy. It will help you if/when things start sticking. Just lift up the part that’s sticking with your bench knife and toss on a bit more flour.
- I cut squares of parchment, laid them out on sheet pans and sprayed them with pan spray. Slick doughnut landing pads. I placed each cut doughnut onto its landing pad, pushing them gently back into shape if necessary. Then, I pan-sprayed everyone and covered them with a towel to let double again. This time, it only took about 45 minutes.
- I used solid vegetable shortening for frying. I don’t care what the recipes that you find call for, use the Crisco. Its flavor is completely neutral, and it is perfect for this. I kept my fat between 360-370F. 365F seemed to be the Doughnut Sweet Spot, though. I melted my fat on high and then was able to maintain the temp on about setting 7-8 on my stove. I checked the temp frequently with my Thermapen. You will, too.
- When you’re ready to fry and the oil is hot enough, hold a doughnut on its landing pad a couple of inches above the fat. Tilt the landing pad down and each doughnut should slide right off and into the drink. Don’t try to fry more than 3 3 1/2″ guys at a time. For the 2 1/2″ guys, I wouldn’t try to do more than 5 at a time.
- Use chopsticks or skewers to turn the doughnuts. You can use them to remove them to a rack too, but I found it just as easy to use a big spider for that.
- These doughnuts are best served warm. So either glaze them within maybe 5-10 minutes of frying and then shove them in your face or be prepared to reheat them to eat. It’s not that they’re bad at room temperature; they’re just The Best when warm.
- If you make the buttery glaze, whisking together the melted butter, vanilla and powdered sugar will result in a curdled-looking, upsetting mass. Worry not. Once you start whisking in the boiling water, it all smooths out. Honest.
- To glaze, I dumped 1 large or three small doughnuts at a time into my Pan o’ Glaze, flipped them so they were completely coated and then shoved two skewers through their centers, one from either side, so the doughnuts were like wheels on an axle. Then, I sort of jiggled the axle rather vigorously to get most of the excess glaze to drip off. I let them set up for about 15-20 minutes on racks. There were surprisingly few dribbles on the counter.
And that, my friends, is that. If you are a fan of yeast raised doughnuts, I think you will really appreciate either version. If you are a particular devotee of the Krispy Kreme doughnut, you’ll be happier with Version 2, but don’t forget to add a bit more flour than is called for. Maybe increase the amount by about 10%.
I really hope you enjoy these, and as always, thank you for choosing to spend part of your day with me.
Brooks says
My word Jenni, I crown you magna cum laude of Doughnuttery! You had to know I’d peruse the detail section of your thesis. From visual accounts, I concur V2 is the victor of this Krispy Klone kwest. Thanks for the sweet smiles.
onlinepastrychef says
Tada! Thanks for the award, Brooks! =) I’ve been doing some more reading and research, and it sounds like there are other contenders out there too. And you know what that means, right?! More doughnuts! lol
CJ at Food Stories says
I must admit … I am not a doughnut person but after reading your vivid description of KK’s, I am now craving one desperately … Great job!!!
onlinepastrychef says
Thanks, CJ! I do adore a good KK doughnut, although I rarely get them. Because I know I’ll end up eating ridiculous numbers of them! lol
Averie Cooks says
Just saw this on FG or Tasteologie? Can’t remember where I came from but wow, I looooooove your attention to detail. You write and think like me. Not a detail spared, leaving nothing to the imagination, a very good thing when it comes to yeast b/c ppl seem to really mess it up 🙂 Although we live in San Diego, for 5 yrs we lived in Wrightsville Beach and then in N Myrtle. It was great. I’d go thru the KK drive thru at 3am sometimes and loved every second. Awesome post!
Averie Cooks says
And pinned, of course!
onlinepastrychef says
Thank you so much for stopping by, Averie! Yes, I think it’s very important to try and give folks a ton of information so that they have a better chance at being successful. I feel like my job is to help folks be more confident cooks/bakers, and knowledge is power! =)
George Burdell says
What kind of flour and yeast should I use when making doughnuts? Where can I buy it if it’s not available at my local grocery store. The only flour available near by is all purpose, bread flour, and self rising. I don’t ever see cake flour at the store. I only have fleishmans instant yeast too. Thanks!
Jennifer Field says
I would go with all purpose flour, honestly George. And you’ll be fine with the instant yeast. Of the two recipes I tested, I preferred the one w/o cake flour anyway. The dough for these doughnuts is very slack (wet), so they will seem light and airy even if you use bread flour. Just make sure to use plenty of flour on both your bench and on top of the dough when rolling them out. And handle them lightly. You should be fine, but do let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂
caroline honse says
Reading this post was practically a religious experience. It sent me back to the 60’s in Florida where eating a hot Krispy Kreme transported us college students to a fluffy sugary nirvana. Far Out!
I love your writing style and this delightful post in particular.
Jennifer Field says
Thank you for your comment–made me so happy to read it this morning! There is almost nothing better than a soft, pillowy, still-warm Krispy Kreme doughnut. Happy sigh… =)
Jennings Wagner says
today’s doughnuts not even close to those made in the 1940s.
Jennifer Field says
Formulas do tend to change over the years, mostly as companies try to use less expensive ingredients as a way to increase profits. It’s sad, but it happens all the time. Yet another good reason to learn to make your own. Thanks for stopping in, Jennings. 🙂
MaggieToo says
Jenni, have you ever tried the product that Dunkin’ Donuts calls a ‘French Cruller’? If you haven’t, you really should give it a try… I’d love to hear your analysis of how you think it’s made.
It’s the only donut I ever crave. I think it’s basically a pate-a-choux, as it’s very eggy and so airy/puffy that it has only 2/3 the calories of their regular donut, according to their website. And the glaze on it is super-thin, like KK’s.
I don’t think it would be possible to form them at home the way they do, since they look like a mini version of your swirly bundt pan. But they’re definitely fried. And so very delicious that I only let myself go there once or twice a year, because I want to eat three or four of them at a sitting.
Jennifer Field says
I am familiar with Crullers. KK makes them as well. I’m pretty sure they are made from fried pate a choux. The ones I’m familiar with look kind of like tractor tires! lol I will eat a cruller no matter who makes it. Love them. =)
pam says
How do I get the 2nd kk recipe?
Jennifer Field says
Of the two I tried, I preferred this one: http://www.food.com/recipe/krispy-kreme-doughnuts-copycat-51199. I paid $.79 for the other recipe on the Top Secret Recipes website which you can find here, Pam: https://www.topsecretrecipes.com/Krispy-Kreme-Original-Glazed-Doughnuts-Copycat-Recipe.html You’ll have to fork over your $.79 cents to get more than just the first couple of ingredients. Enjoy!
Ell says
Why does every food blog these days have essays of nonsense. Recipe, method and a couple of pics, done. This is why people hate food “bloggers”
Jennifer Field says
You need a recipe site like Epicurious or AllRecipes. Obviously blogs aren’t for you. And yet you took the time to comment, and for that I thank you.
Caroline says
Hello Jennifer!
I am attempting to make your donuts today and was wondering when/how much of the diastatic malt do I add?
Thank you!
Caroline
Jennifer Field says
Hi, Caroline! I didn’t write up a recipe for these doughnuts. Rather I linked to the two recipes I tried. If I were making these today, I would probably add only a tablespoon or so of diastatic malt powder along with the flour. Hope that helps. Enjoy!
Caroline says
Hi Jennifer!
Thank you for the reply! Yes I was trying V2 (the one closer to the KK feel). I believe I put about 2 tablespoons in the last batch and the dough was very hard to handle (very wet). I’ll try it with 1 tablespoon on the next round and maybe a bit more flour!
Also, the donuts came out crispy/oily on the outside – Is my oil too hot? I was frying at about 360 degrees (used canola oil even though you said to use the crisco) and about 45 seconds per side. I tried to lower the temperature to 350 and fry it longer, but the inside wasn’t as light and was still a bit crispy on the outside.
Overall the inside was light and soft frying at 360 degrees, so I hope I’m almost there! Any insight is greatly appreciated!
Thank you again!
-Caroline
Jennifer Field says
The dough *is* very wet–that is key. I used a ton of flour on my bench and on the dough, rolled extremely lightly and then cut out the doughnuts. Adding more flour will probably make them tough.
Also, keep in mind it may be very hard to get exact KK results. They are probably using some sort of magical proprietary oil for frying. Your temp sounds right. Do they still seem oily once cool? If so, it could be a matter of finding a way to drain them more thoroughly.
Good luck! Oh, also, I developed this recipe myself–you might like it: https://copykat.com/2017/08/14/krispy-kreme-glazed-donuts/
Caroline says
Hi Jennifer!
Thank you so much for the advice! They are oily when cool so i’ll look into a better way of draining them after frying.
I will also try the recipe that you developed! I cannot wait! 🙂
Thank you so much again!
-Caroline
Jennifer Field says
You’re very welcome! Let me know how it goes! 🙂