Jackson Reed
The doughnut's journey to becoming a breakfast food is a fascinating one. The sweet, ring-shaped pastry, often viewed as a dessert, has become a staple of the morning meal in some countries, particularly the US. The story begins in the 19th century when doughnuts, then known as olykoeks (oily cakes), were brought to the US by Dutch immigrants. Over time, they became popular as a snack food, but it wasn't until the mid-20th century that they truly became a breakfast treat. The key factors in this transformation were the invention of the first doughnut machine by Adolph Levitt in the 1930s and the rise of coffeehouse chains like Dunkin' and Krispy Kreme. The pairing of doughnuts with coffee, a morning staple, led to the widespread association of doughnuts with breakfast.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time donuts became a breakfast food | Mid-20th century |
| Reason for the transition | Invention of donut machines |
| Country of origin | Holland |
| Original name | Olykoeks (oily cakes) |
| Country where it is a breakfast staple | The US |
| Donut's base | Yeast or cake |
| Donut's texture | Soft and fluffy, sticky and chewy, or hard and crunchy |
| Donut's toppings | White sugar, sesame seeds, caramelized sugar, chocolate, maple glazing, icing, powdered sugar, cinnamon, sprinkles, or fruit |
| Donut's fillings | Fruit preserves, cream, custard, or other sweet fillings |
| Donut's pairings | Coffee, bacon, eggs, cereal, or yogurt |
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What You'll Learn
- Doughnuts were first popularised in the US as a snack food by Dutch immigrants in the 19th century
- The invention of the doughnut machine in the 1930s made doughnuts a bakery staple
- Bakeries already served coffee and morning bread, so doughnuts became a plausible breakfast item
- The bitter-sweet pairing of doughnuts and coffee was marketed by chains like Dunkin' and Krispy Kreme
- The fast energy boost of the doughnut/coffee combo made it a popular breakfast choice
Doughnuts were first popularised in the US as a snack food by Dutch immigrants in the 19th century
The doughnut's journey to becoming a breakfast food in the US is a long and winding one, with roots in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Dutch are credited with creating the precursor to the modern doughnut—sweet dough balls fried in pork fat, known as olykoeks or "oily cakes". These treats were introduced to America by Dutch immigrants in the 19th century, marking the beginning of the doughnut's popularity as a snack food in the US.
The olykoeks of the 17th and 18th centuries lacked the now-iconic ring shape of doughnuts. Instead, they were stuffed with fruits and nuts, addressing the issue of the dough in the centre cooking more slowly than the exterior. It was in the 19th century that the doughnut acquired its distinctive form. This innovation is generally attributed to Captain Hanson Gregory, a Dutch sailor whose mother made him doughnuts for his voyages. The hole in the middle ensured even cooking and eliminated the problem of raw centres.
By the time World War I rolled around, doughnuts had already established themselves as an American favourite. They were served to American soldiers by grateful French locals, evoking a comforting taste of home. However, at this point, doughnuts were more closely associated with movie theatres as a popular snack than with the breakfast table.
The pivotal moment in the doughnut's evolution into a breakfast food occurred in the 1940s and 1950s. The invention of the first doughnut machine by Adolph Levitt, a Russian expat, in the early 1930s, played a significant role. The machine's debut at the 1933–34 World's Fair in Chicago, where machine-produced doughnuts were labelled the "Hit Food of the Century of Progress," further propelled their popularity. The emergence of chains like Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Dunkin' Donuts, coupled with the widespread availability of doughnut machines in bakeries, solidified the doughnut's presence in the bakery landscape.
The association with coffee was the final piece of the puzzle that cemented the doughnut's status as a breakfast food. Bakeries, already serving coffee and morning bread, seamlessly integrated doughnuts into their morning offerings. Chains like Dunkin'' capitalised on this bitter-sweet pairing, making the morning doughnut and coffee combination a convenient and appealing breakfast option for those on the go. Thus, the doughnut, with its contrasting sweetness and texture, became inseparable from coffee and firmly established itself as a breakfast classic in the US.
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The invention of the doughnut machine in the 1930s made doughnuts a bakery staple
The doughnut's journey to becoming a breakfast food is a long and convoluted one, involving Dutch immigrants, Russian exiles, French bakers, Irving Berlin, Clark Gable, and Native Americans. While doughnuts, in some form or another, have existed for a long time—with archaeologists finding fossilized bits of what look like doughnuts in the middens of prehistoric Native American settlements—the doughnut as we know it today has a more recent origin story.
In the mid-19th century, doughnuts were known as olykoeks ("oily cakes"), and it is believed that Dutch immigrants brought these sweet dough balls to America, where they were fried in pork fat. Fast forward to the 1920s, and Russian-born Adolph Levitt created the first doughnut machine in New York City. Levitt, who owned a bakery in Harlem, wanted to increase the production of doughnuts, as they were very popular with theatre-goers. Thus, he designed and marketed the ""Wonderful Almost Human Automatic Doughnut Machine", which churned out perfectly shaped rings of dough that were then fried in oil. This machine not only made doughnuts a spectacle but also helped Levitt establish the Doughnut Corporation of America, where he could sell his machine to bakers across the country.
By the 1930s, the Doughnut Corporation of America had created the National Dunking Association to increase doughnut sales by encouraging people to dunk their doughnuts. Doughnuts were also very affordable, costing less than a nickel, which made them accessible to most people during the Great Depression. They were so popular that they were even featured in the 1934 film "It Happened One Night", where Clark Gable's character teaches Claudette Colbert's character how to dunk a doughnut.
The invention of the doughnut machine revolutionized the doughnut-making process and made doughnuts widely available across the country. By the 1940s, doughnuts had become a common offering at bakeries, often sold alongside coffee, which was already a popular morning beverage. The bitter-and-sweet pairing of coffee and doughnuts soon became a quick and easy breakfast option for people on the go, and thus, the doughnut became a breakfast staple.
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Bakeries already served coffee and morning bread, so doughnuts became a plausible breakfast item
The mid-20th century saw the advent of donut machines, which made donuts widely available in bakeries across the United States. This technology, pioneered by Adolph Levitt, who sold his machines to bakeries across the country, was a significant factor in the donut's rise as a breakfast food.
Bakeries, already serving coffee and morning bread, began offering donuts alongside. The pairing of bitter coffee with a sweet donut became popular, with the texture of the donut, whether cake or yeast-based, providing the perfect base for absorbing coffee. The contrast in flavours and the energy boost provided by the combination of caffeine and carbs also contributed to the donut's appeal as a breakfast item.
The association with coffee played a pivotal role in the donut's transformation into a breakfast staple. Coffee, already a morning staple for many, was a natural partner for the donut, and shops like Dunkin' capitalised on this pairing, focusing almost exclusively on selling donuts with coffee.
The convenience of a quick, easy breakfast for those on the go, along with the indulgent pleasure of combining a sweet treat with a morning coffee, cemented the donut as a classic breakfast option. This evolution saw the donut shift from its original status as a snack food, brought to America by Dutch immigrants in the 19th century, to its new role as a breakfast favourite in the 20th century.
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The bitter-sweet pairing of doughnuts and coffee was marketed by chains like Dunkin' and Krispy Kreme
The ubiquitous pairing of doughnuts and coffee is a relatively modern phenomenon, with the advent of coffeehouse chains and technological innovations in the 20th century playing a pivotal role in their association. The bitter-sweet pairing of doughnuts and coffee was marketed by chains like Dunkin and Krispy Kreme, which capitalised on the growing popularity of coffee as a breakfast beverage.
Dunkin', previously known as Dunkin' Donuts, is an American multinational company that has established itself as one of the leading coffee and doughnut purveyors globally. The company's marketing strategy has been instrumental in its success, leveraging social media platforms, event marketing, and influencer promotion to maintain its position as a prominent coffee brand. Dunkin' has also formed strategic partnerships, such as its sponsorship deal with the National Women's Hockey League, and introduced loyalty programs like DD Perks Rewards to foster customer loyalty.
Krispy Kreme, another powerhouse in the doughnut and coffee arena, has similarly left an indelible mark on the breakfast landscape. The brand is synonymous with excellence in this pairing, offering a plethora of doughnut varieties and coffee blends that cater to diverse palates. Krispy Kreme has celebrated National Coffee Day by introducing innovative creations, such as transforming its iconic glaze into a coffee glaze for a limited time. The brand also introduced the Original Glazed Coffee, positioning it as the perfect pairing for its beloved doughnuts.
Both Dunkin' and Krispy Kreme have contributed significantly to the integration of doughnuts and coffee into the breakfast routine. Their marketing efforts, product innovations, and ability to cater to consumer preferences have solidified the perception of this duo as a quintessential breakfast option, particularly in the United States.
The success of these chains in popularising the bitter-sweet marriage of doughnuts and coffee has been facilitated by a multitude of factors, including the convenience of their locations, the affordability of their offerings, and the cultural influence of movies and television shows that perpetuated the stereotype of the doughnut-loving, coffee-drinking cop.
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The fast energy boost of the doughnut/coffee combo made it a popular breakfast choice
The shift of doughnuts from a snack to a breakfast food in the US was largely driven by the association with coffee, a morning staple for many. The bitter-sweet pairing of doughnuts and coffee is a perfect match, with the sugar and fat content of doughnuts balancing out the bitter, acidic notes of coffee. The texture of doughnuts, whether yeast or cake-based, also makes them ideal for dipping into coffee, with the doughnut's texture absorbing the coffee well.
The fast energy boost provided by the doughnut/coffee combo is another reason why this pairing became a popular breakfast choice. The caffeine and simple carbohydrates from the sugar and bread in the doughnuts give people a quick energy spike in the morning. This combination of caffeine and carbs perks people up and sets them up for the day ahead.
The doughnut and coffee duo became popular in the 1940s and 1950s, when chains like Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Dunkin' Donuts started to gain popularity. The invention of the first "doughnut machine" in the 1930s by Adolph Levitt enabled bakeries to produce doughnuts at scale, making them a bakery staple. As bakeries were already serving coffee in the mornings, the doughnut soon became a plausible breakfast item.
The doughnut/coffee pairing is not unique to the US. In France, coffee is often served with a croissant or pain au chocolat, and in Mexico, sweet bread shaped like seashells, called conchas, are a popular breakfast food that is often served with coffee.
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Frequently asked questions
Doughnuts were first popularised in the US in the 19th century by Dutch immigrants, who called them olykoeks, or "oily cakes". They became a breakfast food in the mid-20th century, thanks to the invention of the first doughnut machine in 1920, which made them a bakery staple. Their association with coffee, which was already a breakfast staple, helped cement their status as a breakfast food.
The sugar and fat content of doughnuts balance out the bitter, acidic flavour of coffee. The texture of doughnuts, whether cake or yeast-based, also absorbs coffee well, making them perfect for dipping.
The advent of large coffeehouse chains like Dunkin' and Krispy Kreme in the 1940s and 1950s helped popularise the idea of doughnuts as a breakfast food. Their convenient locations and strategic displays made doughnuts an appealing option for customers seeking their morning coffee.
