14 DAY TRIAL // Ever since we humans first figured out that carbohydrates and fat go great together, there is one profound mystery that's been keeping us up at night: how to make the absolute best ring-shaped donut.
The good news is that we can now finally stop experimenting with flour and sugar in the comfort of our home's kitchen and just follow the formula established by Dr. Eugenia Cheng, a mathematician with UK's Sheffield University.
Using science to make the best donut ever
As explained by this mathematics and sweet treats enthusiast, the best possible donuts in the world are those that, when recovered from the frying pan, are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. These donuts are made even better by a thin coating of sugar.
Dr. Eugenia Cheng says that, having carried out a series of experiments and calculations, she found that wide holes make for crispier donuts. On the other hand, small holes are to thank for donuts that as especially soft on the inside.
The researcher says that, to ensure the perfect soft-to-crispy ration, we should make ring-shaped donuts whose inner hole measures an average 0.4 inches (11 millimeters) in diameter. Apparently, such holes translate into a 3.5-to-1 ratio between the treats softness and its crispiness.
“This relatively small hole means that the donuts are 78 per cent squidge and 22 per cent crisp,” the Sheffield University mathematician summed up her findings in a recent interview with the press, as cited by DM.
So, how much sugar should we put on a donut?
Admittedly, the amount of sugar that a donut should sport on its back in order to be appealing is a matter of taste. Otherwise put, it's safe to assume that there are people in this world who want their donuts to be entirely covered in sugar and some who can settle for just a tablespoon.
Still, Dr. Eugenia Cheng says that, in the case of donuts that have the prescribed 0.4-inch central hole and that have an overall diameter of somewhere between 2.8 inches and 3.2 inches (72 millimeters and 82 millimeters), 0.2 ounces (5.8 grams) of sugar should be more than enough.
Then again, if we're going to be honest here, it must be said that each and every donut ever to come out of a frying pan has its own, unique beauty and shouldn't be made fun of or ignored because its hole is not the right size or shape.
“It’s easy to get carried away messing around with calculus. Go ahead and eat your donuts however you like them,” the Sheffield University researcher herself wished to point out.
