Whether it’s a special brunch or a regular Friday morning, there’s probably nothing better than eating a hot, freshly baked doughnut. Like the homemade applesauce doughnut or Krispy Kreme‘s latest seasonal special, they’re so delicious that you almost can’t bear to eat more than one.
If you occasionally don’t finish a dozen in one sitting, you need to store the remaining doughnuts properly to prevent them from going stale the next day. Otherwise, they’ll become hard, dry, and less delicious. Don’t worry, we’ve got all the tips for keeping your doughnuts fresh.
Essentially, a doughnut is a fried sweet dough shaped like a ball or ring. Doughnuts can be plain, covered in icing, covered in sprinkles and sprinkles, or filled with jelly, jam, cream, or custard.
One of the most common types of doughnuts is the yeast doughnut. The yeast-raised doughnuts we know and love are the fluffy, light doughnuts. Another common donut is the cake donut, which is soft and leavened with baking soda or baking powder.
They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and flavors. Sometimes, the shape dictates the type. For example, a churro is rectangular, while a churro is twisted.
Depending on the type of donut, how you store it will vary.
The best way to store yeast-based foods is in an airtight container or sealed bag. You can use aluminum foil, but it doesn’t do a very good job of keeping air out of the container. You can refrigerate the donuts, but it’s safe to leave them at room temperature for a day or two as long as they don’t have a cream filling.
In most cases, you can hide the container in a cupboard. You’ll need to keep the donuts out of direct sunlight to prevent them from drying out or getting moldy. Also, if you can transfer them to an airtight container, that will prevent them from going bad.
It’s easy to keep warm donuts fresh for two or three days. The trick is to let the donuts cool before storing them. Otherwise, they’ll sweat and become soft (if there’s anything worse than a dry donut, it’s a soft donut).
Cake donuts can be stored similarly to yeast donuts, but because they have a denser dough, they can be kept airtight at room temperature for longer. As long as they don’t have dairy fillings or mold, these donuts will keep safely in a container out of direct sunlight for about five to six days.
If you buy your donuts from a local bakery, they will usually come in a cardboard box. You can keep them in that, but be aware that since these boxes are not airtight, wrapping them in plastic or foil will keep them fresher longer.
Donuts can be frozen for up to three months. This method works best for freezing plain or lightly frosted donuts (thick frosting may melt when thawed). You can also freeze frosted donuts, but the freezing process requires an extra step.
Avoid freezing breaded donuts—any moisture in the freezer will make them soggy when thawed. If you can, freeze homemade donuts without cream, jelly, or custard fillings, as these will make the dough soggy and unsuitable for freezing.
Thawing donuts is just as easy as freezing them. Pop them in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, then increase the heat for about 5 seconds at a time until thawed. If your donuts are plain, you can wait until they are cool before adding frosting, icing, or fillings.
You can also thaw donuts in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Do not leave donuts on the counter to thaw, as this can allow harmful bacteria to grow.
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