When it comes to filled donuts, most Americans imagine a Bismark or a puffy round yeast-raised injected with custard or jelly and topped with powdered sugar or a slather of chocolate icing.

In Europe, however, the classic round ring donut with its hole in the center often comes with a host of fruit or creamy fillings.

So how do they do it?

“It’s a bit of magic,” observed Paul Molyneux, sales manager, Belshaw Adamatic Bakery Group. “It’s a depositor that provides an injection of filling from the top. It may be a four- or six-pronged injector that comes down from the top rather than the jelly filling that you see injected from the side. The secret is that they’re normally iced afterward so that covers up the holes and indentations on the top of the donuts.”

In the production landscape, European-style filled ring donuts represent a relatively new frontier in the United States, said Ty Sarajian, president, Axis Automation, which has offered technology for filled donut rings since 2017.

“The process is not only efficient but also offers an attractive point of differentiation,” he said. “Rather than side-injecting traditional shells or Long Johns, ring injections allow for consistent filling distribution, even across multiple flavors, making it an exciting option for bakeries looking to offer something unique.”

He added today’s technologies allow bakeries to inject a combination of creams and fruit fillings within a single donut. The key, Sarajian said, is to ensure an even distribution of filling throughout each piece, creating a premium experience in every bite.

“For ring donuts, our top injection solutions add versatility by enabling bakeries to apply fillings directly into donut rings, achieving flavor without compromising shape,” he explained.

The key to producing filled donuts is consistency in mixing through the frying stage. Any one of those steps can affect the shape and quality of the product.

“When you talk about automatic inline injection, you need consistent shape, weight and height,” noted David Moline, president, Moline Machinery. “It’s all about tight process controls. When it comes to mixing, makeup and closed-loop reworking of dough, it’s critical to have consistency.”

Even proofing can have a major effect on the donut’s shape, such turning a circular ring into an oval one. Moline Machinery offers a dual-zone proofer where bakers can adjust the temperature and relative humidity during the often 30- to 45-minute process.

“It gives you control over spread, height and oil absorption after the dough pieces enter the fryer,” Moline said. “Donuts change shape in the fryer. As long as you control your process, you’ll end up with round donuts that are needed for inline injection downstream.”

This article is an excerpt from the December 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Donut Processing, click here.