Here's What You Can Use If You Don't Have A Donut Cutter - Tasting Table (2024)

Here's What You Can Use If You Don't Have A Donut Cutter - Tasting Table (2)

Here's What You Can Use If You Don't Have A Donut Cutter - Tasting Table (3)

Here's What You Can Use If You Don't Have A Donut Cutter

Here's What You Can Use If You Don't Have A Donut Cutter - Tasting Table (4)

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ByChloe O'Donnell/

Whether you grab them from your local bakery or a national chain, there's nothing quite like a donut to go with your morning coffee. And while their picture-perfect appearance may lead you to believe otherwise, it's surprisingly simple to make something like classic glazed donuts at home. All you need are basic baking ingredients and something to form the dough into the iconic ring shape. While they do produce donut cutters for this exact task, they're not necessary, as you can shape your homemade donuts using tools you probably already have in your kitchen.

Making donuts requires two tools when cutting the dough: One for the initial large circular cut, and another to punch out the donut hole. To create the first shape, after you proof the dough, you can use a cup, a jar, a small bowl, or any other open vessel with a circular shape. Just make sure that the edge of whatever you use is thin enough to cut through the dough rather than smashing it. For the donut hole, grab the cap of a soda, wine, or liquor bottle and press it into the center of your dough circle.

Make your own dough cutters with common kitchen items

Here's What You Can Use If You Don't Have A Donut Cutter - Tasting Table (5)

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Whatever cup or bottle cap you use to cut the dough, just make sure it's at least a half inch deep, since that's about how thick the dough should be when you cut into it. Of course, your donuts don't all have to be circular, the same size, or have holes. Using a funky-shaped bowl or container to punch out the dough will make your donuts unique. You could even just cut out different shapes with a butter knife, and if you make a mistake, you can always just reroll the dough and try again.

There's also the option of forming the dough into rings using your hands. If you opt for this method, just be sure to note that when it's time to proof the dough again, it will need to rest longer than if you rolled and cut out the dough.

Baking your favorite treats should be something everyone feels empowered to do, even if they lack the "official" equipment. After implementing various kitchen tools to shape your donuts, as well as taking a look at some of these donut-making tips, you'll be glad you made at least a dozen donuts. It will be impossible to eat just one!

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Here's What You Can Use If You Don't Have A Donut Cutter - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

Here's What You Can Use If You Don't Have A Donut Cutter - Tasting Table? ›

You can dip a drinking glass, probably about 3 inch diameter, in flour and use that as a cutter. If you are making filled donuts, you don't need to bother with a hole in the middle. If you do want holes in the middle, you could use a small shot glass or freehand them.

What can be used as a donut cutter? ›

To create the first shape, after you proof the dough, you can use a cup, a jar, a small bowl, or any other open vessel with a circular shape. Just make sure that the edge of whatever you use is thin enough to cut through the dough rather than smashing it.

What can I use if I don't have a doughnut pan? ›

You don't need to add another pan to your collection in order to make baked doughnuts. Instead, grab a muffin tin and some aluminum foil to create a makeshift doughnut pan.

How to make doughnuts without a doughnut tray? ›

To create your makeshift donut pan, start by taking a 5"x5" square piece of foil and place it over your fingers. Fold the foil around your fingers and carefully fold the sides up to create a mold. Fit the mold into a cup of your muffin pan and press into place. Repeat for remaining cups.

How to cut donuts at home? ›

A doughnut cutter is great, but you can improvise if you don't have one: For a long time, I used a circle cookie cutter and then the base of a large pastry tip. It's important to make sure the hole itself is large enough—if it's too small, it will “fill in” when the dough hits the fryer.

How to make a DIY donut pan? ›

All you need is a cupcake pan and some regular old tin foil! Cut the foil into a 4 x4 square and bend gently around your middle finger. Remove your finger and press the shape you're left with into the muffin tin. The results: You're left with a perfect donut hole shaped tin that yields you round baked donuts.

Can you use muffin batter in a donut pan? ›

Combine water, muffin mix, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. DO NOT OVERMIX. Deposit #20 scoop of batter into well-greased donut pans; spread batter to fill circle (uneven is ok). Bake as directed below.

How do you get the old-fashioned donut shape? ›

Old-fashioned cake doughnuts were called sometimes called "fry cakes" back then: Doughnuts are made of pieces of raised dough, cut into circular pieces and set to rise. After rising they are dropped into a kettle of hot fat, where they puff up into balls and become brown on the surface.

What do you call a donut without a hole in the middle? ›

Jelly Doughnut

These classic doughnuts are typically round without a hole in the middle, and generally leavened with yeast.

How do you store donuts so they don't sweat? ›

Place your donuts in storage bags or airtight containers.

If you plan on eating your donuts within 1-2 days, you can just keep them at room temperature. Definitely put them in airtight bags or containers though so they stay fresh! The only time this isn't a good idea is when your donuts are cream-filled.

What tool is used for cutting biscuit or doughnuts? ›

A cookie cutter in North American English, also known as a biscuit cutter outside North America, is a tool to cut out cookie/biscuit dough in a particular shape.

What is a donut cutter? ›

Donut cutter converts into a cookie/biscuit cutter by removing the center piece. Also use for Linzer cookies with cut-out, tarts, cutting bread, jello, pastries and more. Made of aluminum.

What can you use instead of a cookie cutter? ›

If you're really hoping for a perfectly round cookie, you can also roll out your dough and use a drinking glass or mason jar lid as a makeshift cookie cutter. It will work the exact same as a cookie cutter!

What can be used as cookie cutter? ›

Use a small, sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut any shape of cookie you like after rolling out the dough. If needed, use an aid to help cut specific shapes: Create a stencil out of cardboard or parchment, wax, or plain paper for simple shapes like hearts, shamrocks, eggs, and flowers.

Can you use a cup as a biscuit cutter? ›

My grandmother's go-to biscuit-cutting method was to use a drinking glass to get perfect circles. Because her biscuits were light and impossibly fluffy, I had no reason to doubt this method.

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