Doughnuts are a British invention according to historians who have unearthed they were invented by the English upper classes

• Until recently the earliest known doughnut recipe dated from 1847 
• American Hanson Gregory claimed to have invented them aboard a ship 
• Cookbook written in 1800 by English Baroness has a recipe for 'dow nuts' 
• It describes rolled dough cut into 'nuts' and deep fried in 'hogs-lard'
• They are then covered with sugar and left by the fire to rise
• 
  

By DANIEL MILLER

Americans say they invented them, but the Dutch disagree and have long claimed the squidgy, sugary treats as their own.

But it would now appear they are both mistaken, because the humble doughnut was actually invented by the Britsh.

Until now the earliest known doughnut recipe dated from 1847 when American Hanson Gregory claimed to have invented them aboard a lime-trading ship when he was only 16.

But documents have been found showing the wife of a society doctor in Hertford, England, recorded her own recipe for them back in 1800.

Baroness Elizabeth Dimsdale’s recipe for 'dow nuts' were taken from a local cook, known only as Mrs Fordham.

Her ingredients included sugar, eggs, nutmeg, butter and yeast, which are made into a dough which is rolled out and cut into 'nuts'.

The nuts are then deep-fried in 'hogs-lard' before being covered in sugar and left by the fire to rise.

Historian Dr Heather Falvey uncovered the 213-year-old recipe book when she was alerted to its potential by a US food historian.

BARONESS DIMSDALE'S RECIPE

Ingredients:

A quarter of a Peck of Flower / A pound of moist Sugar /  10 Eggs (Yolks & Whites) /  One Nutmeg (grated) / 3/4 of a pound of fresh butter /  A quarter of a pint of Yeast.

Technique:

• First melt the Butter over the fire in Milk; skim the Butter off. 
• Mix the Sugar and Nutmeg with the Flour, making a hole in it at the Top.
  
• Strain the Eggs and Yeast mixed together through a Sieve into the Flour; then put the Butter skimmed off the Milk into it also, with as much of the Milk as necessary to make it into a paste.
  
• Let it stand by the fire half an hour to rise, throwing a Cloth over it. Then roll it out thick or thin as you like, cutting it into nuts with a jagging Iron.
  
• Throw them into some Hogs-lard almost boiling hot; if quite boiling they are likely to be black and if it does not near boil, they will be greasy. Stir them with a skimmer with holes.
  
• Take them out with it, put them in a Cullender but do not put the hot ones to the cold, or they will be heavy.
  
• The thinner the Paste is rolled, the lighter and more crisp it will be.
  
• A little Sugar should be first put to the yeast and a little Milk, and set it by the fire an hour to rise.

The Baroness, wife of smallpox pioneer Baron Thomas Dimsdale, compiled a collection of 80-plus household hints and 700 recipes.

Dr Falvey, historian for the Hertfordshire Record Society, believes even with an eight year margin for error the Baroness can claim to be the original queen of the doughnut.

She said: 'The American food historian had come to the conclusion that doughnuts originated in Hertfordshire and the first record he found was in 1810.

'He wondered if anyone in the association knew about it and that struck a bell with me as I remembered doughnuts from the book.

'It’s not clear who the recipe is from, which is frustrating, but she started writing it just after 1800 and the last entry was in 1808.'

Dr Falvey added: 'She doesn’t give a lot of instructions on how to do it.

'It’s more what to use. I’ve tried a few of the sweet recipes and they’ve turned out okay.'

Researchers previous believed doughnuts originated among 19th Century Dutch settlers in the US.

Rival theories suggested they were imported into the US in the 19th Century by Dutch settlers on the East Coast.

Dr Falvey has published the first ever doughnut recipe in 'The Receipt Book of Baroness Elizabeth Dimsdale c1800', which was released last week.

Other recipes include different soups, fish, pies, meats and desserts.

Baron Dimsdale was bestowed with the title of Baron Dimsdale of the Russian Empire by Catherine the Great after he helped a member of her family who smallpox.

The family’s records were given to the Hertfordshire Record Society by one of their descendants, Robert Dimsdale, who now lives in Switzerland.