Pastry vs. Doughnut — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 10, 2024
Pastry refers to a variety of baked goods made from ingredients such as flour, butter, and water. Doughnut is a specific type of fried pastry, often sweetened and sometimes filled or glazed.
Difference Between Pastry and Doughnut
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Pastry is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of baked goods, including pies, tarts, and croissants, made from dough that is rich in fats like butter or shortening. These fats create layers or a flaky texture in the final product. Doughnut, on the other hand, specifically refers to a sweet, fried dough confectionery, traditionally ring-shaped or filled, known for its dense texture and sweet coatings or fillings, such as sugar glaze or chocolate.
Pastry dough is typically mixed to incorporate fat evenly throughout, which, when baked, results in a light, airy, or flaky texture. This contrasts with doughnut dough, which is often yeast-leavened and designed to be very moist and tender after frying, achieving a different texture and flavor profile.
The preparation of pastry usually involves baking in an oven, where the dough is allowed to puff up and cook through indirect heat. Doughnuts are generally deep-fried, which quickly cooks the dough, creating a crispy exterior with a soft, warm interior. This frying technique is crucial to achieving the characteristic texture and taste of a doughnut.
Pastry can be either sweet or savory, with fillings ranging from fruit and custard to meat and vegetables, offering a versatile range of flavors and uses. Doughnuts are predominantly sweet, with common variations including glazed, powdered, or filled with sweet jams or creams, emphasizing their role as a dessert or sweet snack.
While pastry is often served as part of a meal or as a dessert, doughnuts are typically considered a standalone snack or breakfast item, frequently enjoyed with coffee or milk. This distinction highlights the cultural and culinary roles each plays in different dining contexts.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A baked good made from dough rich in fats.
A sweet, fried dough confectionery.
Texture
Can be flaky, light, or dense.
Usually dense and tender.
Preparation
Baked in an oven.
Deep-fried.
Flavor
Can be sweet or savory.
Predominantly sweet.
Common Forms
Pies, tarts, croissants.
Ring-shaped, filled, glazed.
Serving Occasion
Meal or dessert.
Snack or breakfast.
Cooking Technique
Baking.
Frying.
Fat Content
High due to butter or shortening.
Varies, often high due to frying.
Varieties
Wide range including savory options.
Primarily sweet with different coatings/fillings.
Compare with Definitions
Pastry
A baked good made from dough that is rich in butter or fat.
The bakery's croissants are my favorite type of pastry because of their buttery layers.
Doughnut
A type of fried dough confectionery, often sweetened.
I can never resist a freshly fried doughnut with a chocolate glaze.
Pastry
Includes a wide range of baked goods such as pies, tarts, and quiches.
The pastry selection at the café includes everything from savory quiches to sweet fruit tarts.
Doughnut
Often coated with sugar, glaze, or chocolate.
She opted for a doughnut dipped in glaze and topped with sprinkles.
Pastry
Can vary greatly in texture, from light and airy to dense and crumbly.
The pastry base of the tart was perfectly crumbly and complemented the creamy filling.
Doughnut
Known for its tender, moist texture.
The doughnuts here are so moist and fluffy, thanks to their unique recipe.
Pastry
Often used to make both sweet and savory dishes.
For dinner, we had a chicken pot pie made with a flaky pastry crust.
Doughnut
Served as a breakfast item or snack, frequently with coffee.
Our morning routine includes coffee and doughnuts from the corner bakery.
Pastry
The term can refer to the dough itself or the finished product.
She rolled out the pastry carefully before lining the pie dish.
Doughnut
Traditionally ring-shaped but can also be filled.
The jelly-filled doughnut was oozing with raspberry jam.
Pastry
Pastry is a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as bakers' confectionery.
Doughnut
A doughnut or donut (IPA: ) is a type of leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty vendors.
Pastry
Dough or paste consisting primarily of shortening or another fatty substance mixed with flour and water, often baked and used as a crust for sweet foods such as pies and tarts.
Doughnut
A small ring-shaped cake made of rich, light dough that is fried in deep fat.
Pastry
Baked sweet foods made with pastry
Viennese pastry.
Doughnut
Something whose form is reminiscent of a ring-shaped cake.
Pastry
One of these baked foods.
Doughnut
A fast, tight 360° turn made in a motor vehicle or motorized boat.
Pastry
(Informal) A sweet baked good.
Doughnut
A deep-fried piece of dough or batter, commonly of a toroidal (a ring doughnut) shape, often mixed with various sweeteners and flavourings; or flattened sphere (a filled doughnut) shape filled with jam, custard or cream.
Pastry
(countable) A baked food item made from flour and fat pastes such as pie crust; also tarts, bear claws, napoleons, puff pastries, etc.
That pastry shop sells not just pastries, but all kinds of baked goods.
Doughnut
Anything in the shape of a torus.
Pastry
(uncountable) The food group formed by the various kinds of pastries.
That pastry shop sells not just pastry, but all kinds of baked goods.
Doughnut
(attributive) A circular life raft.
Pastry
(uncountable) The type of light flour-based dough used in pastries.
Doughnut
(physics) A toroidal vacuum chamber.
Pastry
A place where pastry is made.
Doughnut
(North America) A peel-out or skid mark in the shape of a circle; a 360-degree skid.
Pastry
(uncountable) The act or art of making pastry.
He learned pastry from the great Gaston Lenôtre.
Doughnut
A spare car tyre, usually stored in the boot, that is smaller than a full-sized tyre and is only intended for temporary use.
Pastry
Desserts of all kinds, whether or not these incorporate the baked item made from flour and fat, or that section of a kitchen that prepares these.
I used to work in the fish section, but now I've been moved to pastry.
Doughnut
A kind of tyre for an airplane.
Pastry
The place where pastry is made.
Doughnut
(slang) A vulva; (by extension) a woman's virginity.
Pastry
Articles of food made of paste, or having a crust made of paste, as pies, tarts, etc.
Doughnut
A foolish or stupid person.
Pastry
A dough of flour and water and shortening
Doughnut
A small cake (usually sweetened) fried in a kettle of boiling lard.
Pastry
Any of various baked foods made of dough or batter
Doughnut
A toroidal shape;
A ring of ships in the harbor
A halo of smoke
Doughnut
A small ring-shaped friedcake
Common Curiosities
Are all pastries sweet?
No, pastries can be both sweet and savory, unlike doughnuts, which are predominantly sweet.
What is the characteristic texture of a doughnut?
Doughnuts are known for their tender, moist texture, often achieved by deep-frying.
What makes pastry different from doughnut?
Pastry encompasses a wide variety of baked goods, while a doughnut is a specific type of fried pastry known for its sweet taste.
What makes a doughnut sweet?
Doughnuts are made sweet through the addition of sugar, glazes, fillings, or toppings.
What is the main difference in preparation between pastry and doughnut?
Pastry is typically baked in an oven, whereas doughnuts are deep-fried.
Can doughnuts be baked instead of fried?
Yes, there are baked doughnut recipes, though traditional doughnuts are fried.
Can doughnuts be considered a type of pastry?
Yes, doughnuts can be considered a type of pastry, specifically a fried pastry.
Why are doughnuts often eaten for breakfast?
Doughnuts are a popular breakfast choice due to their convenience and sweet taste, often paired with coffee.
Can pastry be served as a main dish?
Yes, savory pastries such as quiches and meat pies can serve as main dishes.
What are common types of pastries?
Common types include pies, tarts, croissants, and quiches.
Is the dough for pastry and doughnut the same?
No, pastry dough is often rich in fats for flakiness, while doughnut dough is designed for a moist, tender texture upon frying.
Are doughnuts always ring-shaped?
No, doughnuts can also be filled and may not have a hole.
Can pastries be low in fat?
While traditional pastries are rich in fats, there are recipes for lower-fat alternatives.
How is pastry served?
Pastry can be served as part of a meal, as a dessert, or as a snack.
What are popular doughnut fillings?
Popular fillings include jam, custard, and chocolate.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
