Were doughnuts invented by the British?

The flour's about to fly in bake shops around the world after a British food historian has claimed the doughnut as her country's culinary invention.

The bold claim goes against previous conflicting theories that suggest either Americans or the Dutch invented the sweet treat.

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In a book released last week by historian Heather Falvey, the first-ever doughnut recipe is recorded by the wife of a famous smallpox doctor in Hertford, England.

The book, titled The Receipt Book of Baroness Elizabeth Dimsdale c1800, was discovered by Falvey and includes a collection of 700 recipes and 80-plus household tips from the doctor's wife, Elizabeth Dimsdale.

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Of all the recipes in the book, the doughnut one caught Falvey's eye, as this would debunk the most accepted theory that the first doughnut was invented in 1847 by an American.

"It’s not clear who the recipe is from, which is frustrating," Falvey tells the Daily Mail, eluding to the fact that Dimsdale may have gotten the recipe from someone else. "But she started writing it just after 1800 and the last entry was in 1808."

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Some researchers believe doughnuts originated among 19th Century Dutch settlers in the U.S. And rival theories suggest they were imported into the U.S. by Dutch settlers during the same time period.

It's a subtle, yet significant difference because the former suggests they were technically created by Americans, and the latter suggest the Dutch.

Dimsdale's 213-year-old recipe for the "dow nuts" is vague, but includes instructions to make a dough from eggs, sugar, nutmeg, butter and yeast, which is then rolled out and cut into "nut" shapes. The dough is deep-fried in hogs' lard, covered in sugar and left to rise by the fire.