#93 – BLOOD ORANGE DOUGHNUT at DOUGH

For the third year in a row, I’m going to attempt to eat every single item on Time Out New York’s annual 100 Best Dishes list. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100. Let the gluttony continue…

For me, the pain and discomfort from eating a doughnut outweighs the few minutes of sweet and doughy euphoria. Fried bread makes my insides attack itself and so I’ll usually just say no when it comes to doughnuts.

However, with enough Zantac and the promise of a transcendent experience, I may take the risk from time to time. I’ve recently enjoyed a few of Cinnamon Snail’s vegan doughnuts (not any easier on the esophagus, but mighty delicious) and it’s hard to resist homemade apple cider doughnuts at a farm upstate.

I’ve come into contact with the massive yeast bombs from Dough at food festivals like Smorgasburg and food shops like Stinky. But I have so far resisted.

Their famous blood orange doughnut cracked Time Out’s top ten of the year so I was forced to endure another doughnut takedown.

In the interest of getting the full experience, I ventured out to the Dough factory and store in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. It was a schlep that at didn’t seem worth it at first, but once I breathed in the doughy aromas in the air, I knew this was a good decision.

Tempted to order one of every flavor (including Chocolate Chipotle and Lemon Poppy Seed), I listened to my body and walked away with just the required specimen to enjoy at home later.

The massive doughnut was topped with a bright beautiful blood orange glaze and an appropriate garnish of candied orange. The glaze enhanced the doughnut with an intense sweet and tart kick.

I could not get over how airy and yeasty this doughnut was. I examined each bite because it was amazing. Unlike many big doughnut companies, this looked like a hunk of sweet bread (this is yeast based instead of cake based). Could something this simple really be that bad for you?

For better of worse, I may have found the doughnut to tip the scales. Maybe this time those few minutes of mouth ecstasy outweigh the heartburn.

Would Dough’s Blood Orange Doughnut make my Top 100 of the year? It gets 9 out of 10 for being a pretty special doughnut with a surprising bright flavor from the natural fruit glaze.