On a warm Saturday in September, Columbus residents were already lining up by 9 a.m. The jazz band from Mississippi School of Mathematics and Science, under the direction of local rocker Dawn Barham, played Motown and R&B hits in the background as the crowd’s anticipation approached fever pitch.
No, this wasn’t an SEC football game nor was it a concert performed by the remaining members of The Beatles, it was the soft opening for the area’s newest doughnut shop, Krispy Kreme of Columbus.
Although the crowd had descended upon the restaurant early, co-owner Billy Dorgan Jr. said the doughnut-making process started several states away.
“To make our Hot Original Glazed Doughnut, we use dry yeast, our special liquid we call ‘brew’ and our famous mix, which is a secret recipe,” Dorgan said. “The famous mix is made at a plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is shipped to our stores all over the country.”
Dorgan said science is the key to the Krispy Kreme process. After the dough is properly weighed and measured, it rests for 10 minutes. Then, the dough makes its way through the chain’s latest technological advance, a machine that was first used in the early 1970s.
“After resting, the dough goes through an extruder, which is a machine that was developed for Krispy Kreme many years ago,” Dorgan said. “It has been modified through the years, but the process is the same. The extruder shapes the doughnuts into the exact size we want. After it is shaped, the dough goes to a proofer before it is fried.”
Those who are curious or have a voyeuristic nature can watch the process go through its final stages behind glass windows. Known as “the theater,” patrons are given the opportunity to watch the Krispy Kreme delights hit the fryer.
“Our doughnuts are fried for 110 seconds in 350-degree oil,” Dorgan said. “They automatically flip halfway through. We never touch the doughnuts with our hands.”
After leaving the fryer, the doughnuts are then glazed and sold to the public. The entire process takes an hour.
As the Hot Original Glazed Doughnut is the flagship of the store’s pastry selection, Dorgan said he anticipates large crowds, especially on Tuesday, the official opening day .
“We’ve had a tremendous soft opening,” he said. “If this is any indication, we will be running hot doughnuts all day long.”
Jeff Clark was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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