(Above) The Salvation Army's "Doughnut Lassies" boosted the morale of soldiers during the First World War

From the battlegrounds of war to the front lines of poverty, The Salvation Army is known for giving hope in a time of crisis. National Doughnut Day, held on the first Friday of June, honours The Salvation Army’s “Doughnut Lassies”, who boosted the morale of soldiers during the First World War.

During the First World War, The Salvation Army sent more than 250 volunteers to France where women set up huts to serve baked goods, provide letter-writing supplies and mend clothes for the soldiers. One volunteer said, “Today I made 22 pies, 300 doughnuts and 700 cups of coffee.”

This year, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, National Doughnut Day celebrations will look a bit different. Rather than hosting events with free doughnuts, some Salvation Army centres will be delivering doughnuts to the front-line heroes of today—transit workers, nursing-home staff, child-care providers, firefighters and grocery store employees, to name a few.  

If you’d like to join us in recognizing the lassies of the past and the heroes of the present, the recipe for The Salvation Army’s doughnuts used during the First World War is below.

The Famous Salvation Army Doughnut Recipe

5 C flour
2 C sugar
5 tsp. baking powder
1 ‘saltspoon’ salt (1/4 tsp.)
2 eggs
1 3/4 C milk
400 ML of vegetable oil

Directions

• Mix ingredients together to make the dough
• Thoroughly knead dough
• Roll Smooth
• Cut into rings that are less than 1/4 inch thick
• Drop the rings into the vegetable oil until doughnuts are browned
• When browned, remove doughnuts and allow excess oil to drip off
• Dust with powdered sugar

Let cool and enjoy!