Seeking the perfect "yeast doughnut" of my youth

[fruglescot]

"LET THEM EAT CAKE"
I remember the shop on Kingston Rd. at Fallingbrook that used to sell the most wonderful chocolate and sugar coated jam busters. A memorable yeast doughnut, big and brown and only a dime. We would have to pass by that store on the way to shop class once a week
and I always hurried in to grab a doughnut before class.

With the introduction of the maleficent, cake 'donuts' (I guess that's why they can't use "dough"-nuts anymore) by the numerous coffee and donut chains we have suffered through the demise and perceived extinction of this former doughy treat.

Please Chowhounds, restore the pleasure of my youth by telling me where to find the nostalgic "Yeast Doughnut" here in the GTA. I even agree to pay MORE than a dime for it

[KevinB]

This post is probably a week or two too late, but just before Lent, the Polish bakeries that I used to frequent in Detroit and Cleveland would make a delicious, yeasty, jelly doughnut called a "paczki", IIRC (spelling is probably wrong). Long way to go, but if you're ever in the area, well worth checking out.

[JesseJensen]

Again, sadly not in GTA but the bakery on the Main drag in Uxbridge makes
incredible homemade doughnuts..jelly, chocolate - with real fudgy chocolate....
so if you are on your way up to cottage country be sure to pull over it will be worth it!

[fruglescot]

RINGS AROUND THE CITY
It seems by your tip and some other ones on this thread that to get an old fashioned style yeast doughnut one has to travel out of the city center and into the peripheral areas where not all of culinary modernity has taken root.

[hautecocoa]

Francesca (or is it Francesco?), an Italian bakery near Scarborough Town Centre sells these sugar- (granulated sugar, not the powdered kind) coated dougnuts which I enjoyed so much that I was able to polish off two in a row despite their size. These were HUGE doughnuts.

[fruglescot]

Are they cake or yeast or something else?

[hautecocoa]

Definitely not cake. They reminded me of homemade doughnuts.

I tried the Port Union ones yesterday, too. They were quite good, actually. Best were the cinnamon sticks and the jelly-filled ones (very nice doughnut-jelly ratio).

[fruglescot]

WEEKEND DOUGHNUT EXCURSION
Spent an afternoon on the TTC heading east. The York Mills bus to
Scarborough U and then transferred to the #38 to Port Union Bakery
in the Ravine Park Plaza ( Shopper's DM, Dominion) Get off the #38 as it turns onto Port Union Rd. The Bakery is right there in the plaza.
A small shop with a pleasant young man serving as I arrived around 5 o'clock. Sampled a heavily chocolated doughnut ring and promptly ordered a 1/2 dozen more and 6 assorted jam filled powdered sugar coated. (be prepared to wear some of the white sugar icing when tasting) only .60 cents each or a doz for $4.99 Worth the price
You get a nice yeast doughnut with a tasty, generously coating of chocolate or maple. The chocolate is not firmly set on the doughnut and will run off as I experienced when I arrived home.
These doughnuts are similar to the ones sold at my local shop in the Parkwoods Mall on York Mills Rd and Fenside but are less expensive
if you have a Metro Pass.I also picked up a 1/2 dozen date squares
at P.U.B.for a reasonable $2.99 and a day old loaf of pumpernikle for $1. It was an enjoyable outing and worthwhile, however, the doughnuts were still not quite what I remember as a youth. I want to thank everyone who has assisted in the search so far and I welcome any further suggestions. I will continue my quest.

[T Long]

Your foodie adventures are great readings....thx.

[Jar]

If you happen to be on Roncesvalles and the Polish delis, I suggest you try their flavourful yeast dough nut, almost always with delicious Prune filling. The richness of yeast dough is very much complimented with this tasty filling!

[beach_cook]

2nd the Polish delis, also available at Highland Farms: yeast doughnut, well-filled with plum butter, lightly glazed, $0.75 ea.

[frito]

The place to go on Roncesvalles is called Granowska's.

[Beagle]

Yeah, Granowska's is legendary. Good call, Frito.

The paczeki are divine.

[Kagemusha]

Sadly not GTA, but Saunder's Bakery in Rockwood, ON(near Guelph) cranks out old school pre-Tim's sugared cake and jelly doughnuts.

[mlukan]

Sadly, Krispy Kreme is one of the best yeast donuts ever. You gotta go when they are making them fresh, call ahead, and take a fresh sample on top of the dozen you buy. I'm gonna try all other places on here and report back.

[Full tummy]

There are excellent sugar-coated, jam-filled yeast doughnuts at Milbree Viking Smokehouse on Laird near Eglinton.

[Dr Butcher]

The Port Union Bakery in the plaza at Port Union and Lawson might be what you're after.

I highly recommend the Boston Cream, and Apple Cinnamon jelly filled while you're at it. They slice the doughnut in half and smear it with filling before reassembly so you get filling in every bite.

I like their empanadas (pork or chicken) as well. The family that runs it is Filipino so the empanadas are savoury and a little sweet.

[pantone]

I second the vote for the Port Union bakery. Their donuts are AWESOME. Seriously, you must try the chocolate dip. Oh man I am really craving one of those right now.

[fruglescot]

Ok, enough,. I'm off to the Port Union bakery this weekend for some of their Chowhound hyped doughnuts. Does anyone know if I can get there by TTC? Where exactly are they located?

[jayt90]

It appears to be the Dominion store plaza.
Pt Union Rd. has buses, coming from York Mills, east on Ellesmere and terminating at GO.

http://canada411.yellowpages.ca/bus/O...

[Delish]

I recently tried a sugar donut from Golden Wheat Bakery on College and was pleasantly surprised. Big, soft and fluffy, with a nice coating of sugar. They come chocolated glazed, too, but I haven't tried that one yet...

[jayt90]

Krispy Kreme would fill the bill, fresh raised and fried before your eyes!
Unfortunately all were closed in GTA except Mississauga.
Maybe they dumbed down the recipe too much. They started with a French recipe using rice flour with wheat flour, but dropped the rice.