Yes, many types of donuts do not have a hole. While the classic ring-shaped donut is what most people picture, there is a wide variety of donuts that are solid.
These solid donuts are often filled with something, which is the main reason they don’t have a hole. The filling—which could be jelly, custard, cream, or fruit preserves—is injected into the donut after it has been fried. Examples of these include:
* Jelly donuts
* Boston cream donuts
* Berliners (a German variety, also known as “Pfannkuchen” in some regions)
Additionally, there are other types of donuts that are simply solid balls of dough, often without a filling. These are sometimes called “donut holes” (even though they are made separately from ring donuts) or go by different names in other countries, such as:
* Malasadas (a Portuguese variety)
* Beignets (a French pastry common in New Orleans)
* Oliebollen (a Dutch treat)
The hole was originally a practical solution for even cooking, but with modern baking techniques and different types of dough (like cake donuts, which are denser), it is no longer a necessity for every kind of donut.