History

Isaac and Stephanie Meek (parents of five daughters: Dylan, Lucy, Maggie, Evangeline, and Constance) launched Five Daughters Bakery in 12 South in January 2015, adapting the cronut format with a 3-day, 100-layer lamination process. The donut requires 72 hours of folding and resting before frying. Five Daughters' East Nashville and Franklin locations followed; the 12 South queue regularly stretches down the block on weekends.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 12Hands-on 2 hrTotal 72 hrDifficulty Advanced

Ingredients

  • For the dough: 500g strong bread flour
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 12g instant yeast
  • 10g fine salt
  • 1 egg
  • 250ml cold whole milk
  • 30g cold unsalted butter
  • For lamination: 300g cold unsalted butter, beaten into a 20cm flat square between baking paper
  • For the pastry cream: 500ml whole milk
  • 1 vanilla pod split
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 120g caster sugar
  • 50g cornflour
  • 30g cold butter
  • For the glaze: 400g icing sugar
  • 80ml whole milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract; plus optional flavour swirls (maple, lemon, chocolate)
  • 2L neutral oil for deep frying

Method

  1. Day 1: Mix dough ingredients except the lamination butter into a smooth dough; knead 8 minutes. Chill flat in the fridge overnight.
  2. Day 2: Roll dough to a 30cm x 20cm rectangle. Place butter square on one half, fold over, seal edges.
  3. First fold (a single letter fold): roll to 45cm x 20cm, fold in three. Chill 30 minutes.
  4. Repeat letter folds 5 more times (6 folds total = approximately 729 layers, which the bakery markets as 100 layers). Chill 30 minutes between each.
  5. Chill the final block overnight.
  6. Day 3: Roll the dough to 2cm thick. Cut 8cm rounds. Cut a 2.5cm hole in the centre.
  7. Prove on a tray dusted with flour at room temperature for 2 hours.
  8. Heat oil to 175C. Fry donuts 90 seconds per side until deep golden. Drain on a rack.
  9. Make pastry cream: heat milk with vanilla pod. Whisk yolks, sugar, and cornflour. Pour milk over, return to pan, whisk over heat 4 minutes until thick. Whisk in butter, chill.
  10. Pipe pastry cream into each donut through the cut hole. Whisk glaze ingredients smooth and dip the top of each donut. Let set 10 minutes.

Tip from the editors. The 3-day timeline is non-negotiable; rushing the folds collapses the lamination and you get a dense doughnut rather than a flake-and-puff Five Daughters donut. The dough must be cold at every fold.

Where to eat five daughters 100-layer donut

Five Daughters 100-Layer Donut in Nashville

Five Daughters Bakery ★ 4.3

$ Bakery100-layer doughnuts12 SouthWalk-in only

Five Daughters Bakery's 12 South flagship in Nashville opened 2015 with its 100-layer three-day doughnuts, expanded to four city locations and Goldbelly.

Worth the queueOriginal glaze cronut

Tip100-layer doughnuts are the order; classic glaze is the marquee. They run out by 13:00 most weekends.

Directions

Dozen Bakery ★ 4.7

$ BakerySourdough breads, scones, savoury pastriesSouth NashvilleWalk-in only

Claire Menelly's Dozen Bakery in Nashville moved to Grandview Avenue in February 2025, a five-times larger space with full cafe service and a wood-fired oven.

Worth the queueSourdough miche

TipSourdough loaves go fastest; arrive by 09:00. The morning bun and country biscuit are the bakery's signatures.

Directions

Biscuit Love ★ 4.3

$$ $12-18BrunchAll-day biscuit sandwich brunchThe Gulch

Karl and Sarah Worley's Gulch biscuit counter in Nashville opened 2012 and pioneered the city's all-day biscuit sandwich format. Located in The Gulch.

OrderBonuts (biscuit doughnuts with lemon curd)

TipBonuts are the order; East Nashville location at 1024 Woodland gets through the queue faster on weekends.

Directions

Proper Bagel ★ 4.4

$$ $10-18BrunchBagel and lox brunchHillsboro Village

Proper Bagel on Belmont Boulevard in Nashville opened 2017 with New York-style hand-rolled, kettle-boiled bagels and a full appetising counter for weekend.

OrderEverything bagel with whitefish salad

TipSaturday line builds by 10:00; Sunday is quieter. The lox platter with sliced Gaspe Nova is the upgrade move.

Directions

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