Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for cutting dough are described. One described dough cutting apparatus comprises a barrel having two ends, a removable die comprising a shaped opening, the removable die adapted to be coupled to a first end of the barrel, and a knife adapted to cut dough extruded from the shaped opening. In one illustrative method for making doughnuts, dough is extruded and cut using such a dough cutting apparatus and the dough is then cooked.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for cutting dough are described. In one embodiment, a dough cutter includes an inner tube, a shaped plate insert having a shaped plate and a shaft extending from the shaped plate insert, the shaped plate insert having a first end and a second end, the first end of the shaped plate insert adapted to couple to the inner tube, the second end of the shaped plate insert coupled to the shaped plate, and an outer tube having a first end and a second end, the first end of the outer tube adapted to slide over at least a portion of the inner tube and the second end of the outer tube defining a shaped opening for extruding dough, the shaped opening having substantially the same cross-section as the shaped plate. In some embodiments, the shaped plate may have a finite number of lines of symmetry.