The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ALLOTTED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
A
L
L
O
T
T
E
D
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "doled out" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case doled out = allotted.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ALLOTTED mean?
ALLOTTED verb- To distribute or apportion by (or as if by) lot.
- To assign or designate as a task or for a purpose.