Easy Recipe for Beginner Sourdough Doughnuts

Sourdough brings out the best of the donut flavors. It does not only taste better but is also super easy to make. These homemade sourdough doughnuts are a great beginner sourdough doughnut recipe to try!

Sourdough and doughnuts?

While the “sour” in sourdough might make you think this is no good combo, just hang in there. Sourdough does not necessarily taste sour and is not only for sourdough bread.

If you have a good, active starter it will taste something between sweet, sour, tart and savory. It depends on what you bake with your sourdough starter. This sourdough donut recipe will make the most delicious homemade sourdough doughnuts.

Is sourdough good for sweet bakes?

Yes, it’s great for baking cookies, pancakes & doughnuts!

As I mentioned above, a good, active sourdough starter does not taste only sour. What it does is, bring out the flavor of the thing you are baking. If you’re making sweet bread, like sourdough raisin bread, you’re making a sweet(er) dough.

The sourdough brings out that sweet flavor, more than yeast for example. Are you a beginner sourdough baker, these tips on how to make a sourdough starter might help you along.

Why make doughnuts with sourdough?

Doughnuts can be made with commercial yeast. However, making them with sourdough has a few advantages:

– The doughnuts will be easier to digest because the wild yeast in the sourdough pre-digests the flour. I digest the starches found in the flour.

– Less gluten. The soaking and fermenting allow for some of the gluten to be broken down, which makes it great for those with gluten sensitivity.

– The taste! Sourdough doughnuts taste amazingly good. They have so much flavor without feeling heavy.

Some important notes

• Use good quality unrefined coconut oil or lard for healthy sourdough doughnuts to fry in. Gently heat the oil on medium heat.

• Test the oil temperature by plucking a little bit off of the top of the dough and adding it to the oil. When it starts sizzling and starts floating, your frying oil is ready to make some delicious donuts. Or, if you prefer, use a candy thermometer to test the oil temperature.
• You don’t need a special doughnut cutter to make cut-out donuts. Give your dough a fair dusting of flour use a glass or round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter and make the donut holes in the middle using your finger.
• When frying the doughnuts, turn them right before you see the dough “bursting”. That way they will keep a pretty round doughnut shape.
• Remove the doughnuts from the hot oil when they have a nice golden brown color
• Cool the donuts on a wire rack or a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb the remaining oil.
• You need an active sourdough starter. That means your own sourdough starter needs to be fed the night before (if you’re making the dough the next morning). Learn all about making a sourdough starter in this post on tips for making an active sourdough starter or, download the free e-book Starting Sourdough.
• Add a splash of vanilla extract to the dough if you prefer.

Let’s do this

I don’t shape and proof these homemade sourdough doughnuts after the bulk fermentation. So no second rise. I just bulk ferment the first day and fry the donuts the next day.

Ok, let’s go! To make the dough you need to mix the ingredients (see recipe card below). But before you start mixing, read these instructions.

In a large bowl, mix the ingredients for the sourdough donuts. Start by mixing your own sourdough starter with the whole milk. Mix until combined.

Next, add the melted butter, cream, and maple syrup. Add the flour and knead the dough with your mixer using the dough hook attachment or, in a bowl of a stand mixer, or like I prefer, mix the dough for your homemade donuts by hand.

The dough is ready when it’s slightly tacky and the sticky dough “cleans” the sides of the bowl.

The donut dough will be slightly sticky. That’s ok, the dough will get firmer after the stretch and folds.

Cover the large bowl with a handmade fabric bowl cover, airtight container, or, plastic wrap. Let the dough rest and ferment at room temperature for a few hours. The dough should ferment at a warm spot. Check the dough to ensure that the bulk fermentation process is progressing at an appropriate pace.

Place the dough in a cooler place for 8-12 hours. If you want to bake them later, place the donut dough in the fridge

Shaping the donuts

Take the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough to a thickness of approximately 1/2 inch. Cut out the donut shapes using a cookie cutter or biscuit cutter and poke a hole in them. Place the shaped dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and a light dusting of flour.

Continue with the remaining dough until all dough is shaped into donuts.

Frying the donuts

Place the doughnuts in the hot oil one by one using a slotted spoon. The doughnuts will expand rapidly. Flip them over right before they seem to burst, this will give them a nice round shape.

Turn the donuts a few times until they are golden brown. Lift them from the hot oil using a slotted spoon, drain any excess oil, and place them on a sheet lined with paper towels.

Topping for Homemade Sourdough Donuts

Once your donuts are cooled on the cooling rack you can frost them with cream cheese-type frostings. The donuts need to be completely cooled to get the best results. If they’re still warm, the cream cheese will melt.

Here’s a list of sourdough donuts toppings and frostings

• Cinnamon Sugar
• Sugar Donuts
• Chocolate Glaze
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• Vanilla Glaze

You can add chocolate sprinkles, M&M’s, cookie crumbles, brownie crumbles, etc. Use a piping bag with melted white chocolate and drizzle over chocolate-glazed donuts to give them an extra special appearance.

TIP: For mess-free chocolate-covered doughnuts, take the donuts from the hot oil. Use a slotted spoon to drain any excess oil. Place the donuts on some paper towels one by one. Take a piece of chocolate and rub it gently over the hot donut. The chocolate will melt because the donut is still hot from the frying oil. This is an easy way to cover the donut in chocolate, without having to melt a large amount of chocolate to dip the donuts.

Alternatives to make with donut dough

You can make this dough in any shape you want, it’s a very versatile dough. They can be customized with various fillings like jams, custards, or even savory options like cheese or bacon for a unique twist. If you like savory donuts, you can leave out the maple syrup in the recipe.

If you love apple fritters topped with cinnamon sugar or German Berliners filled with jam you have the perfect sourdough recipe for it now! I have more sourdough recipes for you in the recipes section on the blog.

Sourdough Experience

These homemade donuts are great for beginners who want to learn how to bake with sourdough. It seems that sourdough is something that a lot of people view as difficult. But that is untrue!

What makes sourdough difficult is that it requires patience. In this fast-paced world, possessing this character trait has become increasingly rare. We want it all good and we want it fast.

You can learn how to make a good donut and sourdough bread as long as you’re willing to be(come) patient and willing to learn. There’s much more to be found in learning how to make and bake things yourself. Not only do the health benefits make this very worthwhile, but more so the joy and fulfillment it brings. Don’t feel overwhelmed by all the resources and tutorials out there.

The best thing you can do is just start today. Use the free “Starting Sourdough E-book” that’s waiting for you. Mix up that flour and water and you’re on your way to making your first sourdough goodie!

Oh, and lastly, don’t forget to share your skills with others. Once you get the hang of it and you’ve tasted the goodness of homemade sourdough doughnuts and sourdough bread share your skills and pass it on to your little ones or a dear friend.