Sourdough Donut Recipe

I’m sharing a Sourdough Recipe For Beginners that offers both baking and frying options plus a few surprising tips so you can make breakfast donuts tailored to your family’s preferences.

I love a recipe that surprises you, and these sourdough donuts do exactly that. I built this version around active sourdough starter and a splash of vanilla extract, and whether you bake or fry them they kind of transform into whatever your morning needs.

They’re tangy but not in-your-face, slightly chewy, and they crisp up in ways I never expected, and honestly I keep finding new ways to dress them for the family. I first got the idea from Things To Bake With Sourdough Starter and then I just kept messing with it until it felt right, flaws and all.

Ingredients

• Sourdough starter: fermented flour and water gives tangy flavor, adds natural leavening.
• Granulated sugar: provides sweetness, quick carbs, little nutrients, fuels browning and crisping.
• Eggs: add protein moisture and structure, help donuts hold shape and brown.
• Whole milk: adds fat and tenderness, richer flavor, boosts browning and mouthfeel.
• Butter: adds buttery flavor and richness, contributes fat for a tender crumb.
• All purpose flour: main carbohydrate, provides gluten for chew, not many vitamins.
• Neutral frying oil: high heat cooking, mostly fat, adds calories and a crisp exterior.
• Powdered sugar glaze: sweet coating, mostly sugar, changes texture and gives a shiny finish.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 cup (240 g) active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk, warmed
• 4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups (320 g) all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 4 cups (about 950 ml) neutral oil for frying, such as vegetable or canola
• 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 to 4 tbsp (30 to 60 ml) milk or cream for glaze
• 1 tsp vanilla extract for glaze
• pinch fine salt for glaze
• 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, melted, optional for richer glaze
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar for cinnamon sugar
• 1 to 2 tsp ground cinnamon for cinnamon sugar
• 1 egg + 1 tbsp water for egg wash, optional for baked donuts
• extra flour for dusting and rolling, as needed

How to Make this

1. Make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly (1 cup, 100% hydration), then whisk it with 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 room temp eggs, 1/2 cup warmed whole milk (not hot), 4 tbsp melted and cooled unsalted butter and 2 tsp vanilla until smooth.

2. In a separate bowl stir together 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp fine salt; add the dry mix to the wet and fold until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms. Use extra flour for dusting if it’s too sticky but dont add too much or the donuts will be tough.

3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 3 to 5 minutes until cohesive and slightly springy; you can use a stand mixer on low for 2 to 3 minutes. Put dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and rest 30 to 60 minutes at room temp until a little puffed. For more sour tang refrigerate overnight then bring back to room temp before shaping.

4. Roll the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness on a floured board, cut donuts with a cutter (or two round cutters for holes), re-roll scraps as needed. Place cut donuts on a parchment lined tray dusted with flour, cover loosely and proof 45 to 60 minutes in a warm spot until puffy but not collapsed.

5. If frying: pour about 4 cups neutral oil into a deep heavy pot so you have at least 2 inches depth and heat to 350°F (175°C). Use a thermometer, dont guess. Fry a few donuts at a time so the temperature holds, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side, flipping once, until golden. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels. If baking: preheat oven to 375°F (190°C), brush donuts with egg wash (1 egg + 1 tbsp water) and bake 10 to 12 minutes, rotating once, until lightly golden and springy.

6. For powdered glaze sift 2 cups powdered sugar into a bowl, whisk in 2 to 4 tbsp milk or cream to reach your desired thickness, add 1 tsp vanilla, a pinch of fine salt and 2 tbsp melted butter if you want it richer. Taste and thin with more milk if needed.

7. For cinnamon sugar mix 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1 to 2 tsp ground cinnamon. For best adhesion brush hot donuts with a little melted butter then toss in the cinnamon sugar, or dip warm donuts into the powdered glaze and let excess drip off on a rack.

8. Glaze technique: dip the top of warm donuts into the glaze and set on a rack so excess drips off; glaze will set faster if you pop them in the fridge for a few minutes. If glaze gets too thick, add a splash more milk; if too thin, add a bit more sifted powdered sugar.

9. Safety and storing tips: never overcrowd the fryer, keep the oil between 325 and 360°F, and use a thermometer. Store glazed donuts in an airtight container for up to 2 days; to re-crisp fried donuts warm them briefly in a 350°F oven or 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave.

Equipment Needed

1. Large mixing bowls (one big for the wet mix, one medium for the dry stuff), you’ll use these a lot
2. Whisk, rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for mixing and folding, use whichever feels easiest
3. Measuring cups and spoons plus a kitchen scale for best accuracy
4. Stand mixer with dough hook, or be ready to knead by hand for a few minutes (elbow grease works)
5. Rolling pin and donut cutter set (or two round cutters for the holes) plus extra flour for dusting
6. Heavy deep pot or deep fryer and an instant read or candy thermometer to keep oil at 350°F, dont guess the temp
7. Slotted spoon or spider and a wire rack set over paper towels for draining fried donuts
8. Baking sheet lined with parchment and a pastry brush for egg wash or brushing melted butter for cinnamon sugar

FAQ

Sourdough Donut Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Active sourdough starter (1 cup 240 g) → Instant yeast method: use 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast and add back the starter flour and water so dough stays balanced. That means add about 120 g extra all purpose flour to the listed 320 g, and add about 120 ml extra warm milk (so total milk becomes ~240 ml). Bloom the yeast in a little of the warm milk until foamy, then proceed. You lose the tang and the long ferment but the dough will rise much faster.
• All purpose flour plus baking powder, baking soda, salt → Self rising flour: swap the 2 1/2 cups (320 g) AP flour and omit the 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Use 2 1/2 cups self rising flour instead. Watch salt levels since brands vary.
• Whole milk (1/2 cup warmed) → Buttermilk or plant milk: swap 1 to 1 for buttermilk for more tang and a softer crumb, or use unsweetened oat or soy milk 1 for 1 for a dairy free option. If you use buttermilk keep the baking soda so it reacts with the acid.
• Powdered sugar glaze → Alternate glazes: for a maple glaze mix 3/4 cup real maple syrup with 1 to 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar until spreadable, or do a cream cheese glaze by beating 4 oz room temp cream cheese with 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 to 2 tbsp milk. Both give different flavor profiles and still coat donuts nicely.

Pro Tips

1) Feed your starter so it’s at peak activity a few hours before you mix, it makes a huge difference in rise and flavor. If it looks sluggish use a freshly fed portion, if it’s super overripe expect more tang or stick the dough in the fridge overnight to mellow it out.

2) Don’t overflour when shaping, but if the dough is too soft to cut cleanly chill it 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge on a floured board. Cooler dough cuts neater, holds its shape in the oil and gives you nicer edges.

3) Always fry in small batches and use a good thermometer. Oil temp dropping is the biggest cause of greasy donuts, so let it come back to 350F between batches and test one scrap first to dial in timing. Drain on a wire rack not paper towels if you want to keep the bottoms crisp.

4) For glaze and cinnamon sugar adhesion, work while the donuts are warm. Brush them lightly with melted butter before tossing in cinnamon sugar, or dip the top only into glaze and let excess drip off on a rack. To store, keep glazed ones in a single layer in an airtight container and revive fried donuts in a 350F oven 4 to 6 minutes to get that just-made texture back.