Sourdough Donuts Recipe: Fluffy, Sweet, and Surprisingly Easy!
There’s nothing quite like the joy of making homemade sourdough donuts, especially when the whole family gets involved in making homemade sourdough donuts from scratch.
My niece, who has been visiting us, has fallen in love with sourdough baking, and these donuts are now one of her favorites. Teaching her the ropes around safety and grease in the kitchen has been a fun experience.
Why We Love These Homemade Sourdough Donuts
- Made with sourdough discard
- Cake-like texture
- Family-friendly
- Fried in avocado oil for a lighter taste
- Easier to digest than store-bought
Kitchen Memories While Making Sourdough Donuts
We’ve had some funny moments in the kitchen, especially when my husband and daughter took on a Home Economics project together.
She was recently given a specific amount of money to spend and had to create a weekly menu with her dad. He told her no pizza, which broke her heart. But the point was to get her to think outside the box and create new recipes she hadn’t tried before.
She quickly realized that my husband’s relaxed approach to cooking often contrasts with my precise method, leading to some hilarious and educational moments for our daughter. For instance, when they made homemade enchiladas with homemade sauce, our daughter said he just “took over” and was throwing things into the mix and saying, “That looks about right!”.
It’s these little moments that make cooking such a joy and an opportunity for learning and bonding.
Ingredients for Sourdough Donuts
Here’s what you’ll need to whip up a batch of these fluffy, cake-like sourdough donuts using sourdough discard:
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for rolling)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- Avocado oil for frying
For the Simple Donut Glaze
I hope you have a glaze recipe handy for these donuts!
The glaze is tricky for me. I have tried several recipes and haven’t found the perfect one yet.
Remember, I live with a man who just “throws” things together, and they come out perfect. That is pretty much what happens every time I make these. I simply say, “Honey, do you mind…” and he loves me so much that he just does it.
Here is one I have used that the kids love:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Once your donut has cooled enough for you to handle it, it is a good idea to dip it into the icing and then allow it to cool. This allows the icing to adhere to the donut.
Recipe Notes & Substitutions for Sourdough Donuts
Cinnamon or No Cinnamon?
Now I do have a few notes to share with you regarding this recipe. The recipe does call for cinnamon; however, feel free to leave it out. We have a young lady in our church who comes over quite frequently. She is highly allergic to cinnamon, yet she loves the treats I make in our home. So, I left it out for her, and everyone enjoyed them just as much as they did when we included the cinnamon.
Egg substitutes
This recipe only uses one egg; however, I have a dear friend who has children who are allergic to eggs. I did some research on substitutes for the egg, and I found a website that had some promising substitutes. You can check out PCC Community Market and their substitutes for eggs in your recipe. I do hope that one of you tries it out and lets me know in the comments below.
Sugar substitutes
For all of you who follow me and are curious about low-sugar substitutes, I have not tried any in this recipe. However, I personally follow and have all of her cookbooks, All Day I Dream About Food. She has an amazing article on what sugar substitutes are best when used in different recipes. Check her out and try one of her suggestions! You will probably find more recipes on there that you will enjoy. I know I haven’t used a recipe yet from her that the family didn’t enjoy.
Sourdough Donut Texture Tips
These donuts have a cake-like texture, which is my personal favorite. If you have little ones that plan to enjoy these with you, then I recommend possibly thinning out the dough slightly. This recipe makes large donuts. Never fear, though; if you want to make them the way the recipe calls for, then you always have the donut holes to hand down to the little ones!
Tips for Fluffy, Sweet Sourdough Donuts
1. Use Active Sourdough Discard
This recipe calls for sourdough discard, but using discard that’s been fed in the last day or two gives the best texture and rise. (Fresh is always best when it comes to fluffy donuts!)
2. Don’t Overwork the Dough
Treat this dough a little like biscuit dough — gentle mixing helps keep them soft and tender. Overworking it can lead to dense donuts (and no one wants that).
3. Let the Dough Rest
After rolling and cutting out your donuts, let the dough rest for about 15-20 minutes. This little pause gives the dough time to relax and helps create that lovely, fluffy bite.
4. Fry at the Right Temperature
Keep that avocado oil around 350°F for best results. Too hot and they’ll brown too quickly without cooking through. Too cool and they’ll soak up more oil than you’d like.
5. Glaze While They’re Still Warm
Once your donuts have cooled just enough to handle, dip them into your glaze. The warmth helps the glaze stick and gives you that beautiful donut shop look (without leaving your kitchen).
Honestly though? Even if you mess up a little — they’re still going to taste amazing. Ask me how I know.
Can You Bake Sourdough Donuts?
Last but not least, I would love to experiment with baking these! I plan to do so in the future. If I do, I will definitely update this post with the information. If any of you decide to try it out, please let us know in the comments below.
More Delicious Sourdough Recipes You’ll Love
- The Best Sourdough Biscuits: A Family Tradition
- Citrus Berry Sourdough Blossoms
- Berry Delicious Sourdough Cobbler: A Tangy Twist on A Classic Dessert
Want even more sourdough recipes? Click here to explore all my favorite sourdough creations!
Quick Recipe Details:
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Servings: About 10 large donuts
- Storage: Best eaten fresh. Store unglazed in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Freeze unglazed for up to 2 months.
Ready to whip up a batch of fluffy, cake-like sourdough donuts using your sourdough discard? Here’s the full printable recipe so you can get started!
Sourdough Donuts
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Baking Sheet
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 egg for egg substitutes, see this link
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup milk
- Cooking Oil for Frying
Instructions
- Prepare Oil and Workspace: Heat oil in a deep fryer or large pot to 360℉. place a wire cooling rack inside a baking sheet and place paper towels on top to absorb excess grease after frying.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl or mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon (if using), and salt.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the sourdough discard, oil, egg, and milk to the dry ingredients. Using a dough hook, mix until just combined to form a wet dough. Be careful not to over-flour, as this can make the donuts too thick.
- Knead the Dough: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 3-4 minutes. Roll out to a thickness of 2 inches.
- Cut Out Donuts: Use a large biscuit cutter to cut out donuts. For the center holes, you can use a cap from a bottle or any other small round cutter. These will make perfect donut holes to fry.
- Fry the Donuts: Fry the donuts in the heated oil until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes per side. Place the fried donuts on the prepared cooling rack to drain excess oil.
- Glaze the Donuts: Prepare a glaze with confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Dip the warm donuts in the glaze and place back on the rack to set for about 10 minutes. This allows the glaze to adhere to the donuts.
Notes
- You can omit the cinnamon if you have someone with allergies. I often leave it out for a young lady who enjoys our treats but is allergic to cinnamon.
- These donuts have a cake-like texture, which I love. If you prefer smaller donuts or thinner dough, you can adjust the thickness as desired.
- Feel free to experiment with the glaze. I typically use about a cup of confectioners’ sugar, nearly a quarter cup of milk, and half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, but there’s no exact science to it.
- Consider trying to bake these donuts if you want a healthier alternative to frying. I haven’t tested this yet, but I’d love to hear from you if you do!
