Start these the morning before you want them so they can do their first rise during the day, then cut them at night and let them do the second rise in the fridge overnight.
This dough comes together with a mixer or a whisk and is extremely sticky - this is key for the right texture. Use lots of flour when cutting, and chilling the dough overnight will make it easy to work with in the morning.
Inspired by some farmer's market donuts that were the BEST I've ever had. Made by Mennonites, the line was always outrageously long (so you know it's good), and you could pick out your donut from a donut board like a lobster at a fancy restaurant.
Then I got the cookbook Hope's Table (written by a Mennonite!) that had a donut recipe in it. I could tell by the look of the glaze on the donuts that they were going to be very similar to my beloved farmer's market donuts.
So, here it is adapted for sourdough. I've also scaled it down because the original recipe is written to make 6-7 dozen donuts and despite my best efforts, that is simply too much cutting/frying/donut eating for me. Also if you’re looking for really simple recipes that are like, way too good for how easy they are, I highly recommend Hope’s cookbook!
The Dough
This is a very wet dough. It’s so wet that you can (and should!) mix it with a hand or stand mixer. The consistency is key for the right texture donut. Don’t worry - it’ll be easier to handle after it rises!
And since these donuts are leavened using only a sourdough starter (no added yeast/baking soda/baking powder), they have the best flavor! The slight tang against the super sweet glaze is *perfection* in a donut.
Cutting Donuts
After the dough rises, turn it out onto a GENEROUSLY floured work surface. Press it out with your fingertips (using more flour so it doesn’t stick!) to flatten, then fold the edges inward to make a nice rectangle.
Then, roll it to ½-inch thick and start cutting your donuts! I have a 3-inch round cookie cutter I use for this, but you can use any variety of shapes or sizes. If you don’t have a cookie cutter, use the rim of a glass or a jar.
I have a mini cookie cutter that I use to cut out the holes of the donuts. You can also get creative and use what you’ve got here!
Re-roll this dough as many times as you need and keep cutting donuts out. I usually have to re-roll it 3 times to use it all up. It’s so soft, it can handle quite a bit of added flour without getting tough.
Once they’re all cut, cover them with plastic wrap and let rise in the fridge overnight.
Frying
You’ll cook the donuts in hot oil in the morning straight from the fridge. They cook quickly so make sure you have everything (the glaze, a paper towel-lined plate) ready to go before you start!
The Glaze
One of my favorite things about these donuts! This glaze dries hard and it does that perfect crinkly-crunch when you take a bite. I love it!
You can either dip your donuts into the glaze, or thread a wooden spoon through them, place it over the bowl of glaze, and spoon the glaze over top of them.
Sourdough Glazed Donuts
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 45 grams (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 60 grams sugar
- 185 grams water
- 75 grams sourdough starter
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 360 grams all purpose flour
- 7 grams salt
- For frying: oil or lard
For the Glaze
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch of salt
Directions
Make the Dough + First Rise
- The morning before you want to have donuts, cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add water, starter, egg, nutmeg, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add the flour and salt and mix until very well combined - switch to mixing with a wooden spoon if it becomes too difficult with a mixer.Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size - about 12 hours.
Cutting the Donuts + Second Rise
- In the evening, line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour and fold the edges of the dough toward the middle to form a square. Press the dough flat with your hands, then roll to ½-inch thick, adding more flour as needed. Cut circles with a donut cutter or a round cookie cutter with a smaller cut out for the middle. (The small cut outs will make donut holes!) Stretch the donuts to make the holes bigger as you lift them off the work surface then, place on the prepared sheet pan.Continue rolling and cutting until all the dough has been used. Cover the sheet pan with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
Frying + Glazing
- The next morning, whisk together the glaze ingredients in a large bowl.Heat 1-2 inches of oil or lard in a large pan or Dutch oven to 375 degrees. Fry a few donuts at a time, flipping every minute or so and monitoring the oil carefully to make sure it stays around 375. Fry until golden brown all over and cooked to an internal temperature of at least 200 degrees. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining donuts.While the donuts are still warm, line them up on a wooden spoon or chopstick and lay across the bowl with the glaze. Spoon the glaze over the donuts to cover completely. Let them drip for a few minutes, then transfer to a plate. Repeat until all donuts have been glazed. Donut holes will need to be dipped into the glaze - these are great for sampling while you cook!
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