Light & Fluffy Sourdough Donuts Recipe – The Perfect Morning Treat!

Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Donut Recipe

✨ Light and airy texture – thanks to the long fermentation time.
🍩 Customizable toppings – glaze, sugar, powdered sugar, or cinnamon sugar. You really can’t go wrong!
⏰ Perfect for mornings – prep the night before, fry fresh in the morning.
😋 Naturally leavened – no commercial yeast needed.

This recipe makes 12 donuts.

If you’re a fan of sourdough and have a sweet tooth, you have to try these sourdough donuts. They’re the ultimate morning treat—crispy on the outside, pillowy-soft on the inside, and full of that subtle tang only sourdough can give.

Whether you're already baking with sourdough or just getting started, this recipe is a great way to put your starter to delicious use. These donuts are made from a naturally fermented dough, making them easier to digest and incredibly flavorful. And trust me—once you make homemade sourdough donuts, its hard to go back to store bought donuts!

Pro Tips for Perfect Donuts

Make sure your starter is active and bubbly for the best rise.
Don't overcrowd your fryer—this helps maintain oil temperature.
Let your donuts cool slightly before glazing to avoid melting it all off.

Storing & Reheating

These donuts are best enjoyed fresh, but they’ll keep in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 10 seconds for that fresh-from-the-fryer feel.

Prep Time 13 hrs

Cook Time 15 mins

Rest Time 10 mins

Total Time 13 hrs 25 mins

Cooking Method: Frying

Courses: Pastries, Sourdough

Difficulty: Intermediate

Cooking Temp: 350 F

Servings: 12

Description

How to make the best light and fluffy sourdough donuts at home! Perfect for a morning treat and easy to customize with glaze, sugar, or cinnamon sugar.

Ingredients

Donut Dough

100 grams sourdough starter
118 grams milk (preferably whole milk)
50 grams melted butter - slightly cooled
1 egg
5 grams vanilla
55 grams sugar
5 grams salt
300 grams bread flour (can use AP Flour)

Donut Glaze

215 grams powdered sugar
50 grams whole milk

Instructions

1
In the bowl of a stand mixer add the sourdough starter, milk, egg & sugar, mix with a wooden spoon . Then add in the vanilla, melted butter, salt & flour. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until just combined. Let the dough rest for 45 minutes.
2
After the rest mix the dough using the dough hook on medium speed for 10-15 minutes or until the dough is smooth & pulls away from the sides. This dough is more on the sticky side so it won’t come clean off the sides but it should pull away & be easily scraped off the sides.
3
After the dough is mixed, cover & bulk ferment until doubled in size. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen this can take anywhere from 8-12 hours. After the bulk ferment, punch down the dough & give it a knead or two. On a floured surface roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thick & use a 3 inch biscuit or cookie cutter to cut the donuts out.
4
Then use a smaller cookie cutter or a piping tip to cut the holes in the donuts. Place each donut on a 4x4 square of parchment paper & let rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
5
While the donuts rise, make the glaze by mixing the powder sugar & milk until smooth, the mixture will be fairly thin.
6
Fry the donuts in hot oil or tallow at 350 degrees- I used tallow but coconut oil, vegetable oil or any light oil will work. Fry 1-2 minutes per side or until each side is golden brown. Place on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Then roll each donut in the glaze, sugar, powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar. If using glaze, place the donuts on a cooling rack while letting the glaze dry for 10 minutes before serving.

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