Baked Sourdough Donuts

5 from 3 votes

Baked sourdough donuts are a fun and easy way to enjoy a classic treat with a sourdough twist. Whether you’re using sourdough discard or opting for a long fermentation process, you’ll end up with a batch of light, fluffy, and absolutely delicious donuts.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Donuts, Sourdough, Sourdough Discard

Servings: Donuts

Author: Ashley Adamant

Equipment

1 Donut Pan

Ingredients

Donuts

2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, about 250 g
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt omit if using salted butter
1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
1 egg room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sourdough starter or discard 100% hydration
1 cup milk whole milk preferred

Powdered sugar coating (optional)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Cinnamon sugar coating (optional)

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter melted, for brushing

Vanilla glaze (optional)

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 to 3 Tbsp milk or cream adjust for consistency

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Grease a donut pan thoroughly with butter or nonstick spray, working it into the crease around each center post.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
In a separate medium bowl, stir together the melted butter, egg, vanilla, sourdough discard, and milk until smooth.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold just until no dry flour remains. A few lumps are fine. Do not overmix.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag, or a zip-top bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe into the donut wells until each is about three quarters full.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the bottoms are golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed. The tops will stay pale; check the underside of one donut rather than waiting for color on top.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn the donuts out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For a powdered sugar coating, turn the slightly warm donuts in powdered sugar until evenly coated. For cinnamon sugar, brush the warm donuts with melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. For a glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth, dip the tops of the fully cooled donuts, and set them glaze side up on the rack to set.

Notes

Long Fermented Version: Mix everything except the baking powder, cover, and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours. In the morning, sprinkle the baking powder over the surface and fold it in gently, then pipe and bake as directed. Let the piped pan sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before baking. Holding the baking powder until the end matters, because baking powder releases part of its gas as soon as it hits liquid and an overnight batter mixed the usual way bakes up shorter and denser.

Yield and Pans: This batter makes about 12 donuts. A standard donut pan holds 6, so plan on two pans or two rounds in the oven. Grease the pan again between rounds.

No Donut Pan: This batter is too loose to roll or cut. A muffin tin gives you sourdough donut muffins instead. Fill each cup about half full and start checking at 15 minutes.

Discard or Active Starter: Either works with no adjustment. Discard is slightly more acidic and gives a bit more tang; a freshly fed starter is milder. The baking powder does the leavening either way. If your starter is stiffer than 100% hydration, add an extra splash of milk to loosen the batter to piping consistency.

Troubleshooting: Donuts with no hole were overfilled; stop at three quarters full. Dense or tough donuts were overmixed; stop stirring while the batter still looks slightly lumpy. Donuts that tear coming out of the pan needed more grease in the crease around the center post.

Storage: Best the day they are baked. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days. Do not refrigerate, which dries them out. To freeze, cool completely, leave uncoated, freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, warm 3 to 5 minutes in a 300F oven, and coat or glaze after warming.

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