The Best Homemade Sourdough Donuts (Video)

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These are the best homemade sourdough donuts you will ever make!  Simple and easy enough you could make them every day no matter your schedule.  With lots and lots of variations for fillings or toppings, these donuts are something your family will absolutely love!  Fresh sourdough donuts taste way better than any donut you’ll get from a donut shop, and are much healthier because they’re made with only eight simple ingredients.  No dough conditioners or preservatives, and no added yeast.  

These donuts depend on the sourdough alone to give them their soft and fluffy texture.  The donuts can be made with active sourdough starter or discard, and raised overnight, so you can quickly fry them for breakfast in the morning.  Allowing the donuts to rise overnight also gives them the health benefits of being long fermented, which means all the phytic acid and most of the gluten will be taken out of the flour by the sourdough starter, making them much easier for your body to digest.  

Use Beef Tallow For Frying

My favorite thing to fry donuts in is homemade beef tallow, which is much healthier than other oils and gives the donuts a delightful chewy exterior that you’re gonna love!  I promise you, this will be a staple on your breakfast menu from now on!

Why I Love Sourdough Donuts

There’s nothing quite like a delicious batch of boston cream filled chocolate sourdough donuts on Christmas morning (see video below), for a family brunch or even for a Sunday morning breakfast.  Or simple glazed sourdough donuts are amazing with a warm cup of coffee or tea, or even with a bowl of chili for a comforting supper.  Because these donuts can be made the night before, you can easily have them ready for a quick and easy breakfast anytime during the year, even during the busy summer months.  

You can not only vary the toppings of the donuts, buy you can also add a little pumpkin pie spice to the dough to make pumpkin spice donuts, or use some apple cider in them for apple cider donuts.  The options are truly endless so you never have to get bored with the same kind of donuts all the time, although what can ever be wrong with basic glazed donuts?  They are always my favorite!

What Are The Health Benefits Of Sourdough?

Anytime you add a fermented element like sourdough to a recipe, it becomes more nutritious because it contains live probiotics and good bacteria that help with gut health and digestion.  Gluten and phytic acid are naturally present in wheat, and are usually what is to blame for people not being able to digest gluten well.  When the grain is fermented through the sourdough process, the gluten and phytic acid are broken down, making it easier to digest.  A lot of people that struggle with gluten intolerance (not people with celiac), can digest food made with sourdough without any issue, especially if the recipe is allowed to sit out for a few hours and “long ferment”.   

In addition, phytic acid is an anti-nutrient that blocks absorption of the nutrients found in wheat. During the sourdough fermentation process, the phytic acid gets broken down and the nutrients are more bio-available to the body. This is why baking with sourdough is so important for our health.

Be sure to watch our full tutorial on how to make your own sourdough starter here.

For more of our favorite sourdough recipes, check out the sourdough portion of our website: Sourdough.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here

FAQ

Why Make Sourdough Donuts?

Sourdough donuts are so simple and easy to make, healthier than donuts you buy from the store, and long fermented so they are easier for your body to digest.  Sourdough donuts are soft and fluffy and have the most amazing texture, combined with a sweet and tangy flavor that you’re gonna love.

Is Sourdough Good For Donuts?

Yes, sourdough is good for donuts.  A lot of people think sourdough is only for bread, but it’s for SO much more.  Sourdough gives a fermented element to anything you put it in, which makes it easier for your body to digest.  That doesn’t necessarily mean that everything with sourdough in it will taste sour however.  If you add some sweetener to the dough, it will not taste sour, and the sourdough will simple act as the levainer to raise the end product.  

What is the difference between sourdough donuts and regular donuts?

Sourdough donuts are made with a natural wild yeast that is all around us, instead of commercial yeast or baking powder purchased from the grocery store.  Sourdough is the leavener that raises the donuts and gives them their soft and fluffy texture.

Is sourdough better for you than normal dough?

Yes, dough made with sourdough is better for you than normal dough providing you let it sit at least overnight to ferment.  This long fermentation period allows the sourdough to break down the harmful phytic acid and gluten found in raw flour.

Are baked donuts healthier than fried?

Baked donuts can be healthier than fried donuts depending on how much sugar is in the cake donut recipe.  The problem with most fried donuts is the type of oil that they are fried in, because obviously you end up ingesting some of the oil.  Most donuts are fried in seed oils which have been proven to be very unhealthy.  

I always fry my donuts in beef tallow that I render myself and that comes from our own beef cattle that we raise on our own homestead.  If you’re unfamiliar with beef tallow, it is the fat from beef cattle that you render down into clean oil.  It is very similar to the fat on your own skin actually, and can be used not only for cooking but for skin care products and candle making.  So donuts fried in beef tallow are actually much healthier for you than donuts fried in seed oils.

Tips

• To gain all of the health benefits from making these with long fermented sourdough, be sure to allow the donuts to bulk ferment at room temperature overnight.  This will ensure that most of the phytic acid and gluten in the flour are consumed by the sourdough starter making these much easier to digest especially if you are gluten intolerant.
• I recommend mixing these donuts in a stand mixer (Bosch mixers are my favorite because they last forever).  I always just add the ingredients to the mixer, and turn it on and let it mix for at least 10 minutes.  Sometimes it will seem to be too wet of a dough in the beginning, but by the end of the 10 minutes of mixing, the gluten has developed and the dough comes together beautifully.  
• It is perfectly safe to add the eggs to this dough and still allow the dough to bulk ferment at room temperature overnight because the good active bacteria in the sourdough starter will prevent any bad bacteria from forming on the eggs.
• You can make these with either active sourdough starter or cold sourdough discard.  The donuts may not appear to rise much overnight if you use discard, but they will still puff up beautifully when you put them in the hot oil.
• Be sure your oil or tallow stays between 350 and 375 degrees during the entire time you’re frying the donuts.  If the oil falls under 350 degrees, the donuts can get greasy, and if it’s hotter than 375 degrees the donuts can get too crispy too quickly.  I use a simple thermometer and adjust the temperature of my pot as needed (see video below).
• If you want to make cream or jam filled donuts, just use a biscuit cutter or a wide mouth mason jar and skip cutting out the donut hole in the middle of the donut.  This will make it really easy to fill after frying.
• You can also make all donut holes using a small biscuit cutter or the top of a juice container, and that’s always a favorite with the kids.  
• Be sure the cover the donuts with another baking sheet turned upside down when allowing to rise overnight.  This locks in the moisture and allows them to rise without drying out.  

Our Favorite Sourdough Donut Recipe Variations

• Dipped in a simple glaze (this is my personal favorite)
• Boston cream filled are donuts that are filled with a homemade cream filling, and dipped in a chocolate or maple glaze
• Dipped in chocolate and covered in nuts
• Filled with your favorite jam or pie filling
• Dipped in sugar or cinnamon sugar
• Dipped in a traditional buttercream frosting
• Dusted with powdered sugar

Simple Ingredients

Milk

I use raw whole milk from my Jersey cows, but you can use whatever kind of milk you have.  If you are dairy free, you can use non-dairy milk or even water.  The milk does help the dough to be extra soft, but it’s not 100% necessary.

Sugar

I usually use regular sugar, but you could use cane sugar or even honey. I purchase mine in bulk from Azure Standard which is my favorite online grocery store.  If you use honey, you may have to add a little bit more flour so the dough comes together and isn’t too sticky.  Mix the dough for 10 minutes though before adding any extra flour.

Sourdough Starter

Active sourdough starter or sourdough discard works fine.

Butter

I use my own homemade butter, but use whatever kind of butter you have.  Even melted coconut oil or beef tallow would work fine too.  The butter, eggs and milk in this dough make it an enriched dough and make a tender and fluffy homemade donut.

Eggs

Farm fresh eggs are always best, and give a nice protein content to the dough.

Salt

Redmond real salt from Azure Standard is my favorite, but use whatever salt you have.

Vanilla Extract

You can make your own homemade vanilla extract really simply.  I keep it stored in my homestead pantry so I always have it on hand.

Flour

All purpose flour makes the most light and fluffy donuts.  You can also make these with whole grain flour, but they won’t be quite as fluffy and tender.  I purchase most of my flour from Azure Standard and keep it stored in bulk in my pantry.  Use the code NEW15 at this link to get 15% off your first order of $100 or more through Azure Standard.

Beef Tallow

For frying the donuts

Tools You May Need

• Stand mixer. You can mix these donuts by hand, but it takes a lot of kneading to get the dough really smooth, so I usually use my Bosch mixer and just mix up the dough while I’m cleaning up supper dishes in the evening.  This makes the donuts fast and easy to make as I just roll them out when they’re done mixing, and let them rise until morning.
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Rolling pin
• Biscuit cutters or donut cutters (a wide mouth jar will also work for cutting out the donuts)
• Four Baking Sheets. Two for laying the donuts on to rise overnight, and two for covering them up to seal in the moisture while still allowing the donuts to rise.
• Parchment paper
• Baking racks (for draining the donuts after frying)
• Metal tongs
• Dutch oven or deep heavy bottom pot
• Digital thermometer
• Medium sized bowls for glazing
• Cake decorator or piping bag for making cream or jam filled donuts (optional)

How To Make The Best Homemade Sourdough Donuts

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add first seven ingredients.  Mix on low speed until combined.

While the mixer is running, add flour one cup at a time.

Turn mixer onto medium speed and allow it to mix for at least 10 minutes.  You want the gluten in the dough to be developed enough that you can pull the dough up and get it thin enough to see through it without it tearing.  This is sometimes called windowpane test.  (See video below)

If you want to make cream filled donuts, it’s a good idea to make the cream filling while the donuts are mixing, so it can be well chilled before morning when you will fry the donuts.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out until it is ½” thick.

Using biscuit cutters, a donut cutter, or a wide mouth jar lid and a juice lid, cut out donuts.  You can cut them all into donut holes using the juice lid if you prefer.  If you want to make any jam or cream filled donuts, you’ll want to cut them out without any holes in them.

Layer the donuts on two parchment lined baking sheets as you cut them out.  You will have to re-roll your dough at least once to get them all cut out and use up all your dough.

Cover the cookie sheets with the other two cookie sheets to help seal in the moisture.  This will allow the donuts to rise and proof overnight, without them drying out.

Allow to rise at room temperature overnight or 8-12 hours.

Frying The Donuts

In the morning, heat 3-4” of beef tallow or oil in a 6 quart dutch oven or similar sized heavy bottom pan over medium heat.  Heat until the oil is close to 375 degrees.  Keep in mind that your oil will cool off once you add the first round of donuts, so it’s best if the oil is on the hotter side.

Carefully drop 3-4 donuts in the hot tallow or oil.  There should be enough oil in the pot that they donuts do not reach the bottom.  These are deep fat fried donuts, so the oil has to be deep enough that they will float.  Let them fry on one side just until that side starts to turn a golden brown.  This usually takes about a minute.

Using metal tongs or a slotted spoon, flip the donuts over and fry on the other side just until brown.  Don’t fry them too long or they will get extra crispy and not be quite as good.

Remove the donuts from the tallow and place on a baking rack that is on a baking sheet.  Allow the oil to drip off while frying the rest of the donuts.

Check the oil temperature between each batch of donuts making sure it doesn’t drop below 350 degrees and go above 375 degrees.  Adjust heat as necessary.

Fry until all the donuts are done (see video).  The excess oil can be saved for frying other things or cooking.

Topping The Donuts

Mix up vanilla glaze or chocolate topping. 

Fill donuts with filling if desired, or dip into glaze or toppings.  There are SO many ways to top these, so use your imagination.

Enjoy with some coffee or tea and a side of fresh fruit for a delicious and comforting breakfast.

Store leftovers in an airtight container on the counter for a couple of days (I bet they’ll never last that long).  Sourdough donuts can also be frozen before adding the toppings for up to three months.

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