Sourdough Doughnuts

ByNatalya Syanova
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Here is the best recipe of sourdough doughnuts so far. I have a small stove burner, which I use outside on our patio, this makes doughnut production more pleasant, and my house doesn’t smell like fried oil. The doughnuts turn out soft, fluffy and delicious. Every other weekend my family patiently waits until I finish frying the doughnuts, then we deep them in the glaze together, and that’s a perfect start of any weekend.

Ingredients

Stiff Sourdough starter 

Dough

  • 280g bread flour (100%)
  • 64g stiff starter (23%)
  • 153g milk (54%)
  • 50g eggs (18%)
  • 55g soft butter (20%)
  • 30g sugar (11%)
  • 5g salt (1.8%)
  • 0.5g yeast (optional) to reduce sourness

Directions 

Day 1

Starter 

  • 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, form a ball, then roll it into a tight roll, place in a jar, cover with water, make sure it is covered with water, let sit at room temp 74-78F until it increases in size and starts to float on the top of the water.
  • In about 8-10 hours the top of the starter will dry and the bottom will start to melt in the water. We will need only the center part of it.
  • Keeping stiff starter in the water helps to reduce its acidity and sourness of the final product (learn how to make starter from scratch here).

Day 2

Dough

  • 8 am mix starter, milk, eggs, flour, sugar (let it autolyse for 30minutes).
  • During the autolyse period the flour becomes fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.
  • 8.30 am mix the dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
  • Add salt and mix for a couple more minutes. The dough should form a ball.
  • Add soft butter, increase the speed, mix for 10-15 minutes until the dough comes up together. If its not coming up together, feel free to add a little more flour (20-40g).
  • 9 am  cover and let it proof for 3- 4 hours at 76-80F/ 24-28C.
  • During that time perform 2 stretches and folds.
  • The dough should become slightly puffy.
  • 12 pm transfer the dough to the fridge for cold fermentation for 8-10 hours.
  • 10 pm remove the dough from the fridge.
  • Roll the cold dough on the floured surface.
  • Cut the donuts with donut mold or just a regular glass.
  • Transfer each donut on single piece of parchment paper, this will help with transferring the proofed doughnuts later into the pot with oil.
  • Cover the doughnuts, let them proof overnight on the countertop. Temperature should be 72-73F. 
  • Next morning they should increase in size and become puffy.

Note : if it’s hot in your kitchen, better to put doughnuts in the fridge overnight, and make them proof next morning for 2-3 hours at 78-82F until they will become puffy and light.

Day 3

Morning

  • If the doughnuts were proofing at room temperature, now they should be ready to be deep fried.
  • Preheat the oil for about 30 minutes, and fry the doughnuts for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
  • Then dip them into the glaze, or ice them the way you like them.

Note : if doughnuts were slowly proofing in the fridge, bring them back to the room temperature, let them proof for 2-3 hours, then deep fry them. 

Glaze Options

Vanilla Donut Glaze:

  • 170g powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients.
  • Whisk until silky and smooth.
  • If you want it thinner add a little more milk

Chocolate Donut Glaze:

  • 170g powdered sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
  • Slowly stir in milk and vanilla extract. Whisk until silky and smooth.

Enjoy your homemade sourdough doughnuts 🍩

Sourdough Doughnuts

Sourdough Doughnuts

10501kcal
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Prep 45 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Rise & Rest Time 1 day 4 hours 30 minutes
Total 1 day 5 hours 30 minutes
Incredibly light, airy, and boasting a delicate melt-in-your-mouth interior, these fried sourdough treats leverage an advanced underwater stiff starter fermentation method to completely wash away harsh acidity. Enriched with whole milk, whole eggs, and softened butter, the dough proofs slowly overnight before hitting the hot oil, resulting in a perfectly puffed structure and a classic pale proofing ring around the center.
Cuisine Sweet Sourdough

Ingredients

Stiff Sourdough Starter (Night Before)
  • 10 g Sourdough starter culture
  • 30 g Water
  • 60 g Bread flour
The Enriched Dough
  • 280 g Bread flour (100% – Reserve an extra 20-40g if your dough feels overly sticky during fat mixing)
  • 64 g Prepared Stiff Starter (23% – Center portion extracted from the underwater jar)
  • 153 g Whole milk (54%)
  • 50 g Whole egg (approx. 1 large egg) (18%)
  • 30 g Granulated sugar (11%)
  • 5 g Fine sea salt (1.8%)
  • 0.5 g Dry instant yeast (Optional – used purely to diminish sharp sour notes)
  • 55 g Unsalted butter, softened at room temperature (20%)
  • 1 Liter Neutral frying oil (Canola, vegetable, or peanut oil)
Option 1 – Classic Vanilla Glaze
  • 170 g Powdered sugar
  • 45 g Whole milk (approx. 3 tbsp)
  • 7 g Pure vanilla extract (1.5 tsp)
Option 2 – Indulgent Chocolate Glaze
  • 170 g Powdered sugar
  • 32 g Unsweetened cocoa powder (approx. 4 tbsp)
  • 45 g Whole milk (approx. 3 tbsp)
  • 5 g Pure vanilla extract (1 tsp)

Equipment

  • 3-Quart Heavy Saucepan (Or a deep Dutch oven to maintain stable frying temperatures)
  • Stand Mixer (Highly recommended to smoothly integrate the high-fat butter matrix and build structural elasticity)
  • Doughnut Cutter (Or a 3-inch biscuit cutter combined with a small pastry tip to cleanly stamp out centers)
  • Deep-Fry / Candy Thermometer (Crucial for monitoring and maintaining a precise oil temperature)
  • Large Glass Jar (For the underwater stiff starter build)
  • Kitchen Scale
  • Rolling Pin
  • Bench Scraper

Method

Night Before – The Underwater Stiff Starter Setup
  1. 10:00 PM – Stiff Starter Initialization: In a small bowl, whisk 10g of your active starter culture into 30g of water. Add 60g of bread flour and mix thoroughly, kneading by hand until a smooth, tight ball forms.
  2. The Submersion Bath: Roll the ball tightly into a cylinder. Place it into a tall glass jar filled completely with room-temperature water, ensuring the dough is entirely submerged. Let it sit at 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours. As it ferments, the wild yeast fills the tight matrix with gas, causing it to float to the surface. By morning, the top layer will look slightly dry and the base will look soft; you will slice it open and harvest exactly 64g from the clean, airy center.
Day 2 – The Enriched Autolyse & High-Fat Emulsification
  1. 8:00 AM – The Dairy Autolyse: In your stand mixer bowl, combine 153g of whole milk, 50g of whole egg, 30g of granulated sugar, the 64g of harvested underwater stiff starter, and all 280g of bread flour (along with the optional 0.5g of dry yeast if using). Mix with a heavy spoon until a thick, shaggy mass forms. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes to complete the autolyse and activate gluten linkages.
  2. 8:30 AM – Developing Gluten: Secure the bowl onto your mixer fitted with the dough hook. Knead on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or KitchenAid speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until uniform. Add the 5g of fine sea salt and mix for 2 more minutes until a cohesive ball forms.
  3. Butter Emulsification: Turn the mixer up to medium speed and gradually introduce the 55g of softened unsalted butter piece by piece. Once all the butter is added, increase the speed and knead continuously for 10 to 15 minutes. The dough will look slippery at first but will eventually absorb the fat entirely, clearing cleanly from the sides of the bowl. *Note: If the dough remains persistently sticky or wet after 12 minutes, sprinkle in an additional 20 to 40g of bread flour to help it gather.*
  4. 9:00 AM – Warm Bulk Fermentation: Cover the bowl tightly and leave it to ferment at a warm 76–80°F (24–28°C) for 3 to 4 hours. During this window, execute 2 gentle rounds of stretch-and-folds spaced 1 hour apart to layer vertical strength into the dough. The dough should look visibly smoothed out and feel slightly puffy.
  5. 12:00 PM – Cold Fermentation Retard: Place the entire covered container directly into the refrigerator to chill the butter fats down for 8 to 10 hours.
Day 2 (Night) – Precision Punching & Overnight Proofing
  1. 10:00 PM – Rolling and Cutting: Remove the firm, cold dough from the refrigerator and tip it cleanly onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a uniform thickness of 1/2-inch.
  2. Parchment Squares Setup: Cut out a dozen small individual squares of parchment paper. Using a flour-dusted doughnut cutter or a glass, punch out your rings. Place each punched doughnut cleanly onto its own separate parchment paper square. Collect the center holes and place them onto paper as well.
  3. The Long Final Proof: Group the parchment squares onto a large baking sheet and cover them loosely with a large upside-down storage plastic bin or plastic wrap. Let them proof overnight on your counter for 8 to 10 hours at a room temperature of 72–73°F (22–23°C). By morning, they will have doubled in size, feeling exceptionally light, airy, and fragile. *Note: If your kitchen is hot (above 78°F/26°C), place them back in the fridge overnight instead and proof them on the counter the next morning for 2 to 3 hours.*
Day 3 – The Floating Fry & Silky Glazing
  1. 7:00 AM – Heating the Fat Matrix: Pour your frying oil into a heavy saucepan or deep pot until it reaches a depth of 2 inches. Clip on your thermometer and heat the oil over medium heat for 30 minutes until it stabilizes precisely between 350°F and 360°F (177°C–182°C).
  2. The Seamless Fry Transfer: Pick up a doughnut by holding the corners of its individual parchment paper square. Gently lower the parchment and doughnut together directly into the hot oil. Within seconds, the dough will expand and float off the paper naturally; use tongs to lift the paper square out of the oil and discard it.
  3. Buoyant Fry Timing: Fry the doughnuts for 1 to 2 minutes per side until they display a gorgeous, uniform golden-brown hue. You should see a distinct pale line running around the center equator where the buoyant doughnut sat above the oil. Use a slotted spoon or chopstick to transfer them onto a wire cooling rack. Fry the doughnut holes for about 60 seconds total, rolling them continuously.
  4. 8:00 AM – Preparing the Glazes: Choose your glaze option. In a medium bowl, whisk together your selected glaze ingredients until completely smooth, silky, and free of sugar crystals. *Note: If you prefer a thinner glaze, stir in an additional teaspoon of milk.*
  5. The Finishing Dip: While the doughnuts are still warm, lower the top half or the entire doughnut directly into the glaze bowl. Lift it clear, letting the excess run off, and place it back on the wire rack for 5 minutes to let the glaze set into a beautiful matte skin. Serve fresh!

Nutrition

Calories10501kcalCarbohydrates663gProtein64gFat1014gSaturated Fat107gPolyunsaturated Fat272gMonounsaturated Fat616gTrans Fat6gCholesterol333mgSodium2125mgPotassium1297mgFiber21gSugar45gVitamin A2045IUCalcium436mgIron8mg

Notes

– **The Magic of the Underwater Stiff Starter:** Submerging a low-hydration (50%) sugary starter ball completely in water is a classic European sweet baking technique. The water environment creates an anaerobic barrier that severely limits the growth of acetic and lactic acid bacteria while allowing the wild yeasts to multiply steadily. This washes away sharp, sour, vinegary flavor notes, ensuring your doughnuts turn out sweet, buttery, and crowd-pleasing without any sourdough tang.
– **Why the Parchment Squares are Critical:** A perfectly proofed sourdough doughnut is incredibly delicate and packed with fragile air pockets. If you try to pick it up with your bare hands to move it into the hot frying oil, your fingers will deflate the dough instantly, leading to dense, misshapen, flat rings. Proofing each doughnut on its own parchment square lets you slide the entire unit into the oil completely touch-free, locking in maximum fluffiness.
–**Adjusting to Room Temperature Swings:** Enriched wild-yeast doughs are highly sensitive to ambient kitchen heat. If your house runs warmer than 75°F (24°C) overnight, leaving the doughnuts on the counter for 10 hours will overproof them, causing them to collapse and absorb oil like a sponge when fried. Always choose the refrigerator alternative if your environment is warm, allowing them to rise safely in a controlled environment before doing a quick 2-hour morning warm-up rise on the counter.
– **Glazing Temperature Window:** For a flawless bakery finish, always dip your doughnuts while they are still notably warm to the touch. The residual heat from the dough thins out the powdered sugar matrix upon contact, allowing it to coat the rings in a razor-thin, glass-like layer that sets into a beautiful, crackly glaze rather than a thick, clumpy frosting.

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30 Comments

  1. In about 8-10 hours the top of the starter will dry and the bottom will start to melt in the water. We will need only the center part of it.

    What do you mean “we need only the center part of it”? Do we pull out the entire stiff starter from the water and use it in the dough?

    Reply

    1. You have to pull out all starter from the water, but use only central part(because top part will be dry and bottom part will be too melty)

      Reply

    1. Sorry, I’m proud too late with answer. Usually I’m using canola oil. Or any other oil without flavor.

      Reply

  5. Very excited about these! How thin should we roll out the dough and how many donuts can be made with this much dough?

    Reply

  7. Hi! After putting the dough in the fridge at 10pm am I able to leave it in the fridge for 24-48 hours before removing and shaping?

    Reply

  10. What oil temp do you fry the donuts? I’m frying now and just noticed I don’t see a temp – going to try at 370!

    Reply

    1. Hi!
      I’ve never measured the temperature of the oil.
      I was putting small piece of dough, to check when will it start yo get brown

      Reply

  11. Hi Natalya! Thank you for this great recipe. Im curious about the benefits of a stiff sourdough starter in this recipe vs a regular 100% hydration. Can you pls elaborate a bit? Thank you!

    Reply

  13. Hello Natasha,
    When leaving the doughnuts out overnight to proof, how do we cover them so the skin doesn’t form or stick onto what we use to cover them?

    Reply

  14. Legitimately, the best sourdough donuts. My family and I went from making them once every 2 weeks to almost once a week now 😅🤣.

    The only addition I make to the plain glaze is a squeeze of lemon juice and zest!

    Reply

    1. That’s fantastic to hear! Adding lemon juice and zest to the glaze sounds like a delicious twist on traditional sourdough donuts. It’s wonderful that your family enjoys them so much that you’re making them more frequently now. Thank you for sharing your experience and the tasty tip!

      Reply

  16. Hi there – i want to try this recipe because i don’t like the sourness of other sourdough recipes I’ve tried. Yeast also is not my favorite texture so far. So i look forward to this recipe. Do you think rising over night is necessary for the final proof when already shaped? What if i let the dough bulk ferment on counter, then place dough in fridge over night 8 hours, then shaped the doughnuts 8 am , let rise in warm proofer and fry within 3-4 hours ?
    Do you think there is flexibility like this, instead of proofing in fridge two different times in the fridge like recipe shows , can making the process a 2 day process instead of thee days and shorter fermentation lead to less sour flavor development ?
    I love your recipes and content so much !!! I am willing to experiment but was hoping for your expert advice before wasting or ruining ingredients

    Reply

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