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Pumpkin Sourdough Donuts

Pumpkin Sourdough Doughnuts

170kcal
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Prep 45 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Overnight Sweet Stiff Starter Build 10 hours
Total 23 hours 35 minutes
Soft, moist, and pillowy, these brioche-style sourdough doughnuts feature real pumpkin purée and a sweet stiff sourdough starter build that minimizes sour acidity while maximizing rise. Fried until deep golden brown and dipped in a rich maple cinnamon glaze.
Servings 12 Doughnuts
Cuisine Sweet Sourdough / American Pastry

Ingredients

Sweet Stiff Sourdough Starter (Night 1)
  • 5 g Sourdough starter culture
  • 30 g Water
  • 5 g Sugar
  • 60 g Bread flour
Main Dough (Day 2)
  • 280 g Bread flour (100%)
  • 60 g Sweet stiff sourdough starter (23% – from stage above)
  • 75 g Milk (27%)
  • 125 g Canned pumpkin purée (45%)
  • 50 g Large egg (18% – 1 large egg)
  • 55 g Softened butter (20%)
  • 30 g Sugar (11%)
  • 5 g Salt (1.8%)
  • 0.5 g Instant yeast optional, to reduce sourness
  • 1 tsp Pumpkin spice mixture (or ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp ginger)
Maple Syrup Cinnamon Glaze
  • 1 cup Powdered sugar
  • ½ tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp Maple syrup
  • 1–2 tbsp Milk

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale
  • Stand Mixer (fitted with dough hook attachment)
  • Round Doughnut Cutter (or a regular glass)
  • Deep Fryer or Heavy Dutch Oven
  • Slotted Spoon or Spider Strainer
  • Parchment Paper (cut into individual squares)

Method

Night 1: Build Sweet Stiff Starter (10:00 PM)
  1. In a small glass jar, dissolve 5 g sugar in 30 g water. Add 5 g sourdough starter and 60 g bread flour.
  2. Mix well, form into a firm dough ball, place in a jar, and cover with a lid.
  3. Let sit at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) for 8–10 hours until doubled or more in volume.
Day 2: Autolyse, Mixing & Cold Retard
  1. Autolyse (8:00 AM): In stand mixer bowl, combine 60 g active sweet stiff starter, 75 g milk, 125 g pumpkin purée, 50 g egg (1 egg), 30 g sugar, 280 g bread flour, and optional pumpkin spice/yeast. Cover and let autolyse for 30 minutes.
  2. Kneading (8:30 AM): Knead dough on low speed (or KitchenAid speed 3) for 3–4 minutes. Add 5 g salt and mix for 2 more minutes until a ball forms.
  3. Butter Incorporation: Add 55 g softened butter, increase speed, and mix for 10–15 minutes until dough comes together cleanly.
  4. Bulk Fermentation (9:00 AM): Cover and let proof for 3–4 hours at 76–80°F (24–28°C), performing 2 stretch-and-folds during the first 2 hours until slightly puffy.
  5. Cold Retard (12:00 PM): Transfer dough to refrigerator for 8–10 hours of cold fermentation.
Shaping & Overnight Counter Proof
  1. Shaping (10:00 PM): Remove chilled dough from fridge. Roll onto a floured surface to 1½ inches thick. Cut doughnuts using a ring mold or glass.
  2. Transfer each doughnut onto an individual square of parchment paper (for easy transferring into hot oil later).
  3. Cover loosely and proof overnight on the counter at 72–73°F (22–23°C) until expanded and puffy.
    4. If your kitchen is hot, proof in fridge overnight and let rise for 2–3 hours at 78–82°F the next morning.
Day 3: Frying & Glazing
  1. Preheat frying oil for 30 minutes.
  2. Gently lower proofed doughnuts on their parchment squares into hot oil and fry for 1–2 minutes per side until golden brown.
  3. Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp maple syrup, and 1–2 tbsp milk until smooth. Dip warm doughnuts into glaze and serve!

Nutrition

Calories170kcalCarbohydrates37gProtein4gFat5gSaturated Fat3gPolyunsaturated Fat0.4gMonounsaturated Fat1gTrans Fat0.2gCholesterol26mgSodium201mgPotassium72mgFiber1gSugar5gVitamin A1771IUVitamin C0.4mgCalcium22mgIron0.5mg

Notes

  • The Low-Acid Sweet Stiff Starter Secret: Enriched pastry doughs like doughnuts taste best without a sharp, sour vinegary profile. This recipe utilizes a sweet stiff starter build—which caps the hydration at 50% and introduces a touch of sugar—to specifically favor yeast production over acid-producing bacteria. This gives your pumpkin doughnuts a phenomenal rise and a beautifully mild, creamy, brioche-like flavor asset.
  • Mastering Temperature Controls for Deep Frying: Maintaining your frying oil at a strict 350°F (177°C) is the single most critical factor for doughnut success. If your oil drops below 335°F (168°C), the enriched dough will absorb the liquid fat like a sponge, turning your pastries heavy and greasy. If the oil spikes past 365°F (185°C), the exterior skin will burn rapidly while leaving the real pumpkin core wet and raw. Check your thermometer constantly between batches.
  • Managing the Delicate Tray Transfer: Risen sourdough doughnuts are incredibly fragile and full of expanding gas bubbles right before the fry. Touching or pulling on them aggressively with your bare hands can deflate them instantly, causing them to fry up flat. To move them safely, cut your parchment paper into individual squares beneath each doughnut ahead of time; you can then pick up the paper square and drop the doughnut smoothly into the hot oil without touching the dough skin.

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