How to Make Baked Sourdough Donuts | Homemade Recipe

Soft and perfectly sweet, these sourdough donuts are such a fun treat to make for the family!

Sometimes we put foods into a bad or good group. I really don’t like that. I prefer to take so called bad foods and make them healthier and just enjoy them. Of course there are foods we should limit, however, I don’t subscribe to the idea of eliminating any food or food group.

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I prefer to eat healthy most of the time and enjoy a treat every now and then. Luckily, these donuts are a long fermented and use less sugar than most!

If you are brand new to sourdough, you will need to make your own sourdough starter

Why I love these sourdough donuts

Sourdough starter adds a depth of flavor that can not be replicated. This is a great recipe for those who want a less sour recipe since this is a sweet sourdough recipe.

I chose to make this recipe a baked version. I have never been a deep fryer person and just don’t eat deep fried foods often at all. Since they are baked, they are light and airy and not greasy at all!

What is Active Sourdough Starter?

Active starter or ripe sourdough starter is starter that has been fed within the last 24 hours and is bubbly and active looking.

What is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough starter discard is starter that hasn’t been fed lately and may have a liquid on top and an acetone smell.

What you will need for these Sourdough Donuts

• 2/3 cup milk: You can use whole milk, skim milk, or a milk alternative.
• 1/3 cup sourdough starter: Use ripe starter for best results.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar: I used a raw organic cane sugar.
• 3 cups flour I used 1 1/2 cup all purpose and 1 1/2 cup freshly milled flour.

This is the grain mill I use: Nutrimill Classic Grain Mill

Step By Step Instructions for making these Sourdough Donuts

Mix the dough

The night before you want to make these, add the milk, egg, sugar, sourdough starter, salt, and vanilla into bowl of your stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.

Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour and then add 1/4 cup of flour at a time until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl.

Knead for 10-12 minutes or until glossy and elastic on speed 2. Transfer to lightly greased mixing bowl.

This is the stand mixer I use: Nutrimill Artiste

Alternatively, you can mix the dough in a large bowl and knead by hand.

Bulk Fermentation

Cover with plastic wrap and allow to ferment on the counter overnight or up to 24 hours in a warm place. The next day, put the bowl in the fridge until you are ready to shape the donuts. This will make it easier to handle the dough.

Shape the dough

When you are ready to shape the donut dough, remove from fridge and transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.

Divide into 8 equal pieces using a bench scraper. Roll into a ball shape, flatten a bit, and cut out the hole in the middle to make the donut shapes.

If you find the donuts springing back when trying to shape them, let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes to relax the gluten and then shape.

You can use a donut cutter if you have one to make this even easier.

I use an olive oil lid to do this and it works like a charm. Alternatively, you can roll the dough out and cut with a biscuit cutter and then cut out the hole.

***If you are uncomfortable leaving the dough out overnight with an egg in, you can add the egg in the next morning. Just use a stand mixer and let it mix until well combined.***

Second Rise

Place the shaped donuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel.

Allow to rise for 1-2 hours at room temperature or until noticeably puffy and airy to the touch.

Bake the Donuts

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. My oven took exactly 15 minutes. If baking the donut holes at the same time, remove them after 10 minutes.

Allow donuts to cool on a wire rack or cooling rack.

Variations for Homemade Donuts

Top with cinnamon sugar for a classic donut.

Drizzle with maple syrup and chopped nuts.

I like to drizzle with honey and add a few walnuts or pecans.

You can make a simple icing with powdered sugar and milk, as well!

Try taking cocoa powder and adding a bit of powdered sugar and milk! This is one of our favorites!

Try baking them without cutting out the holes and use a piping bag to fill with whipped cream!

See all of my favorite sourdough recipes

Storage Tips

Store donuts in a plastic bag or airtight container on the counter for 3-5 days.

Donuts can be frozen in freezer safe bags for up to 3 months.