Sourdough Discard Donuts Recipe (2024)

Jump to Recipe

Make the softest glazed doughnuts and use your sourdough discard with this delicious sourdough discard donuts recipe! Make the same day, or rest the donuts overnight to prepare in the morning. Either way, you’ll love the results!

Sourdough Discard Donuts Recipe (1)

“These are the best doughnuts I’ve ever tasted!” At least three of these messages, from three different people, lit up my phone after I delivered bags of donut deliciousness to some neighbors. And darlings, they aren’t exaggerating. I’ve made some really good doughnuts, but usually left the classic glazed doughnut to the pros. Armed with my sourdough starter, I can confidently say… not anymore!

I don’t know what it is about fresh doughnuts, but they’re really something magical. This recipe was just me playing around using my sourdough discard. We didn’t have any pecans on hand for sticky buns, and I’d come across a recipe for making glazed doughnuts I wanted to try. I posted on my personal social media and got several requests for the recipe! So here it is! Thank you for the wonderful excuse to make more donuts. 😉

Sourdough Discard Donuts Recipe (2)

Did you know that you can basically use your sourdough discard in any recipe that calls for flour and liquid (including a CHOCOLATE version of these donuts!)? The substitution is made by weight! A cup of flour weighs 4.5 ounces, and a cup of water or milk is 8 ounces. So if your starter is equal parts water and flour, 6 ounces of starter will replace 2/3 cup of flour and a little over 1/3 cup of liquid. Easy!

Some of you who aren’t mathematically inclined just got that glazed look. Stay with me! We have donuts to make! That’s the only kind of glaze we want! Also, I did the math for you. You can just follow the recipe. Love you!

Sourdough Discard Donuts Recipe (3)

This recipe makes about 16 standard donuts and 18 doughnut holes. Why the difference? Well, you get one donut hole per donut, and then I cut extra holes once I no longer have enough dough to make big doughnuts. You’ll want those extra doughnut holes, I promise. They’re so good! Fluffy and perfectly poppable!

Sourdough Discard Donuts Recipe (4)

A few sourdough discard donuts FAQs…

The first thing you may be wondering is, “why use sourdough discard?” Most of us with sourdough starters really hate to waste perfectly good ingredients every time we feed our starter. So we get creative and use it in recipes like this one. If you have a nice tangy sourdough, the starter also adds the tiniest hint of flavor. It’s delicious in savory recipes, but fabulous in sweet recipes! In this sourdough donut recipe, I think the tang of the starter cuts the sweetness slightly. And the fact that these donuts are sweet but not too sweet, even with the glaze, is what makes them taste straight from a shop!

Sourdough Discard Donuts Recipe (5)

Second, you might be curious about baking these doughnuts. Don’t do it. This recipe isn’t for baked donuts and you won’t end up with the best results. To get the light and airy texture, you need the quick hit of heat that oil provides. In this case, even the air fryer couldn’t come close. Donuts in the air fryer came out pretty dense by comparison. Doughnuts are a treat, so it’s okay to fry. As someone who really hates the smell of frying oil, you know the results are worth it if I’m telling you to deep fry. Promise.

Sourdough Discard Donuts Recipe (6)

Third, and probably one of my favorite things about this recipe, you CAN prep the dough and let it rest overnight! Random side story… last year I hosted a “donut day” at my house. I like to have neighbors over for coffee and treats, sometimes with themes. I was up SO early that morning to get everything ready between frying and rising time. NOT required with this recipe! I can’t even tell you how nice it was to prep the dough the night before, leave it in the fridge to rise, then cut and fry the doughnuts the next day while making coffee. Less than an hour to fresh glazed doughnuts in the morning was amazing! Like, I could even possibly make these donuts for a holiday breakfast or weekend brunch kind amazing.

Sourdough Discard Donuts Recipe (7)

So bookmark this recipe, gather your extra sourdough starter, and get ready to make some of the best glazed donuts you’ve ever tried! Happy baking, darlings!

Sourdough Discard Donuts Recipe (8)
Sourdough Discard Donuts Recipe (9)

Sourdough Discard Donuts Recipe

Yield: about 16 doughnuts

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Chilling Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours

Make the softest glazed donuts and use your sourdough discard with this delicious sourdough discard donuts recipe! Make the same day, or rest the donuts overnight to prepare in the morning. Either way, you'll love the results!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sourdough discard (6 ounces)
  • 3/4 cup whole milk (6 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little more for dusting (15 ounces)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Glaze Recipe:

  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • pinch salt

Instructions

  1. Place the milk in a microwave-safe measuring glass and warm for 20 seconds so that it's fairly warm but not very hot. You don't want to burn the yeast!
  2. Pour the milk into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook or a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar, then sprinkle the yeast over top. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes until it looks a little foamy. While this is happening, melt your butter and set it aside to cool a little.
  3. Stir in the sourdough discard, eggs, butter (which shouldn't be hot by now), and salt.
  4. Add the flour in 3 batches and stir until combined. If you are using the stand mixer, knead on low speed for 4-5 minutes until smooth. Otherwise, knead as best you can by hand. Try not to add too much flour. The dough is on the soft and slightly wet side, but shouldn't be sticky.
  5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Refrigerate for an hour or two, until cold, or overnight (about 8-10ish hours).
  6. Once the dough is cold, remove from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the doughnuts out with a 3-inch doughnut cutter (see notes).
  7. Set the cut donuts on lightly floured parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Give them enough room to expand. Spray with a little nonstick spray and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise 45-60 minutes at room temperature until they look puffy.
  8. Toward the end of the rising time, heat your oil to 350 F over medium heat. A thermometer is really helpful here to monitor temperature.
  9. Line 2 baking sheets. One will have parchment paper and the other should have a double layer of paper towels for draining the fried donuts.
  10. Prepare the glaze by sifting the powdered sugar into a small mixing bowl. Stir in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. It should be a smooth glaze that's neither too thin or too thick. You can make it thicker by adding more sugar, and thinner by adding more cream.
  11. Add doughnuts in batches to the hot oil and cook for about one minute per side until the doughnuts are a golden brown. Donut holes will take a little less time.
  12. Remove the cooked donuts from the hot oil with a slotted spoon and place on the paper towels briefly to drain. Add a new batch of donuts to the oil.
  13. While those donuts are cooking, dip the still-warm donuts on the paper towels into the glaze, turning once to fully coat. Remove and place on the parchment paper-lined sheet to set.
  14. Repeat this process until all the donuts and doughnut holes have been cooked and glazed. Enjoy immediately!
  15. If you happen to have extra doughnuts, you can store them at room temperature in a box, or lightly covered. They tend to sweat in airtight containers. As with all donuts, these are their very best the day they are made. Enjoy!

Notes

  • I don't own a donut cutter. I have a set of circle cookie cutters. I use a 3-inch circle cutter for the outer circle and one of the smaller cutters for the donut "hole". A wide-mouth jar or glass can also work just as well.
  • If you'd like to make filled doughnuts, don't cut out the center hole. The cook time will be slightly longer.
  • The glaze may look a little thick when you mix it, but since you are dipping a hot donut in there, you need this to be on the slightly thicker side so enough sticks. The donuts in the photos were only dipped once. Feel free to adjust glaze consistency to fit your preference.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Did this recipe inspire you?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Sourdough Discard Donuts Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between sourdough donuts and regular donuts? ›

Sourdough donuts taste extra tangy thanks to a sourdough starter, a leavener that requires a bit of extra care but rewards you with a soft and airy dough. Balance the starter's flavorful boost with a thin veil of buttery vanilla glaze.

What are sourdough donuts made of? ›

These donuts are made with a traditional egg, milk, butter and flour mixture. The only difference is that they are leavened using a sourdough starter rather than commercial yeast. Sourdough donuts are not cakey like other baked donuts because they still have yeast - it's just a naturally occurring yeast.

How do you store sourdough donuts? ›

How do you store sourdough donuts? If somehow you have a few leftover, you can store them in an airtight container (or bag), or wrap them in a napkin and place in a paper bag – fold over the top. I like to add a napkin to help absorb any extra oil and keep them fresh longer.

What is sourdough discard? ›

Sourdough discard is the unfed portion of your sourdough starter that you remove before you add fresh flour and water. Because of it's unfed state, it's not used to bake the delicious bread you know as sourdough, but more often than not, used in sourdough discard recipes.

Is Dunkin donuts sourdough real sourdough? ›

What makes Dunkin's Sourdough bread so special? Dunkin's Sourdough Bread is one of the only mass-produced sourdoughs that uses a “true” sourdough starter. Many other companies that make sourdough bread on a large-scale use either a powdered substance as a base or use sourdough flavoring to flavor their bread.

Are sourdough donuts better? ›

They are light and airy, not overly sweet and you can decorate them any way you would like - so go nuts! Plus, these are easier to make than you may think, as with most things sourdough there is a lot of waiting, but the results are most definitely worth it.

Is it better to bake or fry donuts? ›

While many prefer the light and crispy texture of a fried donut, leaving the deep fryer in the cabinet and baking your cake donuts instead makes for healthier, less oily donuts. It's also safer and easier to clean up, given that you don't have to deal with lots of hot oil.

Is Dunkin donuts sourdough bread real? ›

As Josh Gomes (who created Dunkin's starter) explained to Bake Magazine, "Dunkin's Sourdough Bread is one of the only mass-produced sourdoughs that uses a 'true' sourdough starter.

Does Dunkin use sourdough bread? ›

Two eggs, five half slices of bacon and white cheddar on two pieces of sourdough toast.

Why should you not refrigerate sourdough bread? ›

To maximize the shelf life, keep in original packaging or linen based bread bag and store at room temperature. How long does sourdough bread last in the fridge? Sourdough bread should ideally not be refrigerated, as the bread will dry out and become stale faster than at room temperature.

Can you refrigerate sourdough discard to use later? ›

Store it for future baking: You can store sourdough discard in an airtight container in the refrigerator for future baking with sourdough discard recipes. When you're ready to use it, let the discard come to room temperature before using it to bake. I will keep sourdough discard in the fridge for about one week.

Can you store sourdough in a Mason jar? ›

Any non-reactive container can hold sourdough starter. We have heard of bakers keeping sourdough in ziplock bags and plastic to-go containers. Mason jars and old sauerkraut jars are popular favorites. Crocks are very traditional.

Is eating sourdough discard good for you? ›

Sourdough discard is rich in probiotics, which can help promote a healthy gut microbiome and improve digestion. It's also a good source of fiber, which can help regulate blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, and promote feelings of fullness.

Can you eat raw sourdough discard? ›

No, it's not advisable to eat raw sourdough starter. While some people claim to have healed their gut problems by eating probiotic rich sourdough starter, it's not really advisable. Raw sourdough starter contains uncooked flour which can harbor harmful bacteria among other things.

What is the difference between sourdough and discard? ›

Sourdough discard is excess levain or sourdough starter that is not used in a recipe or for maintaining the starter. Only a small portion of the sourdough starter is reserved and fed during each feeding, the rest is referred to as discard, since typically it is thrown away.

What's the difference between sourdough and normal? ›

Sourdough relies on a mix of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, rather than baker's yeast, to leaven the dough. It's richer in nutrients, less likely to spike your blood sugar, contains lower amounts of gluten, and is generally easier to digest than bread made with baker's yeast.

What is the difference between the two types of doughnuts? ›

The Obvious Difference

Yeast doughnuts, as the name clearly spells out, are made from dough leavened with yeast (think brioche), whereas cake doughnuts are traditionally made from a kind of cake batter that uses a chemical leavener (i.e. baking powder or baking soda).

What are the two main types of donuts? ›

While cake doughnuts and yeast doughnuts are both delicious, they are made with different ingredients and unique methods. It's helpful to understand how to make doughnuts to know just what makes them different.

What are the two types of donuts? ›

The two most common types are the ring doughnut and the filled doughnut, which is injected with fruit preserves (the jelly doughnut), cream, custard, or other sweet fillings. Small pieces of dough are sometimes cooked as doughnut holes.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Duane Harber

Last Updated:

Views: 5686

Rating: 4 / 5 (71 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Duane Harber

Birthday: 1999-10-17

Address: Apt. 404 9899 Magnolia Roads, Port Royceville, ID 78186

Phone: +186911129794335

Job: Human Hospitality Planner

Hobby: Listening to music, Orienteering, Knapping, Dance, Mountain biking, Fishing, Pottery

Introduction: My name is Duane Harber, I am a modern, clever, handsome, fair, agreeable, inexpensive, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.