Sourdough Discard Donuts
Servings 18 donuts
These Sourdough Donuts are made with discard, deep-fried to golden brown perfection, and then covered in an easy 3-ingredient sweet glaze! Prep these delicious homemade donuts in just 45 minutes!
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup whole milk warmed between 110 and 120°F
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ cup heaping sourdough discard about 6 oz.
- 8 tablespoons salted butter very soft or melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3¾ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- vegetable or canola oil for greasing and frying
Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup whole milk
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix together warmed milk (be sure it is not too hot) and granulated sugar.1 cup whole milk, ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the milk mixture and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the surface of the milk becomes slightly foamy.2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- Use the dough hook to beat the sourdough discard, softened butter, 2 eggs, and nutmeg until mixed.½ cup heaping sourdough discard, 8 tablespoons salted butter, 2 large eggs, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- With the mixer turned on low speed, add the flour, one cup at a time until it is all incorporated.3¾ cups all-purpose flour
- Continue mixing on medium speed for 4-5 minutes or until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and forms a loose ball around the hook.
- Place the ball of dough into a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or even overnight.
- When the dough has doubled in size and is cold, divide it in half and transfer the first half to a lightly floured board.
- Roll the dough to ½-inch thick and cut out donuts with a 3-inch round donut cutter or two round cutters to form a donut shape.
- Place the donuts and “holes” onto a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving room between each donut for rising.
- Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with non-stick cooking spray and place over the sheet of donuts.
- Repeat the rolling and cutting steps with the other half of the donut dough.
- Set the trays of prepared donuts in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour. They should double in height or be noticeably puffy. When you press your finger into the donut, it should bounce back just slightly, but leave a small dent.
- While the donuts are rising, begin heating shortening or vegetable oil for frying. Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan (a Dutch oven is preferred) and fill at least 4 inches deep with oil. Heat, monitoring the temperature with a food thermometer, until the oil reaches and maintains 375°F.
- Place 1 to 2 donuts into the hot oil at a time and fry on each side for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove donuts to a paper-towel lined sheet pan to drain.
- Prepare the glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, milk, and a pinch of salt.3 cups powdered sugar, ½ cup whole milk, Pinch salt
- Dip donuts into glaze, flipping to cover both sides, then place on a cooling rack to cool and dry.
Notes
- How To Store: These Sourdough Doughnuts are best enjoyed a few hours after cooking. If you have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container and enjoy them within 1 to 2 days.
- How Warm Should The Milk Be For This Recipe? The temperature of the milk should not be more than 120 degrees F. If it's too hot, it will kill the yeast, and the donuts will not rise.
- Can I Just Add The Butter In After It's Been Melted? If adding in melted butter, it must be cooled before using. If the butter is too hot when added, it will kill the yeast, and the donuts will not rise. I just use extremely soft butter that I've set out for a bit. Regardless if the butter is melted or softened, you just want it to be soft enough to incorporate into the dough easily.
- Should My Dough Be Really Sticky? I would opt for slightly sticky dough over dry dough. Sticky dough may be harder to work with and more difficult to transfer and hold its shape, but I find the texture of the donuts turn out to be much better!
- The Dough Isn't Gathering Up Around The Hook, What Should I Do? Add in an additional 1/4 cup of flour at a time. If the dough gathers up the hook a little bit but still spreads toward the base of the bowl, it should be just right. However, if it begins forming a tight ball around the dough hook, chances are you may have added too much flour. The donuts will still rise and cook, but they may result in a tougher, more bread-like donut.
- Are There Any Tricks To Transferring The Cut-Out Donuts? Transferring the donuts from the sheet pan and into the oil can be pretty tricky. Try removing the plastic wrap from the risen donuts and allow them to set out without a covering for a few minutes. This should help dry the outer layer up a bit. You can also try cutting the parchment paper between each donut to lift the whole donut by the parchment paper and flip it into the oil. Carefully peeling the parchment paper off the back of the donut after it's in the oil. Another trick you could try is spraying the parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray or sprinkling it with flour before placing the cut-out donuts onto it. This should also help prevent some sticking.
Nutrition
Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 215IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
Find it online: www.sugarandsoul.co/sourdough-donuts/