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These sourdough raised donuts have the soft, tender texture you expect from a classic bakery-style donut, just with deeper flavor. The long, slow rise gives the dough deeper flavor and light chew. They fry up beautifully and hold their shape for dipping in glaze.
If you enjoy working with sourdough for enriched doughs, be sure to try our sourdough hot cross buns.
Here’s Why This Glazed Sourdough Donut Recipe Works
Flavor-forward dough: The sourdough starter and slow fermentation add depth and complexity, no extra work required.
Soft, tender structure: Enriched with butter and egg, the dough stays light and pillowy without turning greasy.
Flexible proofing: Let it rise at room temperature or slow it down overnight in the fridge, whatever fits your schedule.
Three easy glazes: Maple, chocolate, and raspberry. All simple to make, and each one adds a distinct flavor to complement the donuts.
If you’re in the mood for a classic artisan loaf, our Dutch oven sourdough bread is a great place to start.
Recipe Tips
Warm, not hot, milk: Aim for 100°F to 120°F, warm enough to activate the starter, but not so hot it kills it.
Knead until smooth and elastic: Whether by hand or mixer, the dough should stretch without tearing before it rests.
Let them puff before frying: A proper second rise gives you lighter texture and better structure.
Watch your oil temp: Keep it between 360°F and 370°F. Too low and they’ll soak up oil; too high and they’ll brown before cooking through.
Glaze on a rack: It’s cleaner, and it keeps the bottoms from turning soggy while the glaze sets.
Looking for more ways to use sourdough starter? Try our sourdough cake donuts that are made with discard.
Sourdough Glazed Donuts
Sourdough-raised donuts give you bakery-style texture and rich, slow-fermented flavor you won’t find in anything store-bought. Fry them fresh, dunk them in glaze, and enjoy the soft crumb and rich flavor that make them stand out.
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Glazed Sourdough Donuts
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Ingredients
- 1 cup milk, (236 grams)
- 1 cup active sourdough starter, 240 grams
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 ¼ to 4 ¾ cups All Purpose flour, 510 to 570 grams
- ½ cup granulated sugar, 100 grams
- 1 teaspoon salt, 6 grams
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened (85 grams)
To deep fry the donuts:
- 6 cups vegetable oil
Maple glaze
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 to 5 teaspoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Raspberry glaze
- 6 to 8 ounces fresh raspberries
- 1 to 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice,
Instructions
- Warm the milk up slightly. It should be just a little warmer than body temperature or between 100°F and 120°F.
- Add starter, warm milk, egg and vanilla to a bowl. Stir well.
- Add the flour, sugar and salt. Stir until the flour is blended in.
- Dump the dough onto a work surface and knead in the butter.
- Continue to knead the dough until it is smooth. It will take about 8 to 12 minutes. You can use an electric mixer with the dough hook if you would like. When the dough is well-kneaded, it will be smooth and will not tear easily.
- Place the dough into an oiled bowl and coat the top of the dough ball with some more oil. Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 3 to 6 hours until it is doubled in size. (optionally, you can let it sit in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours for a longer fermentation).
- Knock the air out of the dough and dump it out onto a floured work surface.
- Roll the dough out until it is about ½ inch thick.
- Use a 4 inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles. Use a smaller cookie cutter, about 1-½ inches to cut the centers out of each circle.
- Arrange the donuts onto a greased baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Spray the tops of the donuts with cooking spray so they don’t dry out and cover them loosely with plastic wrap.
- Let the donuts sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours until they are slightly puffed up.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot. The oil should be 360°F to 370°F.
- When the oil is hot gently place 2 to 3 donuts into the pot. Fry on each side for 2 to 3 minutes until they are golden brown.
- Place the donuts on a cooling rack while you fry the rest of them.
To glaze the donuts:
- Make one or all of the glazes below. Dip the donuts into the glaze and place on a wire rack to dry.
For the maple glaze:
- Combine all the ingredients for the maple glaze and set aside to thicken. As the melted butter cools, the glaze will get thick. If you want a thicker glaze, add a bit more powdered sugar.
For the chocolate glaze:
- Combine all the ingredients for the chocolate glaze and stir until there are no lumps.
- For a thicker glaze, add more powdered sugar and for a thinner glaze, add more milk.
For the raspberry glaze:
- Puree the raspberries in a blender then strain through a strainer to remove the seeds.
- Combine the raspberry puree with the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Stir until smooth.
- For a thicker glaze, add more powdered sugar. For a thinner glaze, add a few drops of lemon juice or water.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I just made these. They were a hit! Wonderful recipe.
Thank you for the comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed them.
Made these last week, plan to again and again! Best donuts ever! Thank you for posting this recipe.
Thanks for the comment, I’m so glad you enjoyed them
This looks so amazing!
Thank you
Wish I could reach into my screen and grab one right there! They look absolutely irresistible, Dahn.
Thanks Angie, I wish I could share them with you 😉