I rarely make donuts at home. You need a REALLY good recipe, one that gives you donuts that make you forget about the calories, at least long enough to have a couple of donuts! Up until recently I didn’t have a recipe that fit that description. That changed when I cam across the recipe I am sharing today.
I have used my sourdough starter to make bread, pancakes, crepes, brownies, crackers, cinnamon rolls and every single time the results were amazing. Using a sourdough starter adds a certain depth to recipes, a layer of flavor that is not necessarily sour. At times you can’t detect any tang but still the addition of the sourdough starter improves the texture and flavor so much that now even my kids say that any recipe gets extra points if it contains the starter.
Today’s recipe is no exception. With both yeast from the sourdough starter and baking powder, these donuts are sort of middle ground between cake doughnuts and yeast ones. They are the best of both worlds if you will. So no matter what doughnut camp you’re in, give these a try. I think you will love them! 
These donuts are light,airy and fluffy with the slightest crunch on the crust. Top them with some cinnamon sugar and stopping at one will really test your self control.
I divided the dough in half, I made one half on the spot and stored the other half in the fridge for a couple of days. The donuts made on the first day and those made from the stored dough were equally delicious. You can make the dough the night before and simply take these out in the morning and make a few to surprise your husband or kids on the weekend.
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Cinnamon Sugar Sourdough Doughnuts
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 donuts 1x
Description
Sourdough starter gives these doughnuts an extra depth of flavor and balances with the baking powder for a texture that is somewhere between cake doughnuts and yeast ones.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) sourdough (you can make your own using this technique)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 egg
- 2 cups (480 ml) flour (I usually need 1/3-1/2 cup more to make the dough managable )
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) buttermilk
Instructions
- Prepare a pot or deep fryer for frying.
- Line a tray with paper towels and set aside, you will use this for draining doughnuts.
- Heat oil to 360 degrees.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda
- In a bowl mix the sourdough starter, oil, buttermilk and egg.
- Add the sugar, cinnamon and salt to the dry ingredients and then add them to the wet ingredients.
- Bring dough together gently with you hands. Sprinkle some flour onto a work surface and turn dough on to it. Knead it gently about 3 times to help bring the dough together.
- Roll out to a thickness of 2 centimeters and cut with a doughnut cutter or if you are like me, you can use a round cutter (I used my 1/2 and 1/4 cups) and a bottle cap
- Fry until golden brown. Test the first one for doneness by breaking it in two and checking if the middle is doughy.
- Drain on paper town. Toss with vanilla sugar or cinnamon sugar to coat or top with your favorite topping
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 doughnut
- Calories: 200
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why use sourdough starter in doughnuts — won’t they taste sour?
Not necessarily sour — the article explains that sourdough starter adds depth of flavor and improved texture without a detectable tang. Combined with baking powder here, the starter creates a texture somewhere between a cake doughnut and a yeast doughnut: light and fluffy with a slight crust.
Can I make the dough ahead and fry the doughnuts the next morning?
Yes — the author does exactly this. Divide the dough in half, fry one batch right away and store the other half in the fridge for a couple of days. The article notes that the doughnuts made from refrigerated dough are equally delicious as those fried fresh.
How do I know when the oil is at the right temperature?
The recipe calls for oil heated to 360°F. Since even small batches can vary, the instructions advise testing the first doughnut by breaking it in two and checking that the middle is cooked through — not doughy — before frying the rest of the batch.
These came out great! Even the next day they weren’t stale yet. I mixed up all my ingredients and then let it sit on the counter overnight and made them the next morning. I’d guess they’d be more dense if the dough was stored in the fridge. Next time I’ll divide it up and see which way we like it best. Will definitely make these again!