Donuts
Light and fluffy, not sour, and ready to fry for breakfast. A long fermented treat that gluten sensitive folks can actually enjoy!
Why I Like This Recipe
It's hard to find sweet sourdough bakes that aren't too sour and aren't chewy, which is why I worked hard to make this for you.
Ingredients
Sweet Stiff Starter
For the Final Dough
For Frying
For the glaze
Instructions
Mix the sweet stiff starter: Mix all ingredients together well. Knead for 5 minutes until it starts to smooth out. Ferment at 76-80°F minimum (this will work for an overnight fermentation, do this right before bed. If you can, use your oven with the light on but oven off, or invest in a proofer, my #1 favorite tool that I use daily.)
The sweet stiff starter needs to rise at a warm temperature, and needs at minimum a 30% sugar to flour ratio. Why? Because a warmer temperature encourages yeast growth and not bacteria growth. Bacteria growth is what makes the acidic flavor stronger and for a sweeter and enriched dough, I prefer it less sour. If you don’t mind a more sour final bread, you can ferment your sweet starter at a colder temperature. The sugar in the dough also helps feed the yeast and will help curb the sourness. We also make it stiff because something called “osmotic pressure” happens, where the water in the starter and sugar gets pulled from the bacteria and causes the cell walls to break, killing off the acidity.
There is a very science based and in depth blog on Wordloaf’s website here, where Andrew describes Ian Lowe’s process for a sourdough brioche. It is very informative and I highly suggest you read it. I have long supported Andrew (@wordloaf)’s blog and if you subscribe to any baking blog, this one should be it. You can also see this Instagram video on my page that shows you what it looks like internally. It’s really cool!
- Mix the final dough: Mix the sweet stiff starter, 260 grams all-purpose flour (for dough), 130 grams milk, 50 grams granulated sugar (for dough), 1 large egg, and 5 grams salt together until it comes together with no lumps (10 minutes by hand, or on the lowest stand mixer speed if using a kitchenaid, or at 25-30% using the Ooni). Let rest 10 minutes.
Add the butter: Slowly add in 50 grams butter, very soft/almost melted while mixing on the lowest speed if using the Kitchenaid. Don’t turn the mixer up, or the heat will weaken the gluten.
Keep mixing until the dough comes off the sides of the bowl (about 25 minutes on low, or use slap-and-fold by hand). It doesn’t need to reach full windowpane, because we want light and fluffy, not chewy. Just mix it until it starts to smooth out and isn’t chunky anymore.
(It will go faster in the Ooni or another spiral mixer, make sure the dough doesn’t get too warm).
- Bulk rise, 8 hours warm: Transfer the dough to a lightly greased container, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for about 8 hours, until it’s larger in size and jiggly. I found that even if I didn’t let them fully double, the final rise matters more than this one. Don’t let it over proof though, then they’ll get a sour tang.
- Punch down and roll out: Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gently punch it down to release the gas. Roll it out to about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick.
- Cut into 6 donuts: Cut the dough into 6 even pieces and shape each into a donut — use a donut cutter, or a large and small round cutter to punch out rings. You can choose whatever size works for you, or even cut the dough into irregular sizes so you don’t have scraps* leftover.
- Second proof: Place the shaped donuts on a parchment paper lined sheet tray, and refrigerate until before bed. Take them out and let them rise on the counter overnight. Depending on the temperature in your house, a final rising time of 8-10 hours is about right. I like to sacrifice a donut hole or two to check the temperature of the oil! And don’t skip the parchment paper, this trick is so worth it.
- Make the maple glaze: Whisk together 200 grams powdered sugar, 35 milliliters milk, warmed, salt and 1-2 teaspoons maple extract until smooth and pourable. Warming the milk does make a difference, it creates that signature crackle on the top of the icing when you take a bite. You can use paper towels for excess oil, but I prefer a sheet tray with a rack on top.
- Fry: Before frying, cut the parchment paper around the donuts. Heat 1.5 liters neutral frying oil to 350°F (175°C) in a deep pot. Using the parchment paper as handles, fry the donuts in batches, about 60-90 seconds per side, until deep golden brown. Gently, using tongs, jiggle the parchment paper until it releases the dough. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
- Glaze: Dip the top of each warm (not hot, give the donuts 2-3 minutes out of the fryer before you glaze them) donut into the glaze and set on a rack to let it firm up. See notes for chocolate and vanilla versions using the same powdered sugar base.
Laila's notes
- If you do not have a way to keep your starter warm during the overnight rise, you can add 10-20 grams more of your starter to the sweet stiff starter formula. I had a lot of people tell me they were waiting for their sweet stiff starter to be ready to bake with, and this can help speed up that process. Try to keep the stiff starter at 75f or warmer if you can!
- For a chocolate glaze, mix 200g powdered sugar with 25g cocoa powder and 45g warmed milk. You can also sub warmed, strong coffee for a mocha glaze.
- For a vanilla glaze, simply sub vanilla extract or paste for the maple.
- For a fruity glaze, such as strawberry or passionfruit, mix 200g powdered sugar with 40g strained warmed fruit pulp, 10 g warmed milk and a tiny pinch of salt.
- If you find yourself running out of time after the bulk fermentation, you can put the dough in the fridge for up to 24 hours without risking too much acidity. You can do this before or after rolling out and cutting the donuts. Just make sure to calculate more final rising time if you are starting with a cold dough.
- I like to take the remaining scraps of dough and form them into a ball. I place the dough on a small sheet tray, cover, and let it rise alongside the donuts. I bake it at 325f for 15-20 minutes and have a little mini soft and sweet loaf. (This recipe is very similar to my light brioche recipe).
- If your donuts are a little under-fermented, they may have large air pockets forming while you fry them. It’s helpful to flip them as soon as you see the air bubbles start to form, it’ll keep them from blowing out too much. Use tongs for this!
Behind the Bake
Here’s the thing, I’m at the point in my career where it makes no sense to eat anything that isn’t my OWN! So I knew I needed to make a donut recipe for my husband, who LOVES donuts. They may be his favorite thing to eat on the planet. I hope you enjoy it as much as he does.
Laila's Tools
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