Donuts come in many different shapes. Classic with a hole in the centre, round and filled or as rectangles. I like my donats best with a fruity jam filling. But no matter which shape you like best, you can make them yourself with this recipe. The recipe requires no yeast and just the sourdough makes the donuts really fluffy and soft. You can prepare the dough the day before and leave it to rest overnight in the fridge. In Germany, donuts are traditionally eaten at carnival, but they are also delicious throughout the rest of the year. This time I baked them in April, which definitely had the advantage that I could fry them with the windows open.
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Delicious fillings for the sourdough donuts
There are no limits to your creativity when it comes to the filling. I opted for a classic jam filling with homemade plum jam, but you can also fill them with a custard or cream, chocolate or nougat.
Why you should definitely try the sourdough donuts
The dough for the donuts is quick and easy to make and you can leave it to rest overnight in the fridge. The donuts contain no milk or egg and can therefore also be baked vegan. The sourdough donuts also contain no yeast. And of course they are super tasty and fluffy and the basic recipe tastes great with lots of different fillings.
Freeze and thaw fresh donuts
Homemade doughnuts take time and frying is probably not something you do regularly (at least not me). It is therefore all the better to bake a large portion of donuts straight away and store them in the freezer. Allow the fresh donuts to cool completely and freeze immediately in an airtight container.
Place the donuts in the fridge overnight to defrost. If you want to freshen up the defrosted doughnuts a little before serving, you can heat them up briefly in the microwave.
How to shape the donuts
Frequently asked questions
Which oils and fats are suitable for deep-frying?
Neutral oils such as canola oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil or peanut oil are best for deep-frying. Please note: Virgin oils are not suitable for deep-frying because they cannot withstand the high temperatures.
Why do my donuts get too dark or remain raw on the inside?
The temperature is probably too high and the baking time is therefore too short. If you are using a thermometer, make sure that the oil is around 170 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, you should turn the heat down to medium so that the donuts can stay in the hot oil for longer without getting too dark.
How long are the donuts fried for?
This depends on the size of the donuts and the temperature of the oil. When the oil is about 170 degrees, you should bake the donuts for between four and five minutes on each side.
What you need for sourdough donuts
- Wheat flour: Bread flour is best for your challah. If you want to replace some of the flour with wholemeal flour, you may need to increase the proportion of water.
- Water: Cold in summer and lukewarm in winter.
- Sourdough starter: The sourdough doesn’t have to be freshly fed, but it shouldn’t have been more than a week since it was last refreshed. If you have sourdough discard, I have the right recipes for you here. I feed my sourdough with equal parts water and flour. For the flour, I use a mixture of wheat flour and wholegrain rye flour. If you feed your sourdough with a different water-to-flour ratio, you will need to adjust the amount of water in the recipe accordingly.
- Sugar for sweetness.
- Soft butter or a vegan alternative for the dough.
- Salt and vanilla extract for flavour.
- Oil for deep frying.
- Jam for filling.
- Sugar and cinnamon to roll the donuts in.
Helpful tools – My recommendations
✨ The links with an star* are affiliate links. If you click on one of these links and buy something, I get a small commission and you support my work (thanks for that 🧡). This does not change the price for you. You can find more information on privacy policy here.✨
- A Danish Whisk* – especially if you don’t use a kitchen machine. This allows you to mix your ingredients without the whole dough sticking to the spoon.
- A kitchen scale*.
- You can use a stainless steel dough knife* to cut your dough pieces or shape your loaves.
- A wooden rolling pin*.
- A cooling rack* for bread, rolls and waffles.
You can find more product recommendations here.
More sweet recipes with sourdough
Best Sourdough Hot Cross Buns – Easter Recipe
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Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Overnight
“Better than IKEA” is what my first test eater said when he tried a sourdough cinnamon roll. If you ask me (a big fan of IKEA cinnamon rolls), that’s the ultimate compliment. The sourdough version of the Swedish kanelbullar has everything a good cinnamon roll needs: a…
Spelt Cinnamon Rolls with Sourdough (Vegan)
When it’s gray and wet outside, I can only think of one thing: soft, spicy cinnamon buns fresh from the oven! And because the summer has unfortunately had a lot of gray and wet days so far, it was definitely time for a new cinnamon roll recipe. This time it’s spelt…
Recipe: The Perfect Filled Sourdough Donut
Ingredients
tangzhong
- 100 g water or milk (plant-based alternative)
- 20 g wheat flour
Ingredients for the Dough
- tangzhong cooled
- 500 g wheat flour bread flour (or type 550)
- 220 g water
- 50 g sourdough starter
- 60 g butter or vegan butter
- 50 g sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Other
- 4 tbsp. jam as a filling
- cinnamon and sugar to cover the donuts with
- 1 liter oil e.g. coconut oil, canola oil or peanut oil
Instructions
Day 1
- For the tangzhong, mix water with wheat flour and boil until a thick paste is formed. Leave the tangzhong to cool completely.
- For the dough, mix all the ingredients together, cover and leave to rest at room temperature for about six hours. Stretch and fold once after 30 minutes.
- Place the dough in the fridge overnight.
Day 2
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and divide into twelve equal pieces.
- Shape the dough pieces into round rolls and flatten by hand.
- Then place on a baking tray, cover and leave to rise for at least an hour. The patties should have doubled in size.
- Heat the oil for deep-frying in a tall pan or pot to 170 degrees.
- Carefully place two or three patties in the hot oil with a slotted spoon. Turn once after a minute so that the donuts rise evenly. Bake for between seven and ten minutes, turning regularly.
- Leave the finished donuts to drip dry on a cooling rack and roll in a sugar and cinnamon mixture after a few minutes.
- Pierce the cooled donuts with a knife. Pour the jam (or another filling) into a piping bag and fill the donuts.
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