These sourdough donuts are fluffy with a crunchy crust. They’re made with no commercial yeast or fancy donut equipment. Grab your sourdough starter and a cast-iron skillet and you’re ready to make sourdough donuts!

Re lated: Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

sourdough donuts with cinnamon sugar in a longaberger basket with floral liner

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How to Make Sourdough Donuts

sourdough donut dough shaped into donuts with a glass jar of flour and a dough scraper nearby

My sourdough donut recipe calls for a good amount of cinnamon (or pumpkin spice) so the flavor really stands out. The star of the show for these sourdough donuts is the texture – crunchy crust and soft on the inside.

Sourdough donut Ingredients

The dough is long-fermented and made with a sourdough starter and no commercial yeast. With a little help from baking powder and soda, these sourdough donuts are big and fluffy!

Doughnuts

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp spice of choice (cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice or a combination)
3/4 cup milk (or raw milk kefir)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup sourodugh starter
2 tbs unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Frying

6 tbs coconut oil

Cinnamon sugar coating

3/4 cup coconut sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

Sourodugh donut dough

In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients and set aside.

mixing dry ingredients in a large ceramic bowl with a danish dough whisk

In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.

mixing wet ingredients in a glass bowl and adding vanilla extract wearing white sweater and apron

Combine the dry and wet ingredients until combined (be sure not to overmix or these can become dense).

combining wet and dry ingredients with a danish dough whisk in a large ceramic bowl wearing a white sweater and apron

Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic and let the sourdough donut dough ferment on the counter for 2 hours then transfer to the fridge.

Leave the dough in the fridge overnight (or until you want to fry your donuts – minimum 4 hours).

Shaping sourdough donuts

Remove the dough from the fridge and lightly dust your counter with flour.
Remove your ball of dough from the bowl and flatten out onto the counter.

flattening out sourdough donut dough on a floured surface wearing a white sweater and apron

Divide your dough into equal pieces. This recipe makes 8-10 donuts depending on size.

using a dough scraper to slice dough on a granite countertop with a glass jar of flour in the background

Take a piece of your divided dough and roll it into a ball.

ball of dough in hand with dough in strips on the counter with a glass jar of flour in the background

Then using your thumb to make a hole in the center and forefinger to guide and spin the donut, shape the dough into donuts.

using thumb and forefinger to shape sourdough donuts into donuts with strips of dough on the counter

Do this for each piece of dough.

Frying and coating sourdough donuts

Once all your donuts have been shaped, preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and combine cinnamon and sugar coating on a plate.

pouring pumpkin pie spice on top of coconut sugar on a blue and white plate with shaped donuts in the background

Set the cinnamon sugar plate and a clean plate next to your cast iron skillet. You’ll want this nearby!

blue and white plate with cinnamon sugar next to a cast iron skillet

Add a liberal amount of coconut oil to your skillet. I call for about 6 tbs, but you want it to be about 1 inch deep.

coconut oil on a cast iron skillet next to a blue and white tray

Once the oil is completely preheated, place your donuts into the oil and watch them sizzle!

sourdough donuts frying in a cast iron skillet next to blue and white plates

After about a minute, drop the heat to low and let them cook on that side until a crust has formed on the bottom. This should take about 3 minutes.

sourdough donuts frying on a cast iron skillet

Flip your donuts and let cook on the other side until a crust has formed. This should take about 3-5 minutes.

browned sourdough donuts frying on a cast iron skillet next to a blue and white plate with cinnamon sugar

Once the other side has cooked, do a quick flip again to add oil to the other side and place the donuts in the cinnamon sugar. Flip the donuts around to coat all sides. Then transfer coated donuts to a clean plate.

Do this process for your next batch.
If your donuts are still gooey on the inside just place them in a 350 degree F oven for 5-10 minutes after coating with cinnamon sugar and they will be completely baked on the inside but crunchy on the outside.

sourdough donut storage instructions

sourdough donuts with cinnamon sugar in a basket with floral liner and woman holding with a white sweater and apron

Place the sourdough donuts in an airtight container and leave at room temperature for up to 3 days. The taste and texture quickly decline so eat up!

Freezing sourdough donuts

Your donuts can be frozen too, without the coating, for up to three months.
To defrost, simply remove the donuts from the freezer and leave at room temp for a couple hours. Or you can defrost by heating in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
To coat the sourdough donuts after they’ve been defrosted, dip them in melted butter or coconut oil then in your coating.

sourdough donut Tips

sourdough donut cut in half on a blue and white plate

These donuts have a tendency to still be gooey in the middle if you don’t have the temperature in your skillet just right. If this happens, just pop them in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 5-10 minutes.
The dough for these sourdough donuts is quite sticky so you won’t want to skip the fridge ferment. This will make the dough easy to shape the next day.
Shaping donuts doesn’t require fancy donut cutters, but if you have them, feel free to use them!
If cutting out the donuts instead of shaping them how I instruct, you’ll want to let them rise for another hour after being cut so they can fluff up.
If shaping your donuts how I instruct (just using hands) you’ll need floured hands because the dough is sticky. Only use as much flour as necessary or your donuts may turn too dense.

Sourdough donut Serving Suggestions

sourdough donuts with cinnamon sugar stacked on top eachother on a clay warmer with a floral liner

Party appetizer – These sourdough donuts are great as an appetizer to bring to a party. Just use this same recipe to make mini donuts!
Breakfast – Serve your sourdough donuts for breakfast with a side of eggs and bacon. Or with a smoothie!
Dessert – Serve your donuts as dessert with some ice cream.

Sourdough donut topping options

Here are some fun options to top or coat your donuts with!

Flaked coconut
Chocoloate drizzle
Cinnamon sugar
Glaze
Cream cheese
Creme fraiche
Whipped cream with straberries
Maple glaze
Maple bacon
Sprinkles
Powdered sugar

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Stand mixer
Boos Block Butcher Block
12 inch Cast Iron Skillet
Grain Mill
Large glass or ceramic bowls

more sweet sourdough recipes

Pumpkin Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Lemon and Lavender Sourdough Discard Muffins

Pumpkin sourdough muffins

Sourdough pancakes

Cardamom sourdough loaf

Pin it for later – sourdough donuts

how to make sourdough donuts using no commercial yeast or fancy donut equipment

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