Sourdough Discard Donuts Recipe - Season & Thyme (2024)

Sourdough bread isn't the only thing you can make with your sourdough starter! Try this simple Sourdough Discard Donuts Recipe, they are light, fluffy, and oh so delicious. Sourdough Donuts are a wonderful treat and a great way to use starter discard.

There is nothing like fresh, hot donuts. They are a dessert in a class all their own and I am here to share this sourdough donut recipe to show you how to make them! The donuts themselves aren't overly sweet, so feel free top them with what you like. I find a heavy dusting of powdered sugar to be the perfect compliment.

Tips for Sourdough starter newbies:

I may be a little late to the sourdough game, but I am with it now and am so excited to learn anything and everything that is the magic of sourdough.

FIRST TIP-- See if you can acquire a mature starter. I first tried to make a sourdough starter from scratch many months ago, and I'm not sure what I was doing wrong, but it was just not working for me! I couldn't get it to become active no matter how often I did or didn't feed it. And at one point it started growing mold-- no good. I decided to put that project on hold and start again another time. When a friend of mine came into ownership of a mature starter, I knew my time had come! I asked for a portion to cultivate as my own and that was the key! The mature starter is extremely active and quite easy to maintain. I keep it in the fridge because I only bake about once a week. This way, I don't have to remember to feed it everyday.

Aside from a mature starter, my second tip that really helped me was getting a kitchen scale. I dragged my feet on this one because I didn't think it was necessary, and I didn't want to spend the money, but it has been so helpful for getting precise measurements. It's easy to tare it out and use for both feeding the starter as well as making recipes.

This is where I purchased mine.

What is a sourdough discard recipe?

You may be seeing the word "discard" a lot in regards to sourdough starter. This is because every time you "feed" your starter, you discard part of it and add in new flour and water. Many people aren't baking every day, but they still bake enough that they need to feed the starter everyday.

Because it seems like a shame to throw out that good starter, there are loads recipes out there to use it rather than dispose of it! This is one of them!

Why did you add conventional yeast to these donuts?

Because I like my doughnuts light and fluffy, I added conventional yeast on top of the starter. This way there are two agents working to leaven the dough.

How do you make sourdough discard donuts?

These sourdough donuts take a little time and work, but nothing you can't handle. And the nice part, is the majority of the work is done the day before so you can enjoy fresh donuts in the morning.

Begin by melting butter and then allowing it to cool. Set to the side.

Warm milk on the stove or microwave until it is above room temperature but not hot.

In the bowl of your Kitchenaid mixer, add warm milk and stir in sugar. Sprinkle the yeast packet over top and allow to sit for five minutes. The yeast should begin to look frothy.

Gently stir in sourdough starter, eggs, melted butter, and salt.

In stages, add in flour and stir using the dough hook attachment on the Kitchenaid. Knead the dough on a low speed for about 5 minutes until the dough comes together and it is neither dry nor overly sticky. This recipe creates a pretty smooth dough. (Note: This can be done by hand, it will just take a little bit of elbow grease. Knead by hand as best you can)

Place dough into a bowl and place in the fridge overnight.

Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and roll to ½-inch thickness. Cut into donut shapes. (Note: I used a glass for the main part and a co*cktail shaker lid for the middle/donut hole. Needless to say, you do not need a specific donut shape cutter. Find something you have on hand in the kitchen).

Place donuts onto parchment paper lined baking sheets and allow to rise at room temperature for about an hour.

How do you cook sourdough donuts?

In a dutch oven, heat your oil to 350 degrees. While the oil is heating up, place paper towels on to a plate for you to place cooked donuts on to catch some of the excess oil.

Once the oil is hot, it is time to fry the room temperature donuts. They cook quickly, about 1 minute per side. After one side becomes golden brown, flip and cook the second side the same way. Do not overcrowd with donuts, about 3 per batch is my go to. The donut holes cook more quickly, watch for color rather than time on these.

Carefully scoop donuts out with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. Once the excess oil has been absorbed, place the hot donuts on to a cooling rack and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar. Serve warm.

Let me know if you try these out. I know you will love them!