These easy baked sourdough donuts are a delicious cake-like donut with a vanilla icing. The perfect special treat for a birthday or just a fun weekend. This recipe is super easy and fast to make, or you can do a long fermented version for more health benefits.
We love homemade donuts. Typically, I make this classic sourdough donut recipe that rises all night long, then gets fried in the morning. However, sometimes you just want super quick donuts without having to wait an entire day which requires less planning ahead.
That is where these baked sourdough donuts come in. You mix the ingredients together, pour into donut pans, bake, and glaze. Now if you are gluten sensitive or like the health benefits of long fermented grains (as healthy as donuts can be), this recipe can easily be adapted.
If I am being honest, I actually like the long fermented version better. They are fluffier, yet chewier than the quick recipe. Either way works and both are delicious.
Why You Will Love This Recipe:
Super fast: This recipe takes just a few minutes to mix together and bake while using discard to make these sourdough discard donuts.
Delicious: These cake-like donuts are soft and chewy with a sweet vanilla glaze.
Special treat: Perfect for a holiday, birthday, and special occasion. They come together easily and you can top them with your favorite sprinkles for extra fun.
Tips:
- To prevent dense donuts and get a nice and light texture, I suggest pouring the flour (or using a spoon to scoop) into the measuring cup and then leveling it off. Rather than scooping the flour right out of the bag.
- Place the batter in a pastry bag or zip-lock bag to easily squeeze into a donut pan.
- Don’t have a donut pan? You can also use a muffin tin and add a small ball of aluminum foil in the middle.
- The tops of the donuts will not get very golden, making you question if they are truly done, but they probably are. If you gently press the donut it should spring back a bit and the bottoms will be golden.
- Be careful not to over bake.
- Don’t overfill the pan. There should be enough batter to perfectly fill 12 donuts.
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FAQ:
Can I bake my donuts instead of frying them?
Yes! Baked donuts are much quicker, easier, and less messy than fried.
What is sourdough Bomboloni?
They are a naturally leavened (sourdough) donut that typically contains a cream or jelly filling.
What are sourdough donuts made of?
All-purpose flour
Sugar – I use organic cane sugar
Salt
Leavening agent – This recipe relies on baking powder to give the donuts rise rather than relying on the wild yeasts in the sourdough starter or commercial yeast.
Butter – You could also substitute with oil (coconut oil or avocado oil) for a dairy free version. I suggest staying away from vegetable oil as this is a highly refined and unhealthy.
Vanilla extract – Homemade or store-bought
Sourdough discard – This recipe is a great way to use up extra sourdough discard. If you only have an active sourdough starter that will work as well. Learn how to make your own sourdough starter here.
Water – Using whole milk (or any other type of milk) will also work.
Egg
Glaze
Powdered sugar
Vanilla extract – Could also use another extract like lemon, almond, cherry, etc.
Milk – or cream
Tools you may need:
Large bowl
Whisk
Stand mixer (if you are making the long fermented version)
Topping Ideas:
Vanilla glaze (recipe in the card below)
Chocolate glaze
Cinnamon sugar: I recommend tossing them in the cinnamon sugar when they are still warm so it sticks.
Powdered sugar
Plain: They do have a lovely sweetness about them without any extra frosting.
How To Make Sourdough Baked Donuts
Preheat the oven to 350. Next, grease your donut pan.
Melt the butter and set aside.
Stir together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
In a separate medium bowl, mix together melted butter, egg, sourdough starter and water.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Make sure you are scraping the sides of the bowl as you mix. Be careful not to over mix, you don’t want tough donuts.
Scoop the batter into a piping bag or zip-lock bag and clip the corner about 1/4-1/2 inch wide.
Squeeze the batter into each donut well. This should make 12 regular sized donuts.
Place filled pans in the preheated oven and bake for 15-17 minutes. The top of the donuts will not get very golden making you question if they are truly done, but they should be. If you gently press the donut it should spring back a bit and the bottoms will be golden. Be careful not to over bake.
Pop donuts out of the pan and place on a wire rack to cool.
Create The Glaze
Start creating the glaze once the donuts have pretty much cooled. Otherwise, the glaze may start to harden and dunking will be challenging.
In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk or cream.
Gently place the donuts in the glaze on one side, pick up and place the non-glaze side down on a cooling rack.
Sprinkle some sprinkles on top if desired.
Enjoy.
Long-Fermented Sourdough Baked Donuts:
Start by melting the butter and set it aside. The butter should be slightly cooled before mixing it with the sourdough starter to prevent killing the wild yeast.
Stir together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix together melted butter, sourdough starter, and water.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
Cover with a tight lid or plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place for 8-24 hours.
After fermentation, preheat the oven to 350.
Add the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer and add baking powder and eggs. Mix on medium until completely combined.
Scoop the batter into a piping bag or zip-lock bag and clip the corner about 1/4-1/2 inch wide.
Squeeze the batter into each donut well. This recipe should make 12 regular sized donuts.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15-17 minutes. Pop out of the pan and place on a wire rack to cool.
Glaze the donuts and enjoy.
Storage:
Place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days. They can also be kept at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Find More Sourdough Breakfast Ideas:
- Best Sourdough Banana Muffins
- Sourdough Pancakes Recipe
- Sourdough Dutch Baby Pancake
- Sourdough Waffles Recipe
- Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars!
Baked Sourdough Donuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard
- 3/4 cups water or milk
- 1 large egg
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Milk or cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Next, grease your donut pan.
- Melt the butter and set aside.
- Stir together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
- In a separate medium bowl, mix together melted butter, egg, sourdough starter and water.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.
- Scoop the batter into a piping bag or zip-lock bag and clip the corner about 1/4-1/2 inch wide.
- Squeeze the batter into each donut well.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15-17 minutes.
- Pop donuts out of the pan and place on a wire rack to cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk or cream.
- Gently place the donuts in the glaze on one side, pick up and place the non-glaze side down on a cooling rack.
- Sprinkle some sprinkles on top if desired.
Notes
- To prevent dense donuts and get a nice and light texture, I suggest pouring the flour (or using a spoon to scoop) into the measuring cup and then leveling it off. Rather than scooping the flour right out of the bag.
- Place the batter in a pastry bag or zip-lock bag to easily pour into a donut pan.
- Don’t have a donut pan? You can also use a muffin tin and add a small ball of aluminum foil in the middle.
- The tops of the donuts will not get very golden, making you question if they are truly done, but they probably are. If you gently press the donut it should spring back a bit and the bottoms will be golden.
- Be careful not to over bake.
- Don’t overfill the pan. There should be enough batter to perfectly fill 12 donuts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely delicious! My toddlers lobe these.
Made these with my 4 year old and they came out so good! we did half the glaze you had and then half chocolate and both were delicious! def going to be making them again.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Hi there, is there a reason why you don’t ferment the eggs with the dough for the long fermentation like other recipes? And why would it still require baking powder if left to rise with long fermentation? Thanks
If I wanted to make these chocolate cake donuts would you replace some of the flour for the coco or how much coco would you use
?
Replace 1/3 of the flour with cocoa.
Hi! For the long fermentation, do you use active starter or discard? and do you ferment it in a warm place or in the fridge?
I use active starter, but once it ferments on the counter then I let it long ferment in the fridge for a couple days.
These are quick, easy and delicious baked cake donut! My family loved them. I added some cocoa powder after I dipped the first batch in vanilla glaze and we had vanilla and chocolate glazed donuts. Don’t make my mistake – ingredients list vanilla in the batter but the instructions don’t so I missed it in the batter, but they still were tasty and delicious.
I baked these this morning while my son went to pick up his six kids.
What a wonderful surprise to have waiting for them when they arrive.
This was great
One of my favorite dessert recipes for sourdough discard! Super easy and fun to make. They get eaten almost straight out of the oven
How would you do a long fermentation?
A long fermentation takes place in the fridge, so you don’t risk over fermenting and losing the rise on your dough.
Hi Lisa – In reply to Andrea’s question about a long ferment, you stated that “A long fermentation takes place in the fridge, so you don’t risk over fermenting and losing the rise on your dough.” Yet your recipe says to “Cover with a tight lid or plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place for 8-24 hours.” I’m confused; do you leave it in a warm place or put it in the fridge? Or maybe I don’t know the meaning of “long ferment” Also, what are we looking for so we know whether to ferment for 8 hours or 24? Please clear this up, as I would love to make these. Thanks!
Leave it in a warm place on the counter for the first fermentation. If you wish to ferment it longer for added benefits, you can put it in the fridge. It will slowly sour, but not over ferment in the fridge! Time depends on the temperature in your home. What may take 8 hours in the summer, could take up to 24 in the winter.