Home » Breakfast » Sourdough discard cinnamon sugar cake donuts
Don’t throw out that sourdough starter! Use a cup’s worth and make the softest, most delicate cinnamon sugar cake donuts this side of the Mississippi.
Waste not, want not.
That’s what old people say. And in this case it’s waste not, want dough-nots. See what I did there?
With a heaping cup of sourdough discard on hand you can make a giant batch of these donuts which are by no other fitting description completely melt in your mouth devine.
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The scoop on sourdough starter discard
If you stumbled in to this post you may not be sure what I mean by sourdough discard. For those of us who are embracing the movement back to healthy bread–real bread–that means making wild yeast leavened sourdough (<–that’s a link to my class where I teach sourdough baking) which is made with a starter.
Each day you take out half and feed your starter to keep it alive and active so it can make bread.
But throwing away that half of the starter feels wasteful, so a lot of people use it to add a tangy flavor to other baked goods–like these cake donuts.
That’s a big negative. In fact, they just tasted like cake donuts to me but you have to keep in mind we aren’t using the starter to rise these donuts: Baking powder does the heavy lifting.
What’s the difference between a cake donut and a regular one?
Cake donuts are made from flour, eggs, sugar and a leavening agent like baking powder which gives them a cake-like crumbly texture.
“Regular” donuts like you would buy in most bakeries slathered in chocolate or glazed to the heavens are made with yeast and required to rise a couple of times before they are fried.
Can these donuts be baked instead of fried?
I didn’t test them baked because I am a donut purist. I use refined coconut oil and not vegetable oil for frying and never look back.
If you wanted to bake them, they would likely work okay. May have a tad of a flat side, but if you don’t mind that then that’s fine with me. I’d probably bake them around 375 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes but that’s just a guess.
What if I don’t have any sourdough starter? Can I make these anyway?
Yes! I would recommend adding something to make up the difference in moisture. Maybe a cup of sour cream or whole milk plain yogurt would be a good swap.
Sourdough cake donuts steps in pictures
Cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs, starter, vanilla and milk.
Add dry ingredients.
Allow dough to sit and “firm” slightly.
Roll out to 3/4″ thick then cut circles.
Fry 1 to 2 minutes per side, toss in cinnamon sugar.
Looking for a regular yeasted donut? Try this version or bake your next batch of apple cider donuts.
The Recipe
Sourdough discard cinnamon sugar cake donuts
So tender they melt in your mouth. These sourdough discard cake donuts will be a special treat!
In a small bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
In a medium bowl use a hand mixer to cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, sourdough starter, vanilla and milk and mix well.
Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix.
Allow the dough to sit 2 to 3 minutes to firm slightly. The dough should be soft but workable.
Lightly flour your counter and turn out the dough. Dust the top with flour and roll about 3/4" thick.
Use a round cutter to cut circles about 3 inches wide and a smaller cutter to cut out the centers.
Heat the oil over medium high heat in a heavy pot or skillet to a depth of about 3 inches. Just deep enough that the donuts don't stick to the bottom until the oil reaches 375 degrees.
Add the donuts in batches of 3 or 4, turning when golden brown on one side–about 2 minutes. Cook 1 to 2 minutes more then transfer to the cinnamon sugar and toss to coat.
Serve warm or at room temperature and may also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Sourdough donuts taste extra tangy thanks to a sourdough starter, a leavener that requires a bit of extra care but rewards you with a soft and airy dough. Balance the starter's flavorful boost with a thin veil of buttery vanilla glaze.
You can store mature sourdough discard in the refrigerator indefinitely. As long as there is no mold, it is good to use. It may develop a grayish liquid on top called “hooch” which can be poured off before use or stirred in. If you stir it in, the flavor will become more sour.
Active sourdough starter is starter that has been fed water + flour and allowed to sit until it is bubbly and about doubled in size. Sourdough discard is after the starter has peaked, and it has started to come down. It is the portion that you would typically throw away before feeding again.
You don't have to waste flour on a daily basis if you want to maintain a sourdough starter. By adjusting how much you feed your starter and by choosing discard recipes, you don't have to discard your sourdough starter daily.
While cake donuts don't melt in your mouth like raised donuts, they're heartier, easier to make, and offer more options. They can be baked in the oven and don't require proofing.
Place your donuts in storage bags or airtight containers.
Definitely put them in airtight bags or containers though so they stay fresh! The only time this isn't a good idea is when your donuts are cream-filled. In that case, you'll want to store them in the fridge so they don't spoil.
I don't because I love using it in sourdough discard specific recipes. Does the discard still have health benefits? The discard itself does. But if you add it into a recipe, the recipe won't have those health benefits unless you give it a long time to ferment.
I recommend keeping sourdough discard for about one week, but I do know others who keep it for much longer. After one week, there is a higher risk of mold or bad bacteria growing on the discard.
While some people claim to have healed their gut problems by eating probiotic rich sourdough starter, it's not really advisable. Raw sourdough starter contains uncooked flour which can harbor harmful bacteria among other things. You can read more about why you shouldn't eat raw flour here.
How Do You Know if Sourdough Discard Is Bad? Sourdough discard will potentially smell acidic and even like acetone if it's a few days old. While it will smell different to a fed, active starter, it won't smell unpleasant.
The best jar for your sourdough starter is a 3/4 Liter 743 Weck glass canning jar. These jars are made from durable glass that makes cleanup easy, either by hand or in the dishwasher. They have straight but slightly tapered sides, making it easy to get a spatula in and out.
Yes, you can give your friend a portion of sourdough discard to start their own sourdough starter, however it's best if your starter is mature (at least 3 months old) when you do this, so that your friend can start baking straight away.
Where should I store my jar of sourdough discard? Store your discard in a jar in the refrigerator where it will continue to ferment, albeit very slowly, whereas at room temperature, it will ferment quickly and you will soon have very ripe discard on your hands that won't be useful for much of anything.
If you don't discard your sourdough starter, it will grow too big and be unmanageable. Not to mention you will go through an unmentionable amount of flour.
They are light and airy, not overly sweet and you can decorate them any way you would like - so go nuts! Plus, these are easier to make than you may think, as with most things sourdough there is a lot of waiting, but the results are most definitely worth it.
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.
Sourdough relies on a mix of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, rather than baker's yeast, to leaven the dough. It's richer in nutrients, less likely to spike your blood sugar, contains lower amounts of gluten, and is generally easier to digest than bread made with baker's yeast.
Yeast doughnuts, as the name clearly spells out, are made from dough leavened with yeast (think brioche), whereas cake doughnuts are traditionally made from a kind of cake batter that uses a chemical leavener (i.e. baking powder or baking soda).
Introduction: My name is Jeremiah Abshire, I am a outstanding, kind, clever, hilarious, curious, hilarious, outstanding person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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