October 26, 2020

Sourdough Cider Donuts and Fritters

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Recently I’ve been learning new ways to use my sourdough discard, rather than throwing it away. These Sourdough Cider Donuts and Fritters are simply marvelous! They cook up big and puffy and the apple cider is a perfect flavor fit for sourdough. I encourage you to give these a try!

(Post modified on 9/29/23.)

I started off making donuts. For my first attempt I added in some baking powder and baking soda to help with the rise, although the original recipe said it was not necessary. The donuts turned out huge and puffy and my family loved them.

On my second try, I left out the leavening agents and was a bit disappointed that the donuts didn’t rise as much during the frying period. I even tried them a third time, thinking my sourdough wasn’t active enough, but still, they left me wanting more. So, in my opinion, the recipe needs the added baking powder and baking soda. Trial and error are still wonderful learning tools.

More Sourdough Discard Recipes

Ingredients for Sourdough Cider Donuts and Fritters

(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)

all-purpose flour
granulated sugar
salt
baking powder
baking soda
ground cinnamon
freshly ground nutmeg
apple cider
vegetable oil
unfed sourdough starter
Jonathan or Honey Crisp apple (for fritters)

Glaze

powdered sugar
apple cider
ground cinnamon

Instructions for Making this Recipe

To begin, gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.

Using a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and freshly ground nutmeg.

This recipe is another great way to use my Dad’s homemade apple cider. Plus, the apple cider is a perfect flavor match for the sourdough.

Create a hole in the center and add in the apple cider, vegetable oil, egg, and sourdough starter. Using a batter whisk, mix together until combined. The dough will be soft. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 60 minutes. Refrigerate overnight.

I love that I can mix up the donut batter the night before so they’re ready to make the next morning for everyone to enjoy. Perfect for the weekend!

Donuts or Fritters?

The next morning, you need to decide whether you’re going to make donuts or apple fritters. If the latter, add in half of a large apple or an entire medium apple (peeled, cored, and diced), and layer it in by folding over the dough several times on a well-floured surface.

Again, making sure your surface is well-floured, pat the dough down so that it’s 1/2″ thick. Using a donut cutter or for fritters, I used a small bowl that is 4″ in diameter, cut the donuts or fritters.

Through my experimentation, I learned that the fritters cook better if they are cut in half. Plus, my family liked that they were smaller for eating.

Once the donuts are cut, place them on a sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper. Cover with a clean tea towel and let them rest for 40-60 minutes.

Frying the Donuts

When it’s time to cook the donuts, fill a large Dutch oven with peanut oil to about 3″ from the bottom of the pan. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees on a frying thermometer. Try to control the heat so that it stays close to that temperature throughout the frying process.

I found I needed to move the Dutch oven off the heat at times in an attempt to control the temperature, but every stove will be different depending on what type of heat you use.

Carefully drop 3 donuts in the hot oil at a time. Allow them to cook for 2 minutes, and then flip them to the other side for another two minutes until golden brown.

Using a wire strainer, remove the donuts and place them on a wire cooling rack that is inside a baking sheet to catch the drips of oil.

350 degrees is an ideal temperature for cooking donuts. Not so hot that it burns the outside before the inside has fully cooked, but hot enough that the donuts will cook quickly without soaking up too much oil.

Return the oil temperature to 350 degrees before adding more donuts to the oil. Repeat until all of the donuts or fritters have been cooked.

Dressing the Donuts

At this point, you need to decide whether you want to glaze the donuts, dip them in powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or leave them plain. I tried all but the powdered sugar, and found that my family preferred them glazed and left plain.

If you want to coat them in sugar, do so soon after they have been removed from the hot oil.

Prepare the Glaze

Using a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, apple cider, and ground cinnamon until it is combined and forms a smooth stream.

Dip donuts in the glaze on both sides and then return donuts to the wire rack to set and harden before serving.

This recipe makes 8 donuts and 8 donut holes or 16 apple fritters. Best served warm and eaten the same day they are made. You may store leftovers in a loosely covered container and reheat later if necessary.

See more Breakfast Ideas Here. Browse more Sourdough Recipes Here. View Sourdough Discard Recipes Here.