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!
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.
Create a hole in the center and add in the apple cider, vegetable oil, egg, and sourdough starter. Using a dough whisk, mix together until combined. Turn out onto a floured surface and gently knead for 2-3 minutes. The dough will be soft. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 60 minutes.
Refrigerate overnight.
Fritters or Donuts?
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.
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.
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.
While the donuts are still hot, dip them in the glaze on both sides and then return them to the wire rack to set and harden before serving.
This recipe makes 8 donuts and donut holes or 16 apple fritters.