Sourdough Doughnnuts

My grandmother taught me to make doughnuts when I was a little girl. Not sourdough doughnuts, nor did they contain any whole grain, but they were one of my best favorites nonetheless! Now, doughnuts are pretty much a seasonal food for us. Frying them keeps the kitchen warm and nothing is tastier for a winter’s brunch than fresh, hot doughnuts. Our recent batch was made with sourdough starter.

My grandmother’s recipe came from her mother, so it’s an old one. As you will see, it’s not a yeast recipe but rather one for cake doughnuts. So I’m not using the sourdough in place of yeast, I’m using it in place of the milk. I’m not using the sourdough to help the doughnuts rise, I’m using it to have healthy fermented whole wheat flour in them and as the acid with baking soda for a chemical quick bread rise. Here’s the recipe.

1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup sugar (I use unbleached cane sugar)
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
unbleached white flour, enough to make a soft dough (3 – 4 cups)

Mix by hand to make a soft dough. My grandmother told me the softer the dough, the better the doughnuts. Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into shapes.

Preheat oil to 375°F (190°C) and fry first one side until golden brown, then turn and fry the other.

The kind of oil or fat makes a huge difference in flavor. My grandmother used lard, but I’m guessing that was before they hydrogenated it and filled it with all sorts of preservatives. That’s what keeps me from buying lard today (although I did find some “natural” lard at the store for about $6 for a one pound container.) Instead, I’m using a combination of coconut oil and palm shortening.

To eat them fresh and hot makes them worth waiting on! Once they cool, I coat them with powdered sugar and store in a metal tin. Just like my grandmother did.