Sourdough starter strawberry filled doughnut – the soft tender brioche donut of your dreams. And the graham cracker crumb coating? Gahdamn. Cue the song – That’s My Jam. Don’t have a sourdough starter? Let me direct you to my favorite sourdough starter guide here. God speed, friend.
Just So You Know
Frying Sourdough starter doughnuts sounds way scarier than it is. And well if you are not a patient person then maybe this part is more annoying than anything. But here is what you must know:
- You need a candy thermometer -not a meat one.
- A brioche donut needs room in the pot -don’t fry too many at once.
- If you fry too low, the brioche donut will be greasy. The ideal temperature is 365⁰F. Keep in mind that temperature drops as doughnuts are added and temperature rises when the pot sits alone. You will need to keep micro-adjusting between 365-375⁰F.
- Only flip once – about a minute to each side.
- Drain the oil! Give the doughnut a gentle shake before setting it on the cooling rack.
The perfect sourdough strawberry filled doughnut – there is only one secret. Proofing time! If your dough is not properly risen, you will notice and it will ruin the strawberry filled doughnut you dreamed about. I know, dramatic. But the trick is easy. I like to place my shaped brioche donut in the oven with the light turned on (door slightly cracked if you live in a warm climate). And when the timer is up, I give the dough a poke. If the dimple formed by my poke is popping out, then the dough needs additional time -if you see the dimple stay, then your dough is properly proofed!
Strawberry filled donut, raspberry filled donut — ALL THE FILLS. After making a sourdough starter doughnut, I like to take it easy on myself and use already-made fruit jams. If you aren’t ready to call it yet —here is a great jam recipe I’ve used many times. Viva la strawberry filled donut!
Looking for a different kind of brioche recipe? Try out Jumbo Orange Coconut Sourdough Cinnamon Buns
Sourdough starter strawberry filled doughnut
Equipment
- candy thermometer
Ingredients
Brioche Dough
- ½ cup pale ale, pilsner beer (114g)
- ½ cup heavy cream (114g)
- 1 cup sourdough starter (226g)
- 4 cups ap flour (480g)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp unsalted softened butter (86g)
- 1 tsp salt
Vanilla Simple Glaze
- 1½ cup powdered sugar (188g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Coating & Filling
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (128g)
- 1 jar strawberry jam (4-8oz)
Instructions
The Day Before (evening)
- Bring the beer and heavy cream to above room temperature, stir in your starter until completely dissolved.
- Add the flour, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla, mix until thoroughly combined. Then add the softened butter and salt.
- Knead for about 5-10 minutes or until the dough is soft and only slightly sticky. If the dough just doesn’t want to come together and it’s overly wet, add a little flour, a tablespoon at a time until it is the right consistency.
- Set the dough in a well-oiled bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature overnight -about 12 to 18 hours. The dough will have tripled.
The Day Of (early morning)
- Cut off small golf balls (about 50-60g) and roll tightly by rolling them on the counter with your palm. Add them to your lightly floured and parchment-covered baking sheets, and cover again tightly with plastic wrap. This is the final rise - sit them at room temperature for 4-6 hours.
- Give the balls a poke, if the dimple pops out they need more time to rise. If the dimple stays, then uncover and leave them out to dry a bit. This will make them easier to handle when you fry.
Early Afternoon
- While they are drying up a bit, prepare your deep fryer or pot with ⅓ oil or just enough that the doughnut can float comfortably. The temperature must read 365-375 degrees before you can start frying.
- While the oil heats up, make the simple sugar glaze by whisking the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and 2 tablespoons of hot water until smooth. Add more water as needed for a honey-like consistency.
- Now that the oil is 365 degrees: very carefully, lift the dough balls from the baking sheet into the hot oil. If the dough is difficult to handle, then cut the parchment paper around the balls and throw together in the pot. The parchment paper will unstick and float up.
- Fry for a minute on each side, or until golden. Chopsticks are the easiest tool to flip the doughnuts over. Keep adjusting the heat to maintain temperature. Well-risen doughnuts will have a pale band around the middle. This is called the fry line.
- Shake off the excess oil and roll immediately in the glaze and then the graham cracker crumbs. Transfer the crumb coated doughnuts to a wire rack and let the doughnuts cool for 5 minutes.
- Add strawberry jam to a large piping bag with a metal tip and a pea-sized opening (about ½ an inch) Make a small hole in the side of the doughnuts with a chopstick and give it a slight wiggle to make room for the jam.
- Press the metal tip into the opening and pipe about 2 tbsp -until the filling is just about to come out.
- Serve asap, doughnuts are best the day of!
Looking For a Different Sourdough Recipe?
These Orange Coconut Sourdough Cinnamon Buns are everything that is perfect in the world – they are pillowy, indulgent, and filled with coconut almond cream. What else could anyone want in a sourdough sweet roll??
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