Sourdough Maple Glaze Twist Donuts (100% Sourdough Recipe!)
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These Sourdough Maple Glaze Twist Donuts use a 100% sourdough naturally fermented brioche dough that is pillowy soft. The donuts are fried to perfection and then dipped in a simple maple glaze. The combination of the glaze and the donuts results in a melt-in-your-mouth experience (yes, I said experience!) that will make you question why you ever step foot in a bakery.
I looooooove these donuts! You know I’m already obsessed with making sourdough donuts. If you haven’t already, make sure you check out these sourdough Boston cream donuts, these old-fashioned sourdough glazed donuts, and these vanilla custard-filled sourdough donuts. If you want to make them with chocolate custard instead, make these sourdough chocolate custard donuts.
What I love about these sourdough twist donuts? They taste like fall. The maple glaze and the maple syrup in the brioche dough takes these up a notch. Plus, the twist is a fun spin on things!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Naturally fermented – Made with 100% sourdough for incredible flavor and a tender, fluffy texture.
- Soft and pillowy – This rich brioche-style dough creates irresistibly light and tender donuts.
- Beautifully twisted – The simple twist shape makes these donuts as pretty as they are delicious.
- Perfectly maple-sweet – Maple syrup in the dough and glaze gives these donuts a delicious, subtle maple flavor.
- Bakery-worthy at home – Golden, fluffy, and glazed to perfection, these donuts are better than anything you’ll find at a bakery!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Mix the Dough
Combine the starter, milk, flour, eggs, salt, maple syrup, and vanilla in a stand mixer. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Add the Butter
Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to fully incorporate before adding the next. Knead on high until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the bowl.
Bulk Ferment
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise until it has increased by about 50–60%. For a slower overnight fermentation, use cold milk.
Chill the Dough
Refrigerate the dough overnight to make it easier to shape. If you’ve already completed an overnight bulk fermentation, you can shape the donuts the next morning.
Shape the Twists
Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 12-inch rope, fold it into a U shape, then twist the strands together and pinch the ends to seal.
Final Proof
Place each donut on a square of parchment and arrange on a baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rise until puffy, about 1–3 hours.
Heat the Fryer Oil Heat 2–3 inches of oil to 340–360°F.
Make the Glaze
Whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
Fry the Donuts Carefully fry the donuts for 1–2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack lined with paper towels.
Glaze & Enjoy
While the donuts are still warm, dip the tops into the maple glaze. Return to the rack and let the glaze drip and set before serving.
Helpful Tips for the Best Sourdough Maple Twist Donuts
- Use an active starter: Make sure your sourdough starter is bubbly, active, and at or near peak activity for the best rise.
- Watch the dough, not the clock: Fermentation times will vary depending on your starter and kitchen temperature. Look for the dough to increase by about 50–60% during bulk fermentation.
- Choose your milk temperature: Use cold milk for a slower fermentation or warm milk (about 110°F) when you want to speed things up.
- Don’t add extra flour: The dough is naturally soft and slightly sticky. Adding too much flour can result in dense, heavy donuts.
- Chill before shaping: Refrigerating the dough makes this rich brioche dough much easier to handle and shape.
- Dough sticky while shaping? Sprinkle a bit of rice flour on it as you roll the donuts.
- Don’t skip the final proof: The shaped donuts should look noticeably puffy and airy before frying. Under-proofed donuts can be dense inside.
- Use parchment squares: Placing each donut on its own parchment square makes transferring them to the hot oil easy without disturbing their delicate shape.
- Keep the oil at the right temperature: Aim for 340–360°F and monitor it between batches. If the oil is too hot, the outside can brown before the inside cooks.
- Glaze while warm: Dip the donuts while they’re still warm so the maple glaze coats them beautifully and sets with a smooth finish.
- Want more maple glaze? The recipe makes enough to dip the tops. For fully glazed donuts, simply double the glaze!
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Large mixing bowl
- Kitchen scale
- Rolling pin
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
- Deep-fry or instant-read thermometer
- Tongs and Spider Strainer
- Wire cooling rack
- Paper towels
- Mixing bowl and whisk for the glaze
Storage
These sourdough maple twist donuts are best enjoyed fresh, ideally the same day they’re fried.
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Keep in a single layer if possible to prevent the glaze from sticking.
- Refrigerator: Not recommended, as refrigeration can make the donuts lose their soft, fluffy texture.
- Freezer: Freeze unglazed donuts in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and glaze just before serving.
Sourdough Maple Glaze Twist Donuts
Ingredients
Sourdough Twist Donuts
- 150 g active sourdough starter about ⅔ cup
- 122 g milk ½ cup
- 390 g all-purpose or bread flour about 3¼ cups
- 2 large eggs
- 2 g salt ½ teaspoon
- 30 g maple syrup 1½ tablespoons
- 5 g vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
- 85 g salted butter softened (6 tablespoons)
For Frying
- Neutral frying oil such as vegetable, canola, avocado, or coconut oil, enough to fill a heavy-bottomed pot with 2–3 inches of oil
Maple Glaze
- 240 g powdered sugar 2 cups
- 30-45 g maple syrup 2–3 tablespoons
- 15 g milk 1 tablespoon
- 2 g vanilla extract ½ teaspoon
- Note: The glaze recipe is enough to dip the tops of all 9 donuts. If you want to dip the entire donut twist in glaze double the glaze ingredients.
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Add the active sourdough starter, milk, flour, eggs, salt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
- Choose your milk temperature based on your schedule: Use cold milk if you want the fermentation to take longer, such as when you want to let the dough ferment overnight in a kitchen that is warm enough for this. Use warm milk, around 110°F (43°C), when you want to encourage a quicker rise.
- Mix on low speed until the ingredients are combined and a shaggy dough forms.
- Add the softened butter, one tablespoon at a time, with the mixer running on low. Allow each addition to become fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Once all of the butter has been incorporated, increase the mixer speed to high and knead for about 7–10 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and begins pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
- The dough will be very soft and slightly sticky. Do not add extra flour. The soft, enriched dough is what gives these donuts their light and fluffy texture.
Bulk Ferment
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
- Allow the dough to bulk ferment at room temperature until it has risen by approximately 50–60%. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the temperature of your milk, this may take approximately 6–10 hours.
- Because this is a rich brioche-style dough containing butter and eggs, fermentation will generally take longer than it does for a lean sourdough dough.
- For an overnight fermentation: If your kitchen temperature allows for a longer fermentation, use cold milk and allow the dough to ferment overnight. The exact timing will depend heavily on the strength of your starter and the temperature of your kitchen, so use the dough’s appearance rather than the clock as your guide.
- Once bulk fermentation is complete, you can either refrigerate the dough overnight to make shaping easier, or, if you fermented the dough overnight, proceed directly to shaping the next day.
Shape the Donuts
- Cut 9 parchment squares that will fit the donuts. You’ll use those to let them rest on while they bulk ferment and to easily transfer to the fryer oil. If you refrigerated the dough, remove it from the refrigerator and work with it while it is still cold.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 9 equal pieces, approximately 100 g each.
- Working with one piece at a time, roll it into a rope approximately 12 inches (30 cm) long. If you find that the dough is sticky or hard to work with, sprinkle some rice flour over the dough rope as you shape.
- Fold the rope in half to create an upside-down U shape. Twist the two strands around each other several times, then pinch the ends firmly together at the bottom to secure the twist.
- Place each shaped donut on its own square of parchment paper. Arrange the donuts on a baking sheet, leaving enough space between them to expand.
Final Proof
- Cover the shaped donuts loosely with greased plastic wrap.
- Allow them to proof at room temperature for approximately 1–3 hours, or until they look noticeably puffy and airy.
- The exact timing will depend on the temperature of your kitchen and how active your dough is. Avoid relying solely on the clock. The donuts should look light and expanded before frying.
Prepare the Maple Glaze
- While the donuts are proofing, prepare the glaze.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- The glaze should be thick enough to coat the donuts but thin enough to dip easily. If it is too thick, add a small amount of milk. If it is too thin, whisk in a little additional powdered sugar.
- Set aside.
Fry the Donuts
- Pour 2–3 inches of neutral oil into a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or large pot. Heat the oil to 340–360°F (171–182°C). Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature throughout frying, as maintaining the proper temperature is important for evenly cooked donuts.
- Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and line the baking sheet underneath with paper towels to catch excess oil.
- Working in batches, carefully lower the donuts into the hot oil. I have found that using a spider strainer to place the donuts into and take them out of the fryer oil works best for me. The parchment squares make this especially easy: carefully lower each donut, parchment and all, into the oil. Once the donut releases from the parchment, use tongs to remove the parchment from the oil and discard it.
- Fry the donuts for approximately 1–2 minutes per side, or until they are evenly deep golden brown. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the oil within the 340–360°F range.
- Transfer the fried donuts to the prepared wire rack and allow the excess oil to drain.
Glaze the Donuts
- While the donuts are still warm, dip the top of each donut twist into the maple glaze.
- Allow any excess glaze to drip back into the bowl, then place the donut back on the wire rack to allow the glaze to drip and set.
- For a more indulgent donut with glaze covering the entire twist, double the glaze recipe and dip the whole donut into the glaze.
- Allow the glaze to set for a few minutes before serving.
