Easy Sourdough Discard Donut Holes
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Wondering what to do with your sourdough discard? These easy sourdough discard donut holes were my very first recipe made with Willow’s discard—and they turned out to be a delicious surprise.
I expected little donut holes, but these sweet treats had other plans. They turned out soft, delicious, and much bigger than I expected!
Sometimes the best recipes come with a few surprises.
A Little Warning Before You Start
These donut holes grow! 😄
As I was making them, I noticed something I wasn’t expecting. The donut holes I had already rolled and placed on the baking sheet started rising before they even went into the oven.
Then they continued rising while they baked.
So my little donut holes ended up being quite a bit bigger than I originally expected!
They were still absolutely delicious, but next time I would definitely make the dough balls smaller than I originally did.
Apparently, after everything Willow put me through while becoming a sourdough starter, I should have known better.
Willow apparently likes to rise when she feels like it!
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
🥣 Mixing Bowl
A large mixing bowl gives you plenty of room to combine the sourdough discard and other ingredients.
LINK: Mixing Bowl paid link)
🥄 Dough Whisk
A dough whisk can make mixing sourdough discard and flour much easier, especially once the dough begins to thicken.
LINK: Dough Whisk (paid link)
🔪 Dough Scraper
A dough scraper is especially helpful when working with sticky dough and gathering it together.
LINK: Dough Scraper (paid link)
🍪 Baking Sheet
You’ll need a good baking sheet for baking your donut holes.
LINK: Baking Sheet (paid link)
📜 Parchment Paper
Parchment paper helps prevent sticking and makes cleanup easier.
LINK: Parchment Paper (paid link)
How to Make Sourdough Discard Donut Holes
Ingredients
For the Donut Hole Dough
- 400 grams sourdough discard
- 320 grams Bread Flour (paid link)
- 100 grams Monk Fruit Sweetener (paid link)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Line your baking sheet (paid link) with parchment paper (paid link).
Make sure you leave plenty of room between your donut holes because they may expand more than you expect.
Step 2: Mix the Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl (paid link), combine:
- Sourdough discard
- Eggs
- Melted butter
- Greek yogurt
- Monk fruit sweetener
- Salt
- Baking powder
Using a dough whisk (paid link), mix everything together until well combined.
Step 3: Add the Flour
Add the bread flour (paid link) to the mixture.
Mix until everything comes together into a soft dough.
As the dough becomes thicker and stickier, a
(paid link) can be helpful for gathering the dough and working with it.
Step 4: Form Your Donut Holes
Roll the dough into small bite-sized balls and place them on your prepared baking sheet.
Important Tip: Make Them Smaller Than You Think!
Mine started rising while they were sitting on the baking sheet waiting to go into the oven—and then they continued rising while baking!
Leave plenty of space between each one.
Step 5: Bake
Bake at 375°F for approximately 15 minutes.
The donut holes should be cooked through and lightly golden.
Because every oven is different, begin checking them around 12 minutes.
Choose Your Favorite Finish
Once your donut holes are baked, you can finish them however you like.
I made two different versions.
Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes
Roll the warm donut holes in your favorite cinnamon sugar mixture for a sweet, classic finish.
Cinnamon (paid link
Monk Fruit Sweetener (paid link) or Sugar (paid link)
Glazed Donut Holes
Dip or drizzle the cooled donut holes with your favorite glaze.
Powdered Sugar (paid link)
Or do what I did…
Make some of each!
My First Recipe With Willow's Discard
There was something especially special about making this recipe.
These weren’t just donut holes.
They were the very first thing I made with Willow’s sourdough discard.
After nearly three weeks of feeding her, watching her rise, wondering why she wasn’t behaving the way I expected, experimenting with flour, and patiently waiting for her to finally become strong and active…
Willow was finally ready for her next chapter.
And apparently, that chapter begins with donut holes.
Some covered in cinnamon sugar.
Some covered in glaze.
And all of them delicious.
If you’ve been following Willow’s journey, then you already know she doesn’t always do things on the timeline I expect.
Willow is clearly teaching me to expect the unexpected.
And this is only the beginning of what we’ll be making with her sourdough discard.