Gingerbread Sourdough Donuts
These gingerbread sourdough donuts are glazed with the most delicious salted caramel, making them the ultimate holiday treat. I can guarantee these will make your whole house smell like Christmas!
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Brød & Taylor proofer box (optional, but recommended)
- Parchment paper cut into 5in/12cm squares
- 3 cm cookie cutter
- Dutch oven or Heavy-bottomed pot
- Metal slotted spoon
- Candy/oil thermometer
Ingredients
Stiff Levain
- 38 g active sourdough starter white, 100% hydration
- 38 g water
- 76 g bread flour
Main Dough
- 390 g bread flour or 50/50 bread flour/all purpose
- 75 grams sugar
- 7 grams salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- 110-140 g whole milk cold
- 100 g eggs Approx. 2 eggs
- 152 g stiff levain
- 75 grams unsalted butter room temperature, cubed
Caramel Glaze
- 200 g sugar
- 75 g water
- 100 g unsalted butter room temperature, cubed
- 200 g whipping cream room temperature
- 1 tsp sea salt
Other
- 2 litre frying oil
- crushed gingerbread cookies optional
Instructions
Stiff Levain
- Mix sourdough starter, water, and flour in a bowl. Cover the bowl and proof at around 78°F/26°C for 8-10 hours, until at least doubled in size.38 g active sourdough starter, 38 g water, 76 g bread flour
Main Dough
- Add all the ingredients except butter to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Knead into a shaggy dough (this should only take 1-2 minutes.) Cover, and rest/autolyse for 30 minutes.390 g bread flour, 75 grams sugar, 7 grams salt, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, ⅛ tsp ground cloves, 110-140 g whole milk, 100 g eggs, 152 g stiff levain
- After the autolyse, continue mixing for 5-10 minutes until the dough starts to let go of the sides of the bowl.
- After 5-10 minutes, you can slowly start to add cubed, softened butter. When all the butter is added, scrape down the sides of your bowl and continue mixing at medium speed for 10-25 minutes. Do the window-pane test to check if your dough is ready. Mixing time may vary depending on your mixer.75 grams unsalted butter
- Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover, and proof in a warm spot (75-78°F/24-26°C) for 6 hours. If you don't own a dough proofer, you can keep the dough in the oven with the light turned on and the oven door slightly open.
- After 6 hours, place the dough in the fridge and cold-proof for 6-8 hours.
Shape
- Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces (60g each) and roll into seamless rounds. Place the shaped donuts on baking trays lined with floured parchment paper cut into 5in/12cm squares. The parchment paper pieces are for easier transfer into the hot frying oil later on. Loosely cover the trays with plastic wrap.
- Place the baking trays in the oven with the light turned on and the door slightly open. You want the temperature to be around 78°F/26°C. You can also use a proofer box if you own one. Proof the donuts for about 10-14 hours or until they've doubled in size.
Caramel Glaze
- To make the caramel glaze, add sugar and water to a stainless steel pot. Bring it to a boil over medium heat. Avoid stirring at this step, or the sugar may crystallize, which will turn the caramel a little grainy.200 g sugar, 75 g water
- Let the sugar and water mixture boil over medium heat, without stirring, until the mixture turns light golden (like honey.) If you want to, you can gently swirl the pan, and use a wet heatproof pastry brush to wash down the sides of the pot to prevent the sugar crystals from burning on the sides. For me, this step took 6 minutes. Keep an eye on the caramel at all times.
- When the mixture is lightly golden, turn down the heat to a minimum and add the cubed butter. Now you can stir, so grab a silicone spatula or whisk and combine.100 g unsalted butter
- Add whipping cream a little at a time, and stir between additions. When you have added all the cream, allow the caramel to boil for approximately 1 minute.200 g whipping cream
- Next, take the pot off the heat and stir in salt. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool (at room temperature.)1 tsp sea salt
Fry The Donuts
- Once the donuts have doubled in size, use a floured 1.2 inch/3 cm cookie cutter or the back of a large piping tip to remove the centers of each donut (see pictures above for reference.) You can fry the donut holes as well and fill them with leftover caramel.
- Pour oil into a Dutch Oven or heavy-bottomed pot set over medium heat. Heat the oil to 180°C-185°C/355°F-365°F. Use a thermometer to manage the temperature.2 litre frying oil
- Carefully lower the doughnuts into the hot oil and fry them for about 1.5 minutes on each side. You want the top side of the dough pieces to hit the oil first.
- Remove from oil with a metal slotted spoon and transfer to a cooling rack lined with paper towels.
- Repeat on all remaining donuts and donut holes.
Assembly
- Dip each donut into the caramel glaze and top with optional crushed gingerbread cookies.