Step 1

Start by feeding the sourdough starter: Use active sourdough starter. Starter should be ripe. Use a rubber band to mark your starter after feeding, and observe when it reaches its peak. (Once it begins to decline, it starts getting sour, use it before that point)

Step 2

Preparing the dough: Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add room temperature whole milk. Now add the ripe sourdough starter and mix well in the milk to form a smooth paste. Add the sugar and mix well. Further add in the vanilla extract, salt, and melted butter. Mix everything well. If you are going to add some nutmeg, go ahead and add some. Now add the flour. Combine with the help of a ladle or a fork.

Step 3

Kneading the dough: Now place the bowl on the stand mixer, and start kneading at low speed for 6-7 minutes. It will look super sticky initially. Now, bump up the speed, and knead for additional 6-7 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth and supple. It should leave the sides of the bowl completely. If it does not comes together and you feel that the dough is still very sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour and knead again.

Step 4

Bulk rise: Transfer the dough to a greased bowl with enough room for it to rise. Cover with a cling wrap or kitchen towel and let it bulk rise at 70-85 0 F for 2 hours. Now place the bowl in a refrigerator for cold retarding the dough. Cold proof it for 8- 12 hours. It makes the dough much easier to roll and shape.

Step 5

Rolling the dough and shaping the Doughnuts: Remove the dough onto a flour-dusted work surface. Gather the sides and make a roundish ball. Now use your hands to flatten it. Switch to a rolling pin and start rolling the dough into a 1/2 inch thick layer. Keep dusting some flour under it occasionally, so that it does not stick. Now cut the Doughnuts using a cookie cutter or a donut cutter. Use the smallest cookie cutter to make the central hole.Carefully lift the Doughnuts and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Also transfer the sourdough donut holes, as we are going to fry them as well to make the hole donuts. A pro tip: dust a little flour on the parchment paper before placing the doughnuts, as it will prevent them from sticking to the parchment paper when proofing.Gather the leftover dough and repeat the process, cut more Doughnuts and keep repeating until the entire dough is depleted. This recipe will make about 24 medium sized donuts.

Step 6

Proofing the Doughnuts: Cover these sourdough doughnuts with a kitchen towel, and let them proof till they become puffier. It should take about 1 hour or longer if your kitchen is cooler. (Refer to the process image to see how much rise we need.)

Step 7

Frying: In a pan heat vegetable oil deep enough to fry the sourdough doughnuts. The oil temperature should be around 320-330 0F. Gently lift the doughnuts and drop them into the oil.Doughnuts should take about 2-3 minutes to cook from one side. Then, gently flip them and cook on the other side for the same time. Do not let them brown too much as the crust will become hard. Look for the golden brown color.If the oil is too hot, the donuts will brown from the outside much faster and reman raw from the center. So, do check your oil temperature.When done, gently remove from oil and transfer to a plate lined with tissue paper, and continue with the rest of the doughnuts.Donut holes will fry much faster than the bigger donuts.

Step 8

Topping or dressing: If you are planning to just coat them in cinnamon sugar like me, so drop them into the sugar-cinnamon when they are right out of the oil. Sugar sticks better that way. But if you are planning to glaze them, transfer to a plate lined with tissues and let them cool a bit before glazing them or coating with chocolate, etc. ( Refer to the notes for my fav. glaze recipe)

Step 9

Eat, share, and store.