Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Donuts (Print out)

Tangy lemon and blueberries combined with sourdough yield soft, baked treats perfect for any time.

# What You'll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1/2 cup active sourdough starter, unfed or discard
02 - 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
03 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
04 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - Zest of 1 lemon
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

→ Dry Ingredients

08 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
09 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Mix-Ins

13 - 1 cup fresh blueberries, or frozen unthawed

→ Lemon Glaze

14 - 1 cup powdered sugar
15 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
16 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two nonstick donut pans with butter or cooking spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sourdough starter, buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice until fully incorporated.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt.
04 - Pour dry ingredients into wet mixture and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix to maintain tender crumb structure.
05 - Gently fold fresh blueberries into batter. Lightly dust with flour if desired to minimize sinking during baking.
06 - Spoon or pipe batter into prepared donut pans, filling each cavity approximately three-quarters full.
07 - Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until donuts spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
08 - Allow donuts to cool in pans for 5 minutes, then carefully invert onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl until smooth and pourable consistency is achieved.
10 - Dip cooled donuts into lemon glaze, coating evenly. Place on wire rack to allow glaze to set for 10 to 15 minutes.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Sourdough starter means you're not wasting your discard—just tossing it into something delicious instead.
  • These bake instead of fry, so your kitchen doesn't smell like a donut shop for three days.
  • The lemon keeps hitting you in waves, especially with that zippy glaze that's addictive without being cloyingly sweet.
02 -
  • Don't overmix the batter—I learned this the hard way when I thought more stirring meant better distribution, and ended up with tough, rubbery donuts.
  • Room temperature ingredients are not optional; cold eggs and buttermilk won't emulsify properly with the sourdough starter, and you'll end up with a gritty texture.
  • Frozen blueberries absolutely need that flour dusting, or they'll sink to the bottom and leave you with lopsided donuts.
03 -
  • Leveling your flour with a knife instead of packing it down is the small thing that separates tender donuts from dense ones.
  • The glaze should be pourable but not runny—if it's too thin, it'll drip off before it sets, and if it's too thick, you'll end up with a bumpy coating instead of smooth.
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