I've been going a little crazy with all the heart shaped Valentine's Day desserts this year. These heart shaped sourdough donuts are light and airy and made with a combination of sourdough starter and instant yeast. They are deep fried to perfection and then dunked in the most amazing strawberry flavored glaze!
tips & tricks for donuts at home
For all of my sourdough recipes, I measure the ingredients in grams. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, I highly recommend getting one! They have tons of super affordable ones on Amazon* that work great!
Don’t have a sourdough starter? Never fear! Just check out my Sourdough Guide for all my tips and tricks!
Use several different heart shaped cookie cutters* for a fun variety!
Use an instant read thermometer* to make sure the oil stays at around 375 degrees so that your donuts cook evenly!! Make sure you let them cook for a full minute on each side. The donuts will be a very dark golden brown but they look lighter in color after they've been glazed!
Donut Decorating Tips
- Use freeze dried strawberry powder* to get a pretty light pink glaze!
- Top with dried rose petals* for a fun Valentine's Day dessert!
If you make these heart shaped sourdough donuts, please leave us a star rating at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers.
Heart Shaped Sourdough Donuts
Ingredients
Donuts
- 227 grams sourdough starter
- 236 grams whole milk
- 500 grams all purpose flour
- 120 grams granulated sugar
- 85 grams unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2-4 cups vegetable oil , for frying
Strawberry Glaze
- 250 grams powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons strawberry powder
- 78.6 grams milk
- dried rose petals, for garnish
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine all of the dough ingredients and knead on medium low speed for about 5 minutes. The dough should come together in a cohesive ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl but is still slightly sticky. If the dough does not come together, add in more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover. Place the dough in the fridge and chill overnight (8-12 hours).
- In the morning, remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- When the dough is finished rising, lightly punch it down and then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle about ½ inch thick. Using heart shaped cookie cutters, cut out your donuts in varying sizes. Re-roll the scraps once and cut out more donuts. You can discard the scraps or fry up some donut holes (I recommend the later). Lightly cover the donuts and let rest while the oil is heating.
- Pour 2-4 cups of vegetable oil (you want it to be about 2 inches deep) into a large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven and heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 375°F. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and position it next to your stove.
- While the oil is heating, whisk together the glaze and set aside. In a medium bow, whisk together the powdered sugar, strawberry powder, and milk until smooth and there are no more lumps.
- Once the oil reaches 375°F, fry 2-3 donuts at a time for about 1 minute on each side. The donuts should be a deep golden brown. Remove from the oil and place on the cooling rack to allow excess oil to drain off. Repeat with the remaining donuts as well as the donut holes.
- While the donuts are still warm, dip them in the glaze making sure to cover both sides. Place the donuts back on the cooling rack to allow the excess glaze to drip off. Sprinkle with dried rose petals if desired. The glaze will set and harden after about 15-20 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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