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Classic Homemade Old fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts! Simple to make, and incredibly delicious
*This recipe was developed in partnership with Kerrygold USA. All opinions are my own, as always. Thank you for supporting the quality brands that make Lion’s Bread possible.
How are Old Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts made?
These doughnuts are actually very simple to make. First, mix up the dough in a stand mixer which will take about 5-7 minutes. Next, you’ll pour your dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll it out to about 1/2″ thickness. Since baking powder and egg are the only leavener, we don’t even have to wait for the dough to rise (yay!).
Use a 3-inch round cutter (or a doughnut cutter if you have one) to cut out as many circles of dough as you can. Then use a small 1-inch cutter (or a large metal piping tip works too!) to cut out the hole of the doughnut.
Want more doughnut recipes? Check out:
Lemon Ricotta Fritters
Baked Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Doughnuts
How to fry doughnuts
Meanwhile, heat up your deep frying oil in a large heavy bottom pot. You’ll need at least 2.5 inches of oil for a good fry. Use a heatproof candy thermometer, or a lazor thermometer. The frying oil should be 350 degrees F, which ideal for deep frying. The temperature of the oil is actually really important. Try to keep an eye on the the temperature of the oil, and keep it as consistent as possible while you’re frying up all of the doughnuts. If the temp drops, wait a few minutes between batches to allow the temperature to come back up again.
Next, fry the doughnuts! This should take about 2-3 minutes per side. I like to use a chopstick to flip the doughnuts halfway through. Let the fried doughnuts drain and cool on a baking rack with a sheet pan underneath. Once all of the doughnuts are fried, dip them in the vanilla glaze. I like to dip one side and let the excess glaze drip down. It’s the perfect amount for me, but let me know how you like to do it!
Ingredients
- Unbleached all purpose flour – I love to use unbleached all purpose flour from King Arthur Baking Company here. It gives the old-fashioned doughnuts a light, tender crumb. I would NOT substitute a whole grain flour here, as it would yield a heavier, dense doughnuts.
- Sour Cream – I use full fat sour cream for these doughnuts. the sour cream makes the crumb super tender and moist.
- Eggs – Make sure your Large eggs are at room temperature. Room temperature eggs will incorporate into the batter much better. Forgot to take your eggs out of the fridge? No problem. Just fill a tall glass with hot water, and submerge the eggs in the hot water for about 3-4 minutes, and voila! Use organic free range eggs if you can. There’s a significant difference in flavor, quality, and richness. You can tell a lot by the color of the yolk. A deep orange yolk says a lot! It means that the egg is more nutrient dense, and that the chicken likely had a nutritious, varied diet.
- Baking Powder – baking powder is the only leavener in these doughnuts. Make sure that your baking powder is fresh.
- Kosher Salt – I use Morton’s kosher salt here. If you’re using Diamond Crystal, add an extra 1/4 of a teaspoon.
- Fresh lemon zest – the lemon zest is a really huge flavor element in these Classic Sour Cream Doughnuts. You add just enough to brighten up the flavor of the cake doughnut, but they don’t specifically taste lemon-y. Use a microplane zester to grate the finest lemon zest!
- Freshly grated nutmeg – You might think this is unusual, but fresh nutmeg is the authentic flavor of Homemade Old Fashioned doughnuts. Try to get the whole nutmeg, and use a fine grater like this microplane to grate the nutmeg. Don’t be shy, this flavor is so classic with these doughnuts.
What makes a Sour Cream Doughnut Different?
Classic Sour Cream Doughnuts are in a class all their own. The sour cream in the dough makes the crumb super tender and moist. And the baking powder and egg make the dough crack and crinkle which creates the perfect crunchy crevices for the vanilla glaze to pool in. The freshly grated nutmeg in the dough adds the perfect balance of gentle spice, and the lemon brightens everything without being too lemony.
They’re sweet, but not too sweet. The perfect balance!
What does a Sour Cream Doughnut taste like?
They taste amazing! Cakey, crispy, soft, and slightly lemon-y. They’re hands-down my favorite doughnut because the texture and flavors have a really beautiful contrast that you don’t really find in other yeasted or cake doughnuts.
How to store
These doughnuts are their absolute best when they’re eaten fresh! The glaze takes about 20 minutes to set, then enjoy them right away. Of course, if you have any leftover, store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature.
Get creative!
Make sure to tag me @lions.bread onInstagramand comment below if you make these old fashioned sour cream doughnuts. I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchens! To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card or on any of the photos above.
Did you make them? Leave a comment below!
Old Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts
Classic Old Fashioned Doughnuts glazed with a vanilla glaze
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword donuts, doughnuts, hanukkah, old fashioned, sour cream
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Chill time 1 hour
Servings 10 doughnuts
Ingredients
Doughnuts
- 3 tablespoons Kerrygold Salted Butter 42 g, at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 g
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 large egg, plus one yolk at room temperature
- 2 ⅓ cups unbleached all purpose flour 280 g
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt 6 g
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream 113 g
Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar 390 g
- ⅓ cup water 75 g
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
In a medium size bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and ground nutmeg. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and granulated sugar. Mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is lighter in color.
Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and lemon zest to the bowl, then mix for another 1-2 minutes until completely incorporated.
With the mixture on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the bowl. Mix for 5 seconds, then add 1/2 of the sour cream. Add another 1/3 of the flour, then the rest of the sour cream, then mix. Then, add the remainder of the flour, and mix on low until just combined. Be sure not to overmix. This process should go quickly.
Pour the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap, and wrap tightly, then use your hands to form the dough into a round, flat disk. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Generously flour your work surface, and unwrap the dough, lightly flouring the top of the dough. Roll the dough out to 1/2" thickness. Use a 3" round cutter (or doughnut cutter) to cut out as many circles as you can. Then use a smaller 1" cutter to cut out the doughnut hole. Set the holes aside. Repeat, then gather the scraps together, and reroll the dough, cutting out as many doughnuts as you can.
Line a baking sheet with paper towels, or repurposed paper shopping bags. Then, heat 2 inches of canola, vegetable, or peanut oil in a heavy-bottom pot, or deep cast iron skillet to 325 degrees F. Carefully lower 3-4 doughnuts into the hot oil at a time. Fry for 2 minutes per side, then flip, and cook for another 2 minutes, until golden brown. Lay the doughnuts on the paper towels to drain off any excess oil.
Make the Glaze: In a medium size bowl, combine the powdered sugar, water, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk well until smooth, and thin enough to easily submerge the doughnuts to glaze.
Line a baking sheet with a rack, then dip each doughnut into the glaze, and place on the rack. Allow the glaze to set for at least 15-20 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Notes: These doughnuts are best eaten the day that they are fried, but any leftovers can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
The post Old Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts first appeared on Lion’s Bread Blog.
