10 March 2024

Written by:

Audley Villages

Sourdough doughnuts to bake at home

INGREDIENTS:

500g strong flour
125g unsalted butter (softened)
70g Mother (the recipe still works without this)
65g caster sugar
3 large eggs
15g yeast (the quick yeast is fine)
155ml water
1 lemon
10g maldon salt

METHOD:

Place all ingredients in a bowl, except for the butter and oil
Mix on a medium speed for 6 minutes then scrape the edges to ensure it's blended well
Mix on a medium to high speed adding a little of the butter until it's blended. Keep mixing for another 8 - 10 minutes until glossy and elastic
Place in a floured bowl and cover with cling film, then leave to prove for 2 - 3 hours
Knock back the dough, then re-cover and leave to prove again for 2 hours
Cut the dough into 15-20 pieces and roll in to balls
Place on baking parchment sprayed with oil
At this point you can put in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months to fry at a later date
Heat up the oil (to around 190C) and fry for 1-3 minutes, then flip using a large spoon and fry for 1-3 minutes on the other side
Once a golden brown colour on each side (the middle will look lighter), carefully remove from the oil and place on paper towels to cool and soak up the excess oil

Ingredients to create the starter (Mother):

60g (1/2 cup) whole wheat flour

60g (1/4 cup) water

To feed the starter each day (Day 3-7):

60g (1/2 cup) unbleached all purpose flour or bread flour

60g (1/4 cup) water

Decorating tips

This recipe should make around 12-14 doughnuts, so you can try a few different decorative ideas.

Chef Scott has used

Melted dark chocolate
Melted white chocolate
Melted caramel chocolate (Caramac)
Granulated sugar
Crushed pistachios
Chocolate nibs

Other ideas are:

Pink chocolate (did you know, that's actually the 4th type of chocolate - milk, white, caramel, and pink)
Icing sugar
Any crushed nuts
Jam filling
Custard filling
Chocolate filling

To eat now or later?

These sourdough doughnuts aren't the same as the dense, stodgy doughnuts you'd buy in the supermarket. They're lighter and have a fluffy texture, with the same great taste.

They'll keep for a few days in an airtight container, but if you choose to fill your doughnuts (with jam, custard, apple, chocolate etc) bear in mind that the filling will soak in to the doughnut.

So if you choose to fill a doughnut, it's best eaten straight away. Not that you'll need an excuse. They smell delicious.

A little more about Scott

Head Chef Scott heads up the kitchen at No3 at Audley Nightingale Place in Clapham.

What's your favourite meal to cook at home?

I do all the batch cooking at home for my wife and I. My favourite thing to eat at home is his mother-in-law's Ghanian beef stew. I managed to copy the recipe and my mother-in-law now says mine is even better than hers!

What else do you love to cook at home?

I love to do barbecuing and smoking - I have invested a lot of time and money on my garden over the last few years. I have a smoker, fire pit and a pizza oven, which I love to use.

Sweet or savoury?

I definitely prefer savoury to sweet. I like a Drambuie after my meal. Drambuie is a Scotch whisky-based liqueur, often as a digestif. It features spices, herbs and honey.