Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Donuts (Printable)

Tangy lemon and fresh blueberries blend with sourdough for soft, naturally leavened baked treats.

# What you 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 cooking spray or butter.
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 - Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix to maintain tender donuts.
05 - Fold fresh blueberries into the batter, optionally dusting them lightly with flour to minimize sinking during baking.
06 - Spoon or pipe the batter into prepared donut pan cavities, filling each approximately three-quarters full.
07 - Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until donuts spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow donuts to cool in pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
09 - In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest until the mixture reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
10 - Dip each cooled donut into the lemon glaze, allowing excess to drip off, then place on a wire rack to set.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Sourdough starter that's been sitting in your fridge unloved gets a second life, and these donuts prove it's never truly wasted.
  • The bake-instead-of-fry method means your kitchen stays cool and you don't end up wearing half the oil splatters.
  • That bright, tangy lemon-blueberry combination tastes like summer mornings and feels sophisticated enough to impress people at breakfast.
02 -
  • Sourdough discard that's been sitting in the fridge works perfectly here—it doesn't need to be recently fed or bubbly, which means you're finally using that starter guilt-free.
  • The moment you add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture is where patience becomes virtue; just three or four gentle folds are enough, and lumps are your friends not your enemies.
  • Glazing on a cooling rack instead of a plate means excess glaze drips away, leaving you with a delicate, glossy coat instead of a thick puddle underneath.
03 -
  • Bring all your ingredients to room temperature before mixing—cold eggs and buttermilk make the batter grainy and harder to combine smoothly.
  • The difference between 13 and 15 minutes of baking time is the difference between a tender, almost undercooked center and a slightly firmer crumb, so know your oven and adjust accordingly.
  • If you want extra tang, add another teaspoon or two of lemon zest directly to the glaze, or swap half the buttermilk for sour cream in the batter itself.
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