Sourdough “Krispy Kreme” Copycat Dougnuts

Apparently it is a thing to go to the Krispy Kreme stores when the sign is lit up and says “hot”. I’ve never known or done this unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?).

All I have ever known is day old boxes of the sweet, yeasted doughnuts brought to school or some work event. While they weren’t hot and fresh they still left an impression on me.

I thought they were quite delicious. Soft and fluffy, with that crinkly glaze on top. Mmmm.

But nowadays I wouldn’t be so smitten. My taste buds have changed quite a lot and while my memory yearns for those old favorite flavors, my body says no thanks.

That is where this recipe comes in.

These Sourdough “Krispy Kreme” Copycat Doughnuts are all the flavors of my young impressionable memory but healthier to satisfy my current mind and body.

These doughnuts are fermented for 8 hours for easier digestibility. Then shaped and proofed another two hours. After proofing they are fried in tallow or lard or coconut oil. Once cooled then they are glazed.

What you have after all of that is a doughnut that is light, soft, and fluffy in the middle. Ever so slightly crispy on the outside with a sweet, crinkly glaze coating the whole thing. All of the deliciousness minus all the crap.

You can even shape these doughnuts the “traditional” way with a hole in the center or you can leave the rounds without the hole and fill them with something.

When I made these the first time I filled some with a homemade, homegrown pumpkin jam. But the options are endless.

You can also glaze them with different flavors by adding stuff to the simple glaze. For instance I took a spoonful of that pumpkin jam and stirred it into the glaze for a pumpkin pie flavored glaze. I also added almond extract to some of the glaze for an almond flavored glaze. Get creative and use what you have or what is in season.

A couple of notes about the recipe:

• This dough will be quite wet and sticky. You need to make sure you develop windowpane and that the dough is a cohesive ball when you are mixing it. BUT it won’t really clean the sides of the mixer bowl totally. You know the dough is ready when it passes windowpane, is a cohesive ball when kneading and slightly sticky to the touch. When the mixer stops the dough will relax into a blob and that is fine as long as it has passed windowpane and was a cohesive mass when the mixer was running.
• You will want to flour the counter moderately. After the fermentation the dough won’t be quite as sticky but you still don’t want the doughnuts to stick to the counter.
• Handle the doughnuts with care. Especially after the final proof because they will be puffy and fragile. Just do your best to gently sit them in the oil.
• I recommend using a candy thermometer for frying these and trying to keep the temp around 375*f. If you don’t have the oil hot enough or too hot it could under cook the dough. But that being said a 5*f fluctuation in temp won’t kill your doughnuts.

Sourdough “Krispy Kreme” Copycat Doughnuts

Ingredients:

For the Dough

• 100g starter, fed
• 30g water
• 365g milk
• 5g salt
• 2 eggs
• 580g flour
• 80g sugar
• 95g butter, room temp

For Frying

• 4 cups coconut oil, lard, or tallow preferably grass fed

For the Glaze

• 2 cups powder sugar
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup of cream or milk

Instructions:

1. Place all the dough ingredients except for the butter into a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Knead until all the ingredients come together and are incorporated.
2. Next add walnut sized chunks of the butter to the dough while the mixer is running. Only add the next chunk of butter after the previous one has been fully incorporated. Repeat until all the butter is added.
3. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes or until windowpane is reached and the dough feels strong. It won’t totally clean the sides of the bowl but will be a cohesive mass that mostly cleans the sides.
4. Cover and let rise approximately 8 hours or until double.
5. Once the dough is double, moderately flour the counter and turn the dough out onto it. Press the dough flat until it is about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cut out with a round cutter (I use a wide mouth mason jar ring) until you run out of dough. Place the cut out doughnuts on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then gather the scraps and repeat.
6. When all of the dough is cut out and on the sheets place them in a clean garbage bag. Close the bag by twisting the opening under the sheet with some air trapped inside so that the bag isn’t resting on the doughnuts.
7. Leave at room temp to proof for another 2-3 hours or until puffy and increased in size but not necessarily doubled.
8. When the doughnuts are about ready, place frying oil in a deep skillet or other pan and bring to 375*f over medium heat.
9. Once the oil is hot, gently lower 2-3 doughnuts into the oil. Fry about 2 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Move to towel lined plate once done. Repeat with all the doughnuts.
10. After all the doughnuts have been fried and cooled mix all of the glaze ingredients together, adding the cream or milk just a little at a time. The glaze is the right consistency when it runs off your fork slowly in a solid stream.
11. Dunk each doughnut in the glaze and set on parchment paper or a cooling rack. Repeat until all doughnuts are glazed.
12. Alternatively, if you want to fill any doughnuts place the filling of your choice in a plastic bag (a sandwich bag or pastry bag) with the tip cut off so there is an opening. Then make a slit with a knife in one side of the doughnut. Place the opening of the bag with the filling in it into the knife slit and squeeze some filling in.

5 from 1 vote

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Sourdough “Krispy Kreme” Copycat Doughnuts

Servings 16 doughnuts

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 100 g starter fed
• 30 g water
• 365 g milk
• 5 g salt
• 2 eggs
• 580 g flour
• 80 g sugar
• 95 g butter room temp

For Frying

• 4 cups coconut oil lard, or tallow preferably grass fed

For the Glaze

• 2 cups powder sugar
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup of cream or milk

Instructions

1. Place all the dough ingredients except for the butter into a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Knead until all the ingredients come together and are incorporated.
2. Next add walnut sized chunks of the butter to the dough while the mixer is running. Only add the next chunk of butter after the previous one has been fully incorporated. Repeat until all the butter is added.
3. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes or until windowpane is reached and the dough feels strong. It won’t totally clean the sides of the bowl but will be a cohesive mass that mostly cleans the sides.
4. Cover and let rise approximately 8 hours or until double.
5. Once the dough is double, moderately flour the counter and turn the dough out onto it. Press the dough flat until it is about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cut out with a round cutter (I use a wide mouth mason jar ring) until you run out of dough. Place the cut out doughnuts on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then gather the scraps and repeat.
6. When all of the dough is cut out and on the sheets place them in a clean garbage bag. Close the bag by twisting the opening under the sheet with some air trapped inside so that the bag isn’t resting on the doughnuts.
7. Leave at room temp to proof for another 2-3 hours or until puffy and increased in size but not necessarily doubled.
8. When the doughnuts are about ready, place frying oil in a deep skillet or other pan and bring to 375*f over medium heat.
9. Once the oil is hot, gently lower 2-3 doughnuts into the oil. Fry about 2 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Move to towel lined plate once done. Repeat with all the doughnuts.
10. After all the doughnuts have been fried and cooled mix all of the glaze ingredients together, adding the cream or milk just a little at a time. The glaze is the right consistency when it runs off your fork slowly in a solid stream.
11. Dunk each doughnut in the glaze and set on parchment paper or a cooling rack. Repeat until all doughnuts are glazed.
12. Alternatively, if you want to fill any doughnuts place the filling of your choice in a plastic bag (a sandwich bag or pastry bag) with the tip cut off so there is an opening. Then make a slit with a knife in one side of the doughnut. Place the opening of the bag with the filling in it into the knife slit and squeeze some filling in.

Have you ever been to a Krispy Kreme bakery when the “HOT” light was lit up? Was it worth it?