New Jersey summer days are here with their heat as well as beautiful evenings to spend outside! The weather also brings fresh-picked Duke Farms’ blueberries, which we plan to use in the café when we open next week.
This week’s recipe is inspired by the sourdough starters that got passed around during COVID-19. Even if you never make bread, this recipe is worth getting a little sourdough discard from a friend. The doughnuts are best enjoyed with BON Butter hazelnut spread and fresh-picked blueberries. BON Butter spread is nuttier and blows away the popular national brand!
Sourdough Buttermilk Doughnuts:
1 cup sourdough starter (use at the peak, 12-24 hours after you feed it)
3 cups unbleached flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp Kosher salt
2 TB melted butter
Canola oil for frying
1. Combine all ingredients (except canola oil) in an electric mixer and knead on low speed for 5 minutes (This can also be done by hand; mix with wooden spoon until it holds together and knead by hand for 5 minutes).
2. Place in a bowl, wrap in plastic wrap, and allow to sit on the counter for 4-6 hours.
3. Move to the refrigerator and let ferment at least 24-48 hours (the longer the better).
4. When ready to make doughnuts, put at least 2" oil in small saucepan and heat to 325F, depending on your stove, this will likely be 25-50% of burner capability to maintain this heat.
5. Lightly flour your counter, roll a chunk of the dough down to about 1/4" thick. Cut into desired shape and fry, flipping often to promote even cooking. Transfer to a paper towel or cooling rack. Top with BON butter hazelnut spread and fresh blueberries. Enjoy!
Chef's notes:
If you're unfamiliar with sourdough and using discard from a friend, 12-24 hours before starting this recipe, remove discard from the refrigerator and feed it with the following ratio by volume:
1 part discard: 4 parts unbleached flour: 4 parts warm water