Montana Sourdough Doughnuts

If you keep a sourdough starter and want something beyond bread, these Montana-style doughnuts are a seriously good reason to feed it. The starter adds a subtle tang that balances the sugar, and the buttermilk amplifies that sour note while keeping the crumb tender.

Kneading until smooth is important here. This dough has both baking powder and baking soda for lift, but the sourdough starter adds extra fermentation muscle. The 30-minute rise after cutting gives them just enough puff without over-proofing. They should roughly double but still feel slightly dense to the touch.

Rolling to exactly half an inch matters for frying. Thicker doughnuts won’t cook through before the outside gets too dark. Thinner ones fry too fast and come out flat and crunchy instead of soft.

Pro Tips

• Your starter should be active and recently fed for the best rise and flavor. A sluggish starter makes dense, flat doughnuts.
• Keep the frying oil at a steady 370°F (188°C). Use a thermometer. Too hot and they brown outside while staying raw inside. Too cool and they soak up grease.
• Fry only two or three at a time. Crowding drops the oil temperature and gives you greasy results.
• Roll in sugar while they’re still hot. The warmth helps the coating stick.

Variations

• Roll in cinnamon sugar instead of plain sugar for a spiced version.
• Glaze with a simple mix of powdered sugar and milk for a bakery-style finish.
• Swap the nutmeg for cardamom for a Scandinavian twist that pairs well with the sourdough tang.