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Raspberry Croissant Sourdough Donuts Recipe

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4 from 74 reviews

Delight in these Raspberry Croissant Sourdough Donuts that combine the tangy depth of sourdough with the sweet burst of ripe raspberries. Featuring a tender croissant-like dough fermented with fresh sourdough starter and infused with pureed raspberries, these donuts are fried to a golden perfection then filled with luscious vanilla custard and vibrant raspberry jam. This recipe takes time for fermentation and proofing, resulting in airy, flaky, and flavorful donut croissants perfect for a special brunch or dessert treat.

  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes active time plus 12-18 hours including fermentation and proofing
  • Yield: 12 croissant-shaped sourdough donuts

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients

  • 500 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 100 g (½ cup) active sourdough starter
  • 110 g (½ cup) whole milk
  • 120 g (1 ⅓ cups) fresh or frozen (thawed) raspberries, pureed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 85 g (6 Tablespoons) softened butter
  • 9 g (1 ½ tsp) salt
  • 55 g (¼ cup) sugar
  • Optional: 2 Tablespoons freeze-dried raspberry powder or crushed freeze-dried raspberries
  • Optional: All-natural plant-based food coloring to make the dough a pretty pink

Pastry Cream Ingredients

  • 500 g (2 cups) whole milk
  • 67 g (⅓ cup) granulated sugar
  • 40 g (4 Tablespoons) cornstarch
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Raspberry Jam Filling

  • 200 g (⅔ cup) raspberry jam

Frying and Coating

  • 1-2 quarts coconut oil, beef tallow, or preferred frying oil (coconut oil recommended)
  • 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar (for coating)

Instructions

  1. Puree the raspberries: Using a blender or food processor, puree the fresh or thawed raspberries, reserving all the juices from thawing if using frozen. Set aside.
  2. Mix the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, milk, active sourdough starter, pureed raspberries including juice, eggs, sugar, salt, and optional freeze-dried raspberries and food coloring. Mix on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes until fully incorporated.
  3. Add butter and knead: Add softened butter and mix on medium speed for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough is still sticky after 6 minutes, add additional flour in small increments until consistency improves.
  4. Let the dough rise: Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl. Optionally roll in freeze-dried raspberries for texture and flavor. Cover and let rise for 4 to 6 hours at room temperature, performing 2 to 3 stretch and fold sets every 30 minutes starting at 30 minutes until dough roughly doubles in size.
  5. Cold proof overnight: Transfer dough to the refrigerator to proof overnight for 8 to 12 hours.
  6. Roll out the dough: The next morning, roll dough on a floured surface into a 24-inch by 14-inch rectangle about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and freeze for 1 hour to chill for easier shaping.
  7. Slice the dough: Remove dough from freezer and plastic wrap. Trim edges to clean rectangle, then cut into six 4-inch by 14-inch rectangles. Each rectangle is sliced diagonally to create two long triangles, totaling 12 triangles.
  8. Roll the croissant donuts: Gently stretch the base corners of each triangle, then roll tightly from the base to the tip into a croissant shape. Repeat for all triangles.
  9. Final rise: Place rolled croissant donuts on a lined baking sheet with parchment squares underneath for easy frying. Cover loosely and let rise at room temperature for 2 to 5 hours until doubled and puffy. Alternatively, proof at 90°F for 1 to 2 hours if equipment allows.
  10. Fry the croissant donuts: Heat frying oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 375°F, usually 15 to 20 minutes. Fry 2 to 3 donuts at a time for about 1 minute per side until deep golden brown. Drain on rack to cool.
  11. Toss in sugar: Place granulated sugar in a large bowl and toss the warm donuts thoroughly to coat evenly.
  12. Prepare vanilla custard filling: Heat 375 g (1.5 cups) of milk in a saucepan to simmering but not boiling. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 67 g sugar, cornstarch, remaining 125 g milk, vanilla seeds or extract, and salt. Temper the egg mixture by slowly whisking in the hot milk, then return to saucepan. Cook on medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbling, then cook 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat, cover with plastic wrap on surface, and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
  13. Pipe the croissant donuts: Once donuts are fully cooled, poke a hole approximately 3/4 into the bottom with a skewer. Using a piping bag, fill the hole two-thirds with vanilla custard, then fill the rest with raspberry jam, topping off optionally with more custard.
  14. Serve and enjoy: Present your beautifully filled Raspberry Croissant Sourdough Donuts fresh and enjoy their perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and flaky textures.

Notes

  • Use fresh or frozen raspberries; if using frozen, thaw gently to preserve flavor and reserve juices for the dough.
  • Chilling the dough in the freezer before shaping helps achieve clean croissant rolls.
  • Performing stretch and folds during bulk fermentation helps develop gluten and texture.
  • Maintain frying oil temperature at 375°F for even cooking and golden color.
  • For best flavor, let pastry cream chill fully before filling the donuts.
  • Adjust flour as needed to achieve a workable dough consistency; dough should be elastic but not sticky.
  • Optional freeze-dried raspberry powder adds an extra raspberry punch and a pretty marbled look to dough.
  • Author: ELLA
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes (excluding fermentation and proofing times)
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes frying plus 15 minutes pastry cream cooking
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Frying
  • Cuisine: French-American fusion

Find it online: https://ellarecipe.com/raspberry-croissant-sourdough-donuts-recipe/