• Mix the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, milk, eggs, sourdough starter, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and salt. Mix on low speed for 3-4 minutes until everything is incorporated.
  500 grams All-Purpose flour, 115 g Active sourdough starter, 160 g Whole milk, 2 Large eggs, 85 g Softened butter, 10 g Salt, 65 g Sugar, 45 g Lemon juice, 3 Lemons, zested, Optional: Natural food coloring
• Add Butter and Knead: Add the softened butter to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 10 minutes, until the dough is soft and elastic. It should be slightly sticky but smooth. If the dough is not coming together after 6 minutes add an additional 20-40g of flour (using 20g increments at a time). Donut dough is very supple and hydrated and will take time to come together!
• Let The Dough Rise: In a lightly greased bowl, cover and let the dough rise for 4 - 6 hours. During that time, perform 2 -3 stretch and folds, starting at the 30 minute mark, and repeating every 30 minutes until 3 are complete. The dough is done when it’s roughly doubled in size.
• Optional - Make the Lemon Curd: If making lemon curd for the icing, make sure to prep it ahead of time so it’s cooled and ready to go when your donuts are fried. This can be done the next day while the donuts are going through the final rise, but I find I often like to prep it ahead of time while the dough gonig through the first is rise. The lemon curd can be stored in the fridge until it's time to make the icing.
  6 large Egg yolks , 200 g (1 cup) Granulated sugar, Zest from 2 lemons, 100 g (1/2 cup) Lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons), 1/8 tsp Salt
• Cold Proof: Transfer dough to the fridge to cold proof overnight (8-12 hours).
• Shape the Donuts: The next morning, roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to ½’’ thickness. Use a 3.5’’ donut cutter to cut our your donuts and donut holes. If your donut cutter does not have a center cutter, you can use a small cookie cutter or the wide end of a piping tip (like I do in my videos) to remove the center.
• Final Rise:  Transfer the shaped donuts to a lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let them rise until doubled in size, roughly 2-5 hours at room temperature (or proof for 1-2 hours at 80F using the proof setting in your oven, counter top oven, or proofing box. I typically use my Breville for this step to expedite the process).
• Fry the Donuts: Heat your oil in a large pot to 375F. Fry 2-3 donuts at a time for 1 minute per side, until golden brown. Transfer cooked donuts to a rack to cool.
  1-2 quarts Coconut oil
• Make the Lemon Glaze: In a bowl, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla (Optonal: if not using lemon curd, add the lemon juice and lemon zest before whisking). Whisk together until a creamy glaze is formed. If adding lemon curd, add lemon curd to the icing and gently stir over the top create a marbled effect like this.
  240 g (2 cups) Confectioners’ sugar, 80 g (⅓ cup) Whole milk, ½ tsp Vanilla extract, Option A: ¼ cup or 60g lemon curd (see recipe below for lemon curd), Option B: If not using lemon curd, add 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 zested lemon to make a simple lemon glaze icing
• Dip the Donuts: Dip the tops of the cooled donuts into the glaze, then place them on a rack to let the glaze set.
• Serve and enjoy!

Lemon Curd Recipe:

• Mix: Start by whisking the egg yolks in a pot. Then whisk in the sugar and mix until combined. Slowly mix in the lemon juice.
• Heat: Transfer the pot to the stove and heat on low, whisking. When bubbles begin to form and mixture takes on a thicker consistency, remove the pot from heat.
• Add Butter: Add the butter and mix until fully incorporated.
• Strain: Pour the lemon curd mixture through a strainer into a bowl or container. This helps create a smooth texture.
• Cover: Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface.
• Store in the fridge: Lemon curd can be stored in the fridge for 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.