Whole Wheat Donuts Made with Fresh Milled Flour
Whole wheat donuts made with fresh milled flour offer a healthier, more flavorful twist on traditional donuts. By using freshly milled flour, these donuts have a richer texture and taste, are packed with fiber and nutrients making them a wholesome treat and a great addition with your morning coffee!

Table of Contents
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Can I feed my sourdough starter whole wheat flour?
Yes, you can definitely use whole wheat flour to create a sourdough starter or feed your established starter! In fact, when I feed my all-purpose flour sourdough starter with fresh milled whole wheat flour, it thrives! Whole wheat flour is an excellent choice for starting or maintaining a sourdough culture due to its higher nutrient content and natural wild yeasts, which help jump-start fermentation and promote a healthy, active starter.

Equipment for Fresh Milled Donuts
Cooling rack or wire rack
Paper towels
Mixing bowl
Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
Rolling pin
Sheet pan or baking sheet
Piece of parchment paper
Bench scraper
Doughnut cutter or 3″ cookie cutter and 1″ cookie cutter (for donut holes)
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Ingredients for Homemade Donuts
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk (300g)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (113g)
- 5 1/4 cups (626g) Hard White Wheat on pastry setting, plus a little more for dusting. (See tips)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (5g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Coconut oil (to fry the donuts)
Vanilla Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt

Fresh Milled Donut Recipe
Step 1: Prepare the Dough
- In a small bowl, combine warm milk and pinch of sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy.



- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix together the warm milk, sugar, eggs, softened butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.






- In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, and salt.


- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. The dough will be slightly sticky but should hold its shape. Turn the mixer on medium and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough comes together. At this point it should be slightly sticky and peeling of the bottom and sides of the mixer bowl. If it’s too dry, add a little warm water (1 tablespoon at a time) until you reach a dough that is smooth but not too wet. Likewise, if the dough is too wet, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it comes together and has a slight stickiness.Then, place the dough in a greased bowl.
- Cover the dough with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for at least an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
Step 2: Shape the Donuts
- Once the dough rises, place dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll the dough to about 1/2-inch thick. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle some flour on top.



- Use a donut cutter or two round cookie cutters (one large, one small) to cut out the donuts and donut holes, and place on a piece of parchment paper. Keep a good distance between donuts so that they don’t expand into each other. Place a damp towel over them.


- Let the shaped dough rest for 1 hour in a warm place.
Step 3: Cook the Donuts
- Fill a deep fryer, large pot, or dutch oven about 2-3 inches deep with coconut oil.
- Preheat the coconut oil in to 350°F. (For best results see TIPS.)
- Gently lower the donuts into the hot oil, cooking for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.





Step 4: Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add more milk to adjust the thickness if needed.



- Once the donuts are slightly cooled, dip the cooked donuts into the glaze, flipping them over so that the glaze coats both sides, allowing excess to drip off.
Step 5: Serve
Let the donuts rest for a few minutes to allow the glaze to set, then enjoy! These donuts are best served fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days.

TIPS for Homemade Fresh Milled Donuts:
- Adding Flavor: You can also experiment with different flavors, like adding citrus zest, nutmeg, or cocoa powder, or rolling the fried donuts around in a cinnamon sugar mixture for variations.
- Frying to Perfection: I heated the oil to 350 degrees and cooked the donuts for exactly 1 minute on each side. This made for a perfectly crisp outside with a great flavor. Since I cook our donuts in a dutch oven, and not in a deep fryer, I have to continually regulate the temperature. I check the temperature before I place the donuts in the oil or turn them over to make sure the temperature isn’t too cool or too hot, and depending on if it is or isn’t, I adjust my stoves temperature accordingly.
- Glaze: If you like a heavier glaze on your donut, then simply redip your donut after the icing had set for a few minutes after the first dipping.
- Type of Wheat: I highly recommend using a hard white variety of wheat berries. They have a milder flavor than the hard red variety, so they will take on the flavor you choose.
- Achieving the Perfect Dough: The dough should be slightly sticky, it should be peeling off the sides and bottom of the bowl when the dough hook is moving. If it clumps up into a ball on the dough hook and is not tacky at all, it’s too dry. If the dough is too dry (not sticky at all) add a little warm water (1 tablespoon at a time) until you reach a dough that is smooth, not too wet, yet slightly sticky. Then, place the dough in a greased bowl. Likewise, if the dough is too wet, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it comes together and has a slight stickiness. It is better to have a stickier dough than a dense dry dough. This will ensure that your donuts are light and fluffy, rather than heavy and dense.
Enjoy your whole wheat sourdough donuts!


Whole Wheat Donuts Made with Fresh Milled Flour
Equipment
- Cooling rack or wire rack
- Paper towels
- Mixing bowl
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Rolling Pin
- Sheet pan or baking sheet
- Piece of parchment paper
- Bench scraper
- Doughnut cutter or 3" cookie cutter and 1" cookie cutter (for donut holes)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk 300g
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50g
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened (113g)
- 5 1/4 cups 626g (Hard White Wheat on pastry setting, plus a little more for dusting. See tips)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt 5g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Coconut oil to fry the donuts
Vanilla Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
Fresh Milled Donut Recipe
- Step 1: Prepare the Dough
- In a small bowl, combine warm milk and pinch of sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix together the warm milk, sugar, eggs, softened butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. The dough will be slightly sticky but should hold its shape. Turn the mixer on medium and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough comes together. At this point it should be slightly sticky and peeling of the bottom and sides of the mixer bowl. If it’s too dry, add a little warm water (1 tablespoon at a time) until you reach a dough that is smooth but not too wet. Likewise, if the dough is too wet, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it comes together and has a slight stickiness.Then, place the dough in a greased bowl.
- Cover the dough with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for at least an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- Step 2: Shape the Donuts
- Once the dough rises, place dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll the dough to about 1/2-inch thick. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle some flour on top.
- Use a donut cutter or two round cookie cutters (one large, one small) to cut out the donuts and donut holes, and place on a piece of parchment paper. Keep a good distance between donuts so that they don't expand into each other. Place a damp towel over them.
- Let the shaped dough rest for 1 hour in a warm place.
- Step 3: Cook the Donuts
- Fill a deep fryer, large pot, or dutch oven about 2-3 inches deep with coconut oil.
- Preheat the coconut oil in to 350°F. (For best results see TIPS.)
- Gently lower the donuts into the hot oil, cooking for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Step 4: Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add more milk or sugar to adjust the thickness if needed.
- Once the donuts are slightly cooled, dip the cooked donuts into the glaze, flipping them over so that the glaze coats both sides, allowing excess to drip off.
- Step 5: Serve
- Let the donuts rest for a few minutes to allow the glaze to set, then enjoy! These donuts are best served fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days.
Oh, my gravy, these look so good. They remind me of doughnuts my grandmother made. Had forgotten all about them until right now. Thank you for the reminder. Would love to try to make these. Popped by to review your tips for renewing a sourdough starter. My daughter said I needed to use filtered water but I kept forgetting. Reading your suggestions reminded me of that, too!! Sucks to get old and forgetful. Hoping to get my starter revived or to follow your instructions for creating a fresh starter.
Hope you and the family are healthy and happy and enjoying the new year.
Thank you, Leslie! I hope you are having a great New Year too!