Sourdough Donuts

Method

1. 1

   Stir the starter, milk, honey, egg, and butter. Add the flour and mix to a soft dough. Rest 20 minutes, then pinch in the salt. Knead until smooth, about 6 minutes.

2. 2

   Cover and rise until increased by about half, often 4 to 8 hours. Roll the dough to about 1.5 centimeters thick. Cut rings. Press the holes together and cut them too, or fry them as holes. Cover and rest until puffy, 30 to 60 minutes.

3. 3

   Heat the tallow to 350°F in a deep pot. Do not fill the pot more than halfway. Fry 2 or 3 donuts at a time, about 60 to 90 seconds per side, until deep gold. The center should no longer look doughy when you break one. If the outside browns in 30 seconds, the fat is too hot.

4. 4

   Drain on a rack. Toss warm donuts in the sugar and cinnamon. Stay at the stove the whole time the fat is hot. Turn it off when you are done. Never pour hot tallow down a sink.

From the kitchen

• A thermometer is the difference between a cooked donut and a raw one with a dark coat. Guessing the heat is how the first batch is wasted.
• Tallow is the frying fat here. Do not use soybean, corn, or canola oil.