Go Back
Sourdough Maple Bacon Bars

Sourdough Maple Bacon Bars

These Sourdough Maple Bacon Bars are everything you didn't know you were missing: pillowy soft, glazed with a buttery thick maple glaze, and finished with crispy bacon crumbles on top. One bite of these melt-in-your-mouth donuts, and you'll be transported back to that small donut shop from your childhood!
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 12

Equipment

  • Stand mixer (optional)
  • 1 medium saucepan for mixing tangzhong
  • 1 medium pot for glazing donuts
  • 1 Deep pot or Dutch oven for frying donuts
  • Kitchen scale for precise measurements
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Rolling Pin for rolling out donuts
  • Pizza wheel or shar knife for cutting donuts
  • 12 6x4 parchment squares for proofing and frying donuts
  • Frying thermometer to make sure oil is at correct temperature
  • Slotted spoon or chopsticks to flip donuts
  • 2 Cooling racks for cooling and glazing donuts
  • Paper towels to absorb excess oiil

Ingredients
  

Sweet Levain:

  • 2 Tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (25g) granulated white sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon (25g) sourdough starter 100% hydration
  • 3/4 cup and 2 Tablespoons (100g) water room temperature
  • 3/4 cup and 2 Tablespoons (100g) all-purpose flour or bread flour

Tangzhong Paste:

  • 2 Tablespoons (20g) all-purpose flour or bread flour
  • 1/3 cup and 1 Tablespoon (100g) whole milk

Main Dough:

Wet Ingredients:

  • 1 cup and 2 Tablespoons (275g) whole milk
  • 3/4 cup (200g) sweet levain can substitute with active 100% sourdough starter but taste may be more sour
  • 1 (50g) egg room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon (25g) honey can substitute for white granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup and 1 Tablespoon (60g) white granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • all of the tangzhong paste see notes above
  • 4 Tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, softened

Dry Ingredients:

  • 4 1/3 cups (500-550g) bread flour see notes in recipe
  • 1 teaspoon (6g) sea salt

Maple Glaze:

  • 2 1/2 cups (300g) powdered sugar, sifted do not use granulated sugar glaze will be gritty
  • 1/4 cup (57g) cream Note: you can use milk or half and half but glaze will be thinner
  • 4 Tablespoons (57g) salted butter
  • 1/4 cup (60g) pure maple syrup
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring optional: adjust according to taste
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:

  • 1/2 cup (120g) bacon crumbles

Instructions
 

Make Your Sweet Levain (Night Before):

  • Baker's Schedule: 8:00 PM- Night Before
    2 Tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (25g) granulated white sugar, 1 Tablespoon (25g) sourdough starter, 3/4 cup and 2 Tablespoons (100g) water, 3/4 cup and 2 Tablespoons (100g) all-purpose flour
  • Mix all ingredients in a jar until a paste forms.
  • Cover loosely and let ferment at 74–78°F (23–26°C) for 10–12 hours, or until doubled and domed.

Make the Tangzhong:

  • Baker's Schedule: 8:00 AM- Day 1
  • Whisk milk and flour together in a small saucepan.
    2 Tablespoons (20g) all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup and 1 Tablespoon (100g) whole milk
  • Cook over medium/low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a paste that is similar to pudding (about 2–3 minutes). For precision, use your digital thermometer and heat to 148-155 F. Do not overheat, or your mixture will be too thick.
  • Scrape into a bowl immediately to prevent further cooking, cover, and let cool to room temperature before adding to your dough.
  • Prepare your dough while tangzhong cools.

Mix The Dough:

  • Baker's Schedule: 8:30 AM- Day 1
  • In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or large mixing bowl, add your wet ingredients except the butter.
    1 cup and 2 Tablespoons (275g) whole milk, 3/4 cup (200g) sweet levain, 1 (50g) egg, 1 Tablespoon (25g) honey, 1/4 cup and 1 Tablespoon (60g) white granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, all of the tangzhong paste
  • Whisk ingredients together quickly, it's okay if it's lumpy.
  • Add dry ingredients to your bowl.
    1 teaspoon (6g) sea salt, 4 1/3 cups (500-550g) bread flour
  • Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down bowl if needed. If using your hands, knead until you work dough into a ball.
  • Once dough has formed a rough ball, add softened butter 1 Tablespoon at a time.
    4 Tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, softened
  • Continue mixing on medium-low (speed 2–3) for 8–10 minutes, until dough is smooth, elastic, and tacky but not sticky. If mixing by hand knead dough until butter has fully incorporated and dough is smooth and tacky.
  • If kneading in a mixer or if dough is very wet when mixing by hand, add an additional 25 grams (3 Tablespoons) of flour and mix into dough. Make sure to work flour in completely and assess if you need more flour. I did this twice adding in a total of 50 grams (6 Tablespoons) of flour for the dough consistency I liked.
  • Do not add more than 50 grams of flour at this stage, or you will lose the high hydration of the dough and end up with a dense donut. If using a stand mixer, dough can become more warm and sticky and I have found kneading dough with my hand (perform a set of stretch and folds) for a minute after mixing really helps bring the dough together.

Bulk Fermentation:

  • Spray a clean bowl with oil. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.
  • If you used a stand mixer, perform one set of stretch and folds after 30 minutes to strengthen your dough. If you mixed dough by hand, perform 3 sets of stretch and folds at 30 minute intervals at the beginning of bulk fermentation. After stretch and folds are completed, cover dough and allow to continue proofing.
  • Let dough rise at 75–80°F until doubled in size—about 5–6 hours. If your house is very cold, you can put dough in the oven with the light on for a warmer atmosphere.
  • Once dough has finished rising, you can cover and transfer to the refrigerator overnight for a longer ferment or you can skip this step and go straight to cutting out your donuts. I do find it to be easier to shape the donuts when the dough has been refrigerated but it isn't necessary.

Shape The Donuts:

  • Baker's Schedule- 8:00 AM Day 2 (if doing overnight ferment)
  • Flour your work surface. Turn out the dough on your surface and flour the top and the rolling pin to avoid sticking. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness, forming a 12x10 inch rectangle. The width should be 12 inches, and length 10 inches.
  • Trim your edges to make a clean rectangle. Cut rectangle in half horizontally, and make 6 cuts diagonally to form 12 bars. Each bar should be roughly 2 inches wide and 5 inches long.
  • Cut 12 6x4 inch parchment squares. Flour these to prevent dough from sticking. Place each bar onto its own parchment square and transfer to baking sheets. I fit 2 rows of 3 donuts on each pan to avoid overcrowding. The individual parchment squares are highly recommended, as it will give bars a better shape and help you avoid dough sticking to your hands when transferring to frying oil.

Final Proofing:

  • Cover bars loosely with plastic sprayed with cooking oil and let rise at room temperature for 2–3 hours, or until puffy and jiggly. When poked gently with a fingertip, the dough should spring back slowly—not immediately.
    Because this dough has the tangzhong to provide stability to the dough, you can push your final proof a little longer to get a really airy donut. It's better to give this step more time than less.

Fry The Donuts:

  • Baker's Schedule- 11:00 AM Day 2
  • Line a cooling rack with paper towels. Fit your candy thermometer into your deep pot. Transfer 3–4 cups of organic coconut oil to a deep pot or Dutch oven, and heat to 350-360°F on medium heat. If oil gets hotter than this, reduce heat accordingly. Watch your temperatures very closely and adjust your heat as needed to avoid burning donuts.
  • When oil is ready, transfer 2 donuts with parchment paper into oil (you can remove paper with tongs when it separates). If you didn't use parchment paper, slightly oil your hands with cooking spray and gently transfer donuts to oil.
  • Fry 30 seconds at a time per side, flipping donuts gently using chopsticks or a slotted spoon. I repeat this step a few times rotating donuts to avoid burning. Remove after a 2-3 minutes with a slotted spoon or spider spoon and donuts are a golden brown. Remove and transfer to a rack lined with paper towels to cool.
  • Repeat until all donuts have been fried. Allow to cool while you prepare the glaze.

Make The Maple Glaze:

  • In a small saucepan over low heat, combine glaze ingredients.
    2 1/2 cups (300g) powdered sugar, sifted, 1/4 cup (57g) cream, 4 Tablespoons (57g) salted butter, 1/4 cup (60g) pure maple syrup, 1-1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Stir until completely smooth and just warm to the touch. Remove from heat and let cool slightly so it’s thick but still dippable.

Glaze Donuts:

  • Dip cooled donuts face-down into glaze. Remove from glaze and let excess drip off, then transfer back to an unlined wire rack. After donuts have cooled for roughly ten minutes, dip face-down again to coat with more glaze if desired.
  • Sprinkle donuts with 1/3-1/2 cup bacon crumbles on freshly glazed donuts.
    1/2 cup (120g) bacon crumbles
  • Let glaze set for 30–45 minutes before serving.
  • Enjoy with your warm glazed Sourdough Maple Bacon Bars!

Notes

Storing Tips:
  • These are best served fresh, but you can store in a single layer in an airtight container for enjoying the next day.
FAQ's:
Can I use sourdough starter instead of a sweet levain?
Yes! Just substitute equal weight active sourdough starter for the sweet levain. Be aware that the dough may be more sour without the sugar to curb the tang!
Can I use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar in the glaze?
NO. Granulated sugar will be gritty.
Can I bake these donuts instead of fry them?
No. This recipe is created to be fried. I'm not sure how it would work baking.
Do I have to use the tangzhong?
No, but it's highly recommended. If you choose to skip, make sure you add equal weight milk and flour to the dough to replace the tangzhong. 
Course Donuts