JACKSON, MICH. — Dawn Foods has introduced a sourdough donut mix, which is a mashup of sourdough bread and a yeast-raised donut that creates a buttery sourdough flavor with a soft, light and airy texture, according to the Jackson-based company.

The mix may be used in both sweet and savory offerings, including sourdough jelly donuts, glazed sourdough sweet rolls and honey butter-fried chicken sandwich rolls. Dawn Foods cites information from Datassential Menu Trends showing sourdough demand increasing by 11% over the last several years.

“It is critical that Dawn pushes the leading edge of innovation since it’s what drives our customers’ business,” said Carrie Jones-Barber, chief executive officer of Dawn Foods. “At Dawn, we pride ourselves on bringing customers new and exciting products, and this new sourdough donut is just the latest example of how we’re staying true to this commitment. It’s fitting this launch coincides with our 100th anniversary and continues our legacy of providing the best donuts on the market.”

The creation of the sourdough donut mix began in June 2019 when Mathew Rice, executive pastry chef of Niche Media Group in Nashville, Tenn., won the Donut Co-Creation Competition at Dawn’s Innovation Studio for his sourdough donut concept. His creation met the four criteria of new product development: taste, texture, versatility and fits with trends.

“As a baker myself, my motivation in creating a sourdough donut was to stretch bakers’ offerings beyond traditional desserts,” Mr. Rice said. “Sourdough can be used in sweet treats as well as savory offerings, which are extremely popular with millennials and Gen Z consumers. In my experience, this type of new twist can be the creative kickstart to new possibilities.”