6 Easy Sourdough Discard Recipes (2024)

If you like making sourdough but you don’t like throwing away your sourdough starter discard, here are 6 easy sourdough discard recipes to make the most of your sourdough starter. You can make pancakes, coffee cake, pizza dough and more!

Making sourdough bread is fun and easy! If you want an easy sourdough starter be sure to check out this recipe for sourdough starter.

You need to be sure to feed your sourdough starter every few days and discard any excess. Many people are fascinated at how the sourdough starter grows and how it keeps providing starter again and again, so when you take out the sourdough starter discard, it can break your heart to throw it away! If you don’t want to throw away your sourdough starter discard, you can whip up something quick and tasty to make the most of it!

Here are 6 easy sourdough discard recipes to help you make delicious treats for your family with your sourdough discard!

A few tips for these sourdough discard recipes:

Be sure to use a clean jar or crock at least every few times you take out your sourdough starter discard. That way you won’t get mold in your sourdough starter.

Feed your sourdough starter with filtered or distilled water. This isn’t a must, but some tap water can contain a lot of chlorine that will kill your starter. I am able to use tap water for mine but if you find your sourdough starter dying, this may be why.

When you feed the sourdough starter, mix the water with your starter first and then add the flour. This makes sure it gets evenly distributed.

Your sourdough starter needs to sit out on the counter for at least 4-6 hours (overnight is best).

You don’t have to throw away sourdough starter discard. Use these sourdough discard recipes to save you the heartbreak of throwing it away.

Easy Sourdough Discard Recipes

You don’t have to be using a discard to use these sourdough discard recipes, so if you’re just looking for something to make with your sourdough starter, these are all great easy recipes!

You can make easy and tasty old fashioned pancakes with this sourdough discard pancakes recipe! Don’t waste your sourdough discard. Make these pancakes that your family will love! This is one of the more popular sourdough discard recipes and only takes a few minutes to make!

Sourdough Discard Pancakes

1½ cups milk
1 cup sourdough starter discard
2 cups all purpose flour
¼ cup white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
2 Tbsp. butter, melted*

Combine the milk with the sourdough starter discard.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into the milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until the lumps are gone.

Sourdough Discard Biscuits Recipe

2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. margarine, butter or butter flavored shortening
1 scant cup milk
1 cup sourdough starter discard

Preheat oven to 425°.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Cut in margarine with a fork or pastry blender until it resembles cornmeal.

Add milk and sourdough discard, stirring just enough to combine ingredients. Do not over stir. Put dough on a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add a little flour to help form the ball. Knead lightly 5-10 times.

Roll out to ½ inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter or a glass rim that has been dipped in flour. Put onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 10-12 baking powder biscuits.

Did you know you can make coffee cake with sourdough? This easy sourdough discard coffee cake recipe makes super delicious homemade coffee cake starting with a sourdough starter discard! When thinking about sourdough discard recipes, many people don’t think of recipes like this one, but it is super tasty and great for breakfast or a snack and our kids love it!

Sourdough Discard Coffee Cake Recipe

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
2 rounded Tbsp. shortening
¼ cup milk
1 cup sourdough starter
2 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and shortening. Add milk, sourdough discard, eggs and vanilla to the remainder of the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

Pour the batter into a 9×9 inch buttered pan. Sprinkle the topping over the top. Bake 45 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serves 9.

Coffee Cake Topping

2 Tbsp. butter
½ tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
¾ cup flour

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well.

Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust Recipe

1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup warm water
½ tsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. oil (Olive oil is best)
2 tsp. crushed garlic (optional)
1 tsp. basil (optional)
1 tsp. thyme (optional)
1 tsp. oregano (optional)
2½-3 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in a bowl with warm water. After the yeast is proofed, add the sourdough starter and mix. Add sugar, salt and oil. Add spices, as desired. Mix well. Gradually add flour to form a stiff dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth. Place in a greased bowl. Turn dough over in the bowl in order to grease both sides. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 2-4 hours. Makes 2 medium pizzas.

To Make Homemade Pizza

Preheat oven to 400°.

Divide the dough in half for 2 medium pizzas or roll out the entire batch of dough for a 9×13 pan, ¼-½ inch thick. Bake for 5 minutes so the dough does not become soggy.

Cover crusts with pizza sauce. You can use a red pizza sauce, Alfredo sauce, garlic sauce or a tasty pesto. Add your choice of toppings and cheese. Bake at 400 degrees on a baking pan or pizza stone (like this one)* for about 15 minutes.

For more pizza ideas, check out our homemade pizza recipe and ideas here.

You can make easy and delicious rustic homemade crackers with this easy sourdough discard recipe! Use them for spreads, soups or with anything else you might normally serve with crackers!

Sourdough Discard Crackers Recipe

1 cup flour
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sourdough starter
4 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp. dried herbs of your choice (optional)
oil, for brushing
coarse salt (such as kosher or sea salt) for sprinkling on top

Mix together the flour, salt, sourdough starter discard, butter and herbs to make a smooth (but not sticky) dough. Add a bit of flour to knead smooth, if needed. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a small rectangular slab. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes until the dough is firm.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly flour a piece of parchment and the top of the dough. Place dough on the parchment and roll to about 1/16″ thick.

Transfer the dough and parchment together onto a baking sheet. Lightly brush with oil and then sprinkle the salt over the top of the crackers. Cut the dough into 1¼” squares with a pizza cutter. Prick each square with the tines of a fork. Bake crackers for 20 to 25 minutes, until the squares are starting to brown around the edges.

Remove the crackers from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Freeze to store longer.

This sourdough discard waffles recipe makes easy and tasty old fashioned waffles your family is sure to love!

Easy Sourdough Discard Waffles Recipe

2 cups flour or wheat flour
1 cup sourdough starter discard
1½ cups milk
2 Tbsp. sugar
½ cup vegetable oil, margarine or butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt

Mix flour, sourdough starter discard and milk. Let sit for 4 hours to overnight in a warm place.

Beat in the remaining ingredients, just until smooth. Do not over mix. Pour the batter onto the center of the hot waffle iron. Bake 5 minutes or until the steaming stops. Remove carefully. Makes twelve 4 inch waffles.

Sourdough Discard Recipes And More!

Check out our easy sourdough starter recipe here.

Check out our easy no knead sourdough bread recipe here.

For more great sourdough discard recipes, check out the Easy Sourdough Start to Finish e-book:

Easy Sourdough Start to Finish!

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FAQs

What is the best way to use sourdough discard? ›

Don't throw it away! Instead, use it to make delicious and nutritious treats like pancakes, waffles, muffins, and bread. Sourdough discard is a great source of natural yeast and flavor, and can add a unique tangy taste to your baked goods.

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Do you discard every time you feed sourdough starter? ›

It would be best if you discarded some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used “food” (flour and water) that's been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period.

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What is a substitute for sourdough discard? ›

Ingredients and Substitutions

Sourdough discard: If you don't sourdough discard saved up, feel free to use active sourdough starter. If you don't have a strater, add 56 grams of flour and 56 grams of water to your dough.

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When should you throw out a sourdough discard? ›

You can store sourdough discard in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It's fine to leave it on the counter for up 24 hours, however if you aren't planning to use it straight away it's always better to store it in the fridge.

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Can I leave sourdough discard out overnight? ›

Store your discard in a jar in the refrigerator where it will continue to ferment, albeit very slowly, whereas at room temperature, it will ferment quickly and you will soon have very ripe discard on your hands that won't be useful for much of anything. You can also store your discard in the freezer.

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What happens if you forgot to discard half of your sourdough starter? ›

If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.

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Can I feed my sourdough without discarding? ›

If your recipe calls for more than 227g (about 1 cup) of starter, feed it without discarding until you've reached the amount you need (plus 113g to keep and feed again).

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How long do you leave sourdough starter out after feeding? ›

Take your starter from the fridge and let it come up to room temperature. Feed it with 30g of strong white flour + 30g of water, stir it well, and allow it to become fully active and ready to use, this can take 2-6 hours depending on the room temperature.

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Is eating sourdough discard healthy? ›

The best part about using leftover sourdough discard in your baking and cooking? You get the added benefit of fermented grains – making it easier to digest and better absorbed by the body.

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Can I keep adding to my sourdough discard? ›

It may develop a grayish liquid on top called “hooch” which can be poured off before use or stirred in. If you stir it in, the flavor will become more sour. You can continue to add more discard to the jar just pour it in and give it a stir before placing it back in the fridge covered.

What happens if you bake sourdough discard? ›

You can always use this discard by directly mixing it into a dough for baking. Your discard, as long as it's in good shape, will leaven any bread dough just as well. The discard is just like a levain you would make for a recipe. The only difference is it's the same makeup as your starter.

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Can you use 2 week old sourdough discard? ›

Yes! Using a sourdough starter cache, as I like to call it, is a way to store starter discard through the week or two and use it in recipes when convenient.

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What is the best flour for sourdough starter? ›

The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is 50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and bread flour. Why do you need to use these two types of flour?

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Should I discard liquid on top of sourdough? ›

That's okay. And it just means that your sourdough starter is hungry, which is a good thing, especially since you're starting out. So when you go to feed it, just mix it all up, mix that liquid back in there. It's actually called hooch.

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Should sourdough discard be at room temperature before using? ›

Store it for future baking: You can store sourdough discard in an airtight container in the refrigerator for future baking with sourdough discard recipes. When you're ready to use it, let the discard come to room temperature before using it to bake.

Does sourdough discard have to be active to use? ›

One note: Don't start using your discard until your starter is really up and running. In other words, if you've just started your starter and it's not yet established, then you shouldn't save that discard. Wait until you have a healthy, active sourdough starter, then keep any discard from routine feedings.

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What is the benefit of sourdough discard? ›

Tenderizer: The acidity in sourdough discard weakens gluten development and reacts with chemical leaveners which results in soft and fluffy baked goods. Fermentation: Adding sourdough to baked goods also imparts the magic of fermentation.