Sourdough bread has been becoming increasingly popular over the past few years. This is a great thing considering the health benefits that come along with fermented grains. But the good news is, if you like the taste of the sourdough tang and do not want to waste your sourdough discard, you can make sourdough starter discard recipes. Let’s jump into some recipes that allow you to use that unfed starter!
Whether you are feeding your new sourdough starter with whole wheat flour so you can have an active sourdough starter to make homemade bread later on or you just have a ton of excess starter discard, these recipes are for you!
how long does it take to prepare sourdough discard recipes?
This will depend upon you and your preferences. If you have a lot of discard to use, sourdough discard crepes are a great recipe to get the benefits of fermented grains without the wait.
However, if fermented grains is not necessarily your goal, you can make some sourdough quick bread recipes like flatbreads, tortillas, or sourdough banana bread. These may not have the fermented grains benefits, but you still get great flavor!
And of course, you can take the sourdough quick bread recipes and allow them to sit at room temperature all day or overnight to make your sourdough recipe.
tips for using your starter
- If you are not going to use your sourdough starter all the time, the best way I have found to keep it in the back of your fridge. This allows it to ferment more slowly without killing it. Keep in mind, you will need to take it out every week to week and a half to feed it. The longer you wait, the more ‘hooch’ you will see on top. I just stir this in, but some people pour it off.
- Each time you feed your sourdough starter, take your discard and put it in a glass jar in your fridge. This way, you have the fermented benefits but not too much active starter that will go to waste later.
- Sourdough recipes use a starter made from wild yeast. If this is your first time hearing of sourdough or you do not yet have a starter, you can learn to make one in my post here.
Please note that as an affiliate, I may receive a small commission when you use my links. It helps to keep my blog up and running. Thank you and happy baking!
tools I often use for sourdough recipes
- stand mixer or large bowl and wooden spoon
- dutch oven
- cast iron skillet
- wire rack
- bench scraper
- parchment paper
sourdough discard quick bread recipes
These recipes do not have any other grains added. You will get the benefits of fermented grains like a true sourdough bread since it only calls for your starter.
These thin french pancakes are one of my kid’s favorites. We top them with fresh fruit, powdered sugar, and maple syrup. They prefer these over regular American pancakes!
Dutch baby pancake (German pancakes)
This is a new recipe I just added to my blog! It is a quick recipe that creates a thick, delicious pancake with a custardy inside. I love a good, quick recipe that I just whip up and bake while I can clean up the kitchen then it be ready about when I am done cleaning.
easy sourdough discard recipes
These recipes require adding more grains to your sourdough discard. Some may call for all purpose flour while others I use freshly milled. Just be careful if you are substituting freshly milled for all purpose or white flour. Freshly milled flour needs more water to hydrate it so adjust your recipes accordingly.
Also, you can opt to ferment many of these recipes for 12+ hours. Many of these recipes call for about 1 cup of discard, just so you are prepared and have enough!
This is an easy sourdough discard bread. My youngest daughter loves to watch bananas turn brown on the counter so she can help me make this bread dough! She often asks for it because she loves to help make it and eat it.
thick and fluffy gingerbread cookies
Did you know you could make delicious sweet treats? This is just another great way to use up your discard and make light and fluffy recipes. It calls for sucanat (an unrefine cane sugar) remember, you can swap that for brown sugar.
This strawberry cake allows you to use your discard since it relies on baking soda and baking powder to fluff it up. This recipe is similar to my sourdough chocolate cake recipe, but instead of cocoa powder, I used organic frozen strawberries for the flavor. Just be forewarned, this does not turn out bright pink like the synthetic colored boxes cake batter does.
quick & easy sourdough discard flatbreads
These flatbreads are delicious with buffalo chicken wraps, to dip in hummus as an appetizer or snack, and never last long in our home!
If your family loves taco night like ours does, you can make these! These tortillas also make delicious breakfast wraps filled with eggs, cheese, and veggies.
These sourdough waffles can be fermented overnight if you have enough time or you can make the batter and cook them right away. My kids love to help with these.
Did you miss meal planning for a night (like I tend to do) and only have a few hours to get dinner ready? This sourdough pizza dough is another recipe you can allow to sit for just a couple hours instead of the long 8+ hour fermenting it calls for and gives you a nice, crispy crust.
puffy whole wheat sourdough discard crackers
Looking for a way to transform your sourdough discard into something both delicious and versatile? This recipe for easy, puffy sourdough discard crackers with cheese will become a staple in your home. Made with freshly milled whole wheat flour, cold butter, grated cheese, thyme, and a touch of sea salt and garlic powder, these crackers are the perfect blend of crunch and flavor. They’re ideal for a charcuterie board, dipping into your favorite spreads, or simply snacking on their own.
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