Hate throwing out that sourdough discard when it's time to fed your starter? So do I. Here are my top sourdough discard recipes designed to add flavor and nutrition to your meals while reducing waste.
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What is sourdough discard?
Sourdough discard is the portion you remove from sourdough starter before you feed it with flour and water. Feeding the starter periodically is essential for keeping the probiotic bacteria or yeast in sourdough alive and thriving. But you need to remove some of the existing starter to make room for the water and flour you add. Otherwise the starter will keep growing and will also not be as strong because there will be a greater number of yeast in the old starter that need to be fed.
But the "discard," just because it's called that, is not without value. It still has lots of beneficial yeast bacteria and can be used in many recipes to add flavor. When I started adding sourdough discard to my waffle, pancake and even roti and naan recipes, I noticed that they turn out much softer, fluffier, with better flavor, not to mention healthier.
On this page I've collected for you my best sourdough discard recipes, including breads, flatbreads, breakfast goods and desserts. If you are already nurturing a sourdough starter, I hope you will find your next favorite recipe here.
Sourdough discard recipes
Breakfast recipes
These recipes make breakfast even more delicious and many can also be made with wholegrain flour. My favorites are the waffle and pancake recipes that use an overnight starter because those reward you with the best flavor and nutrition.
These waffles have a cult fan following! Make the easy batter the night before to make these healthier and even more flavorful.
Soft and fluffy vegan sourdough pancakes studded with juicy blueberries. The overnight pancake batter adds so much flavor.
These cranberry sourdough scones are golden, crispy and tender with pockets of chewy sweet-sour cranberries. They're healthy but also kid-friendly!
Buttery, flaky, easy and delicious. You can start a batch the night before or make 'em minutes before you're ready to eat.
These vegan blueberry sourdough muffins are delicious, with juicy pockets of blueberries and crunchy cornmeal adding flavor and texture.
Don't want to make individual pancakes? Use this easy recipes to make a skillet pancake that's soft, fluffy and studded with juicy pears
These vegan sourdough pretzels made with sourdough discard are fluffy and light as a cloud. You won't be able to stop eating them!
Don't want to make individual pancakes? Use this easy recipes to make a sourdough skillet pancake that's fluffy and studded with pears
Bread recipes with discard
Some of these bread recipes combine an additional leavening agent, like added yeast or baking soda, with sourdough discard. The sourdough improves the texture of the bread and adds a delicious tang.
This traditional Irish soda bread is leavened with baking soda but sourdough keeps the crumb light and moist and adds so much flavor.
An artisanal loaf of crusty sourdough bread that needs no skill, two ingredients, and very little time to make.
These whole wheat sourdough baguettes need a touch of yeast and sourdough discard to achieve that fluffy crumb and crunchy crust.
This bread goes from scratch to finish in one hour flat. If you love sourdough bread but don't have the time to make a loaf, this is the bread for you!
Sourdough discard flatbreads
These Indian flatbreads get a flavor boost from sourdough discard!
This recipe makes rotis that are even softer and healthier. I rarely make roti without sourdough now. The discard adds flavor but no discernible tang.
Use sourdough discard to make the naan dough in the morning and serve hot, puffy naan for dinner. You might never go back to regular naan again!
Desserts
Discard is delicious for leavening quick bread and cookie recipes too!
These vegan sourdough chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy with melting bits of chocolate and that wonderful but subtle sourdough flavor.
Use sourdough discard to make the naan dough in the morning and serve hot, puffy naan for dinner. You might never go back to regular naan again!
Sourdough discard FAQs
An active starter comes from sourdough that has been fed very recently and is strong and bubbly. It should ideally double about eight hours after feeding. Active starter is used in recipes that use only sourdough for leavening, such as these recipes for sourdough French bread and sourdough challah.
Sourdough discard is usually taken from an older batch of sourdough starter that needs to be fed and regain its strength.
So no, don't use sourdough discard when a recipe calls for an active sourdough starter.
Yes, you can use an active sourdough starter in a recipe that calls for sourdough discard.
Yes, you can add some discard to nearly any bread recipe that also uses active dry yeast or instant yeast. But don't just replace the yeast with sourdough because the discard is likely not strong enough to proof the bread adequately on its own. Just add ½ cup or more sourdough discard to the bread recipe (you might need to tweak the quantity of water or milk) while making the dough.
Absolutely, especially if you let the dough or batter stand a little longer, giving the yeast in sourdough time to digest the starches in the flour.
Shannon Mowry says
My sour dough starter is just 9 days old. I made waffles successfully tonight. What are other things that will be successful with a young starter?
Vaishali says
Roti would be great, and it should work for waffles or pancakes too.
Hope Krenick says
I used your recipe for sourdough starter. I am so happy with it! With the shortage of yeast and no available starter dough from King Arthur it has been wonderful. I have made this recipe (no knead sourdough) several times now. I love the bread, it's so lovely. I am having trouble with the dough, shaping it in a ball is no problem but then it spreads out too far when I let it rise again before baking. I tried putting it in my wooden basket with lots of flour in the bottom and around the sides but oh boy, what a mess it made in there. Should I initially add more flour when mixing? Thanks for the great recipes.
♡ Hope Krenick
Vaishali says
Hi Hope, the dough should be a bit loose for an airy, light bread. Try doing the rise on a parchment placed in another saucepan, then lift it and put it in the heated Dutch oven before baking. That way the bread will hold its shape.
Jolene says
Hi Vaishali,
Could you give us a bunch of gluten free vegan recipes for use with our discard? In my house we are TOTALLY Gluten free. I would love to have more options for using the discard.
Thank you so much for you wonderful instructions. I am beginning my starter NOW!
Vaishali says
Hi Jolene, I have some wonderful gf sourdough recipes that can be used with the discard, including gf waffles and gf pancakes, among others. Please use the search bar.
Rebecca Green says
Oh this is so great! I just started making gluten free sourdough bread and I'm always so heartbroken throwing out all that extra starter. I'm definitely giving some of these a try!
Vaishali says
Awesome!!
PABLO says
Vaishali: Gracias por tus recetas maravillosas y deliciosas. Estoy permanentemente siguiendo tus publicciones y espero que te haya llegado la receta que te envié a tu e-mail. Gracias nuevamente por tu cocina y por tus buenÃsimas recetas. Te envÃo mis repetos y agradecimiento.
PABLO (y familia)
Vaishali says
Gracias por tus palabras amables y por leer mis correos electronicos, Pedro.