sourdough discard recipes

Don’t let your sourdough discard go to waste when you can turn it into a memorable new recipe! Mix it into an exciting creation from the annals of sourdough discard recipes.

My sourdough discard inspiration seems to know no bounds lately as I have been mixing discard into endless creations. This sourdough hashbrown pancake combines the starchy comfort of shredded potatoes and carrots, tangy sourdough discard, and aromatic alliums, herbs, and spices. Pan frying then baking the sourdough hashbrown pancake gives it a crisp and chewy crust and allows the insides to bake harmoniously. It is another fabulous use for turning sourdough discard into a meal that can be enjoyed with a side of eggs for breakfast or topped with yogurt and greens for a hearty lunch. Add some cheese or meat and call it dinner. It truly is that versatile.

ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup + 3 tablespoons sourdough discard
  • 2 ¼ cups carrots, shredded
  • 2 cups potatoes, unpeeled and shredded
  • 1 cup red onions, sliced (I used pickled)
  • ¼ cup scallions, sliced
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons parsley 
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

steps

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

In an oven-safe skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup of the discard and place the shredded carrots, potatoes, and scallions on top. Then add the crushed red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, parsley, cumin, salt, and pepper. Let cook for 7-8 minutes then flip and cook for another 7-8 minutes.

Place the pan with the hashbrown in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until evenly cooked through. The exterior will crisp up nicely and the inside will be soft but cooked. Serve warm plain or with your choice of condiment!

This sourdough strawberry coconut lime cake is very much a “celebration of spring-and-dreaming-of-strawberry-season” confection. The sourdough starter adds extra moisture and flavor to complement the tang of the strawberries and lime. Coconut flour and shredded coconut add texture to the almost custard-like consistency. The recipe can be easily doubled for an even larger helping. Sourdough strawberry coconut lime cake combines many of my favorite ingredients into one delicious, well-spiced, not-too-sweet, delight. 

ingredients

  • ½ cup coconut flour
  • ½ cup shredded coconut
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ cup sourdough starter discard
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 tablespoon lime zest
  • ¼ cup half & half or milk
  • 1 ½ cups strawberries, sliced
  • Powdered sugar

steps

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the coconut flour, shredded coconut, all-purpose flour, salt, and ginger, and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the starter, sugar, and eggs until combined. Add in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and lime zest, and continue to mix. Slowly add in the half & half and mix until it is fully incorporated then slowly add in the flour mixture until evenly combined. Carefully fold in the strawberries making sure not to crush them.

Pour into a springform pan lightly greased and lined with parchment paper. Bake for 45 minutes until a knife or toothpick emerges clean when poking the center. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm, cold, or at room temperature!

Sourdough discard gives these sourdough sun-dried tomato, olive, and parmesan biscuits a nice tang and depth of flavor. Sun-dried tomatoes and olives seem to go hand in hand, made even better with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

These sourdough biscuits are fluffy, but not too big that they are overwhelming, and can be eaten plain, with a pat of butter, some ricotta, or made into a delectable sandwich. Sourdough biscuits are a perfect use for extra sourdough discard. 

ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda 
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, cold and cut into ½ inch cubes
  • ½ cup whole milk or half & half
  • ¾ cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced
  • ½ cup olives, sliced
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated and divided
  • 1 cup sourdough starter discard

steps

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and dried herbs and mix. Add in the butter and using a pastry blender, cut and press the butter into the flour/herb mixture until it is the size of peas. Slowly pour in the milk and mix using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, taking care to be gentle with the dough. Add in the sun dried tomatoes, olives, and ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese, reserving the rest to sprinkle on top later. Gently stir until combined then slowly pour in the sourdough discard. Mix the dough until it is combined and not too sticky. If it seems too sticky, add in more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. 

Carefully transfer the dough to a floured surface and pat it down then fold it like a letter, then pat it down, rotate it and fold it like a letter once more. Flatten the dough onto the surface and using a 2 ¾-inch round cutter, cut 12 biscuits out of the dough. Do this by cutting out as many as you can at first, then folding the remaining dough scraps into each other, flattening it, then cutting out the remaining biscuits. Be careful not too handle the dough too much as this will melt the butter.

Transfer the biscuits to a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove the biscuits from the freezer and place them directly into the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until fluffy and golden.

Behold: another wonderful use for precious sourdough discard, this time in a flatbread/pancake form. This sourdough artichoke pancake with spicy tomato labneh is filled with herbs and artichoke hearts and fried up to a beautiful crispness. Feel free to mix and match different herbs and spices, but the below combination works quite well. The savory artichokes, fragrant chives and parsley, and spicy tomato labneh, make this sourdough artichoke pancake a tasty snack or satisfying meal. 

ingredients

for the artichoke pancake

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • ½ cup artichoke hearts, diced
  • 1 tablespoon chives
  • 1 tablespoon parsley
  • ½ cup sourdough discard
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

for the tomato labneh

  • ½ cup tomato sauce
  • ¼ cup labneh
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

artichoke pancake steps

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an 8-inch pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2-4 minutes, until golden. Add the diced artichoke heart, chives, and parsley and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Swirl it around so that it evenly coats the pan. Pour the sourdough discard into the pan and add the salt and pepper. Let it cook until the edges begin to brown, about 4 minutes, then add the garlic and artichokes. Cook for another 4 minutes then flip and cook for another 4 minutes until the edges are crisp and golden. The pancake will puff up as it cooks.

tomato labneh steps

Mix the tomato sauce, labneh, and crushed red pepper until evenly combined. Serve chilled alongside the artichoke pancake.

I love experimenting with different sourdough discard recipes. The possibilities seem endless, and the concept seems obvious – why waste precious, vibrant discard when you can use it to make a delicious new creation? In the vast world of sourdough discard recipes, sourdough crackers rank high on the list of favorites.

Sourdough sesame aleppo pepper crackers combine fruity spice and earthy nuttiness to augment the discard’s sour tang. Pair these with your cheese of choice, a sweet jam, or a charcuterie spread for a helping of flavor and crunch!

ingredients

  • ½ cup sourdough starter discard
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon aleppo pepper
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
  • Flaky salt for dusting 

steps

Place the starter and olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium low with the dough hook. Gradually add in the flour and salt and mix until it is evenly combined, then add in the sesame seeds and aleppo pepper. Transfer the dough to a bowl brushed with the neutral oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 2 hours.

After the dough has rested for 2 hours, preheat the oven to 350°F. Divide the dough into 3 or 4 pieces and working with one piece at a time, roll it out using a rolling pin and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 25-30 minutes until crisp and golden. 

Chocolate and tahini and tahini caramel are two flavor duos that maximize the deliciously nutty flavor of tahini. When combined to create chocolate tahini caramel, the flavors accentuate tahini’s unique earthy, savory taste in a sweet bundle.

These chocolate tahini caramel buns are the result of constant experimentation with sourdough discard. I always hesitate to throw it away as I can’t bear wasting it! Chocolate and tahini caramel, like chocolate and peanut butter, or chocolate and caramel, are one of those wonderful culinary permutations. They blend so harmoniously in these chocolate tahini caramel buns, which are both sweet and savory, driven by the earthy, nutty tahini caramel and sesame seeds, dark chocolate, and fruity spice of aleppo pepper, all enveloped by flaky layers of chocolate dough. 

ingredients

for the dough

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ** see note
  • ½ cup lukewarm water
  • 3 teaspoons sugar, divided
  • ¼ cup sourdough starter discard
  • ½ cup neutral oil
  • 2 eggs

for the caramel filling

  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon aleppo pepper
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • ½ cup sesame seeds

for the assembly

  • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
  • Powdered sugar for dusting

Note: This recipe uses ¼ of sourdough discard. If you do not have sourdough handy, use a full packet of active dry yeast.

dough steps

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt, and set aside. Place the active dry yeast in a small bowl or measuring cup and add the lukewarm water and sugar. Give it a mix, and let it sit until it is bubbly, about 5 minutes. This is called “activation,” you know the yeast has been fully activated when it has bubbles on top. 

Once the active dry yeast is visibly activated, place it in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook, or a large bowl if you intend to knead by hand. Add the sourdough starter discard and mix until combined. Then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, neutral oil, and eggs.

Slowly add in the flour/cocoa powder mixture, ½ cup at a time. Knead until the dough is shiny and slightly firm, about 5 minutes.

Grease the inside of a large bowl with oil and add the dough. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit for 2 hours until it has doubled in size.

caramel filling steps

About 1 hour into the dough’s rise, make the caramel filling so it has time to cool before assembling the buns.

Heat the sugar in a small pot on medium high. Do not mix the sugar yet, instead, swirl the pot continuously to redistribute the sugar as it begins to melt. Watch the sugar as it heats, it will happen quickly, about 4 minutes. Once the sugar begins to melt, add in the water then the tahini. At this point, you can safely mix the caramel. Let it continue cooking for 4-5 more minutes, it will become bubbly. Turn the heat to low and add in the cream, 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix until it is completely incorporated and bring it to a boil once more, and let it cook for about 4 more minutes. 

Remove it from the heat and mix in ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon aleppo pepper. Let it cool for 40 minutes. 

assembly steps

Roll out the dough into a large rectangle and brush on the caramel sauce. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top, followed by the sesame seeds. Roll up the dough from the long side, turn it over on the seam, and cut it into 16 buns. Arrange cut-side up, evenly spaced apart in a rectangular baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again for 1 hour. The buns will double in size. 

When you are ready to bake the buns, preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the buns with melted butter and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 35 minutes until they begin to flake and the caramel is bubbly. Let cool slightly and dust with powdered sugar.

The tahini caramel is flecked with fruity aleppo pepper