10 Easy Sourdough Discard Recipes
These sourdough discard recipes are so delicious you'll want to feed your starter even if you don't have plans to bake any bread! Even if these are the only sourdough recipes you bake, it is totally worth keeping the starter in your kitchen.
The sourdough baking trend has had amazing lasting power over the last several years with dedicated hard-core sourdough bakers showing off their stunning creations on social media.
You know it's a thing when even Ms. Taylor Swift is putting her sourdough in the spotlight of her Fate of Ophelia video.
But I'm here to tell you, as the author of The Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook, I know one thing to be very true -- you do not need to be a die-hard sourdough fan to enjoy baking utterly delicious, mildly tangy baked treats with sourdough starter.
If you think baking homemade sourdough loaves sounds like too much work, you should know that I AGREE. Who has days upon days to knead and fuss and let bread rise on its own? Not me!
When my family wants fresh bread, they want it now. I can make that happen with a push of my bread machine button.
However, I've discovered ways to incorporate that beloved sourdough flavor into quick-prep baked goods and easy bread machine recipes. One taste of these sourdough discard recipes and you'll agree that the few minutes it takes for feeding your sourdough is totally worth the time!
Getting Started with Sourdough
Meet Betty. She's our second sourdough starter. We maintained our first during the production of my bread machine cookbook but then we took a long break from such intense bread baking.
Over a year ago, I started really missing that tangy flavor and went ahead and ordered another starter from King Arthur. I dubbed her "Betty" in honor of Betty Crocker because she makes sourdough baking so easy.
I've kept up with Betty's maintenance for such a long time and even shared her with friends to start their own little sourdough baking production.
If you're lucky enough to get some from a friend, get my tips for getting started with a new sourdough starter here.
Need to know how to do the maintenance? Then you'll want to check out how to feed sourdough starter here.
And if you don't know anyone to share their starter with you, I 100% recommend the starter jar from King Arthur. If you really want to go all-in, I actually highly recommend the sourdough starter kit that comes with the BEST sourdough crock ever. I've tested several over the years and this one is amazing.
Common Misconception About Starter
You can feed and maintain a sourdough starter EVEN IF you never-ever plan to bake a sourdough loaf from scratch in the traditional sourdough baking method.
Why miss out on delicious sourdough baked goods just because you don't want to learn to knead and fuss over each and every loaf?
You could try your hand at making sourdough in a bread machine for a quick loaf but the best part about sourdough starter is that you can keep it around even if you never bake bread!
Just store it in the fridge and feed it once a week, or sometimes even longer between feedings. This is NOT a high-maintenance project.
If you have even just 5 minutes to spare once every week or so, you'll have no trouble maintaining enough sourdough starter for enjoy these delicious recipes when you're in the mood.
So let's get to the good stuff! Here are my very favorite sourdough discard recipes:
Sourdough Crackers
With just 3 ingredients you can have homemade sourdough crackers ready to enjoy in just 5 minutes of prep time.
My family devours pans of these crackers whenever I've saved up enough sourdough discard to make them. They are so delicious, I give you permission to go ahead and feed that starter extra so you can bake these sooner.
Sourdough Brownies
Who said sourdough has to be used for bread?? These rich and fudgy sourdough discard brownies would care to disagree with that!
If you want a thick, dark, utterly decadent brownie for a special treat, this one's a winner.
Sourdough Waffles
I love making waffles for my freezer because they can reheat in my toaster on a busy morning. These sourdough discard waffles are one of the best waffle recipes on my whole site!
Tangy, crispy, chewy, and perfect with a slather of butter and maple syrup, these are sooooo good.
Sourdough Popovers
I'm fairly new to the world of muffin tin popovers but this easy sourdough popovers recipe had me completely sold.
With just 5 ingredients and a few minutes to stir up the batter, you can have these deliciously tangy popovers for soup night tonight!
Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
Once you add some starter to a batch of muffins, you will never look at breakfast the same way again. These springy and moist sourdough blueberry muffins are absolutely to-die for. The sour tang is there and complements the blueberries so well but the magic is really all in that delicious texture.
Sourdough Blueberry Coffee Cake
Want the muffin but in a 9x13-inch baking pan instead? Try this sourdough blueberry coffee cake with streusel topping instead!
I love a one-pan type baked good because they're perfect for serving at a potluck party. Guests can cut a slice just their preferred size and not have to commit to a whole muffin.
Sourdough Pizza Dough
Bring your sourdough to the pizza night menu and stir it right in to this easy sourdough discard pizza crust. As much as I love my classic pizza dough recipe, this sourdough version bakes up extra crispy and golden brown. Yum, yum.
Sourdough Focaccia
Ok, here's the secret: You can make this sourdough focaccia in a single day and it will be amazing BUT if you can prep it ahead and let the dough rest in the baking pan in the fridge overnight, the sourdough tang will be even stronger the next day.
All you really need is patience. We couldn't wait to bake it up and enjoy!
Sourdough White Bread
Behold, an easy bread machine sourdough white bread recipe! Yep, you can use sourdough discard in a bread maker but the trick is that you need to add a little yeast to do the hard work for the rise since the bread won't rest long enough for the sourdough to do it.
You can read more about how to make sourdough in a bread maker here.
Garlic Parmesan Sourdough
Once you've nailed the white bread, try this fun garlic parmesan sourdough variation! This is a great option for a bread to pair with pasta.
Sourdough tang with bread machine convenience? You're welcome.
Sourdough Bread Machine Recipes
If you've got a copy of The Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook, you also have access to all my tips about how to use sourdough in a bread maker.
My husband and I worked together to perfect the best 2-pound sourdough loaf that bakes up golden brown right in the bread machine, page 33.
I also included:
- Sourdough Pest Swirl, page 34
- Tim's Buns (our favorite sourdough dinner rolls), page 137
Want to Save This for Later?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Comments
No Comments