I’ve put together a collection of recipes that use sourdough discard. If you’re a sourdough baker, you know how painful it is to throw away that hard earned yeasty goodness each time you have to feed the starter.
If you love to bake bread but haven’t delved into the world of sourdough yet, I encourage you to dive-in head first. But, in order to have sourdough “discard” you need to first build a sourdough starter and then begin feeding it.
When you add unfed sourdough discard to a recipe, it’s not really there to add extra leavening since it’s not fully active. If the sourdough starter is not a leavener, why is it in there?
The sourdough discard imparts an interesting texture and lovely complex flavor even if it’s not adding a big rise. The discard also improves the keeping quality of baked goods.
Try my Sourdough Discard recipes or create your own. Each cup (about 8 oz) of sourdough discard can replace 4 oz of flour and 4 oz of liquid in almost any recipe.
Introducing a whole new way to store and use sourdough starter or sourdough discard. After you dry your sourdough starter, you can grind it into a powder and add it directly to a recipe for a flavor boost or rehydrate it to use in any sourdough recipe.
Sourdough discard brings out the banana flavor in this bread. Sour cream adds moisture and reinforces the sourdough flavor. The chocolate chunks are a bonus. If you like nuts, a cup of chopped walnuts is a nice addition to this bread.
These Sourdough Blueberry Muffins are made with a whole cup of sourdough discard for an ultra tender crumb. The muffins are full of juicy berries and topped with lemon butter and sugar.
A Perfect Pie Crust is a thing of beauty. The addition of a little sourdough discard adds an intriguing depth of flavor to a basic pie dough. This makes enough dough for a double crust pie.
Sourdough Irish Soda bread is an easy and delicious way to use sourdough discard. Homemade soda bread is so much better than what you’ll find in the grocery store. This recipe makes 1 large loaf. The exact number of servings will vary based on how the loaf is sliced.
Sourdough Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Glaze is a perfect snack cake. The tangy-sweet buttermilk glaze forms an ultra-thin coating over the melt-in-your-mouth cake.
Sourdough Irish Brown Bread is hearty and savory because it’s made with whole wheat flour and a cup of sourdough discard. It's super easy to make and super tasty. This recipe makes 1 large loaf. The exact number of servings will vary based on how the loaf is sliced.
Super moist pumpkin bread has a wonderful background tang from “discard” sourdough starter. Fresh cranberries add another tangy pop to the flavor of the bread.
What if I don’t have access to “filtered” water? Is tap water okay? Would I use bottled water? I’m in Japan and I don’t see anything labeled filtered water and I don’t read Japanese.
I guess it depends where you live, I’ve tried tapwater and filtered water and filtered water works way better because the chemicals used to treat the water in California. I also started one of my jars with pineapple juice which was unfiltered and organic but that was only the very first day then use filtered water after that I have two amazing starters and I’ve been able to share with many friends and neighbors during these trying times we’re all becoming bakers, thank you so much for your blog and taking the time to make These incredible recipes I have used a lot of them
tap water loses all its chemicals either through boiling or letting sit for a few hours. I always have a bottle ready on the counter for use making sourdough bread. If there isn’t enough I just boil some and top it up. Before you knead it is also advisable to wash hands then rinse with untreated water.
When I feed the starter, can I just split it in half instead of using the discard? Like, create two starts from one and continue feeding / maintaining both of them? I’m sure that sounds like double the work, but I’m fascinated by the whole concept and trying to experiment with it. Your videos and “how-to” guidance are the best!
Yes, you can split the starter into multiple starters. I actually maintain 3 starters. It’s handy when I want to bake multiple things in one day. Make sure to always maintain the 100% balance with equals weights of starter-flour-water.
I just came across your website via Pinterest looking for discard recipes and read that keeping equal ratios of starter/flour/water is important! I haven’t been discarding anything, ended up with 2 active starters and one in the fridge, but have only been feeding equal parts water/flour, no discard,. The 2 starters seem to grow and bubble each time I feed it. And I didn’t wait until fridge starter warmed up and activated before placing back in the fridge. Have I killed anything!! Thank you for your clear directions and advice!
The purpose of discarding some of the starter is so that you don’t end up drowning in sourdough starter. There are different ways of feeding a starter, I use the 100% hydration ratio which means that each time you feed you use equal weights of starter-flour-water. I doubt you’ve killed your starter. As long as it’s getting fed it’s probably alive. Read through my post How to Maintain a Sourdough Starter and How to Keep a Small Sourdough Starter for more information.
How do you maintain 100% hydration when feeding your starter without needing to change the jar each day? I’m keeping mine on the counter.
Do you mean just to keep the container clean? Since I use deli containers I will usually pour off the 4oz of starter into a clean container and add the flour and water to that. If you have one specific container that you like to use you can pour out all the starter, clean the container and then pour the 4 oz back into the container for feeding.
Hi Ashley. I started on the SD journey in February. I’ve baked for years and have written a cookbook too. I didn’t want to throw any starter away either, so the next best thing was to create a new jar. I have three starters going: John Dough, Jane Dough and Play Dough. I alternate who I use and even gave a small jar to my son-in-law to start his own journey. I finally got a hold of some rye flour (impossible to find these days) so I will be using Eileen’s recipe today. Good luck, Lot’s of fun.
In February, my wife and I decided to cut back on our shopping budget AND eat more whole foods.. AS part of this, we decided to start making our own bread. This month, all of the local stores have sold out of yeast as people stockpile supplies for the apocalypse, so in order to keep making bread, we had to get a starter going. This is new for us, and we’re learning a lot. I came looking for ways to use the discard, and found your sourdough English muffin recipe, too. Your instructions are super clear and I appreciate the amount of science and how/why information you provide – the scientist in me thoroughly appreciates it!
I second Sarah’s comment to the letter! Thank you Eileen! Baking bread and growing starter babies is helping so much! Your website is the perfect resource during these anxious times.
Can you help me understand when sourdough becomes a discard? I have had my starter in the fridge and have kept it on the small side, feeding it once every week to two weeks. i believe the discard os what I pull off the original batch, however, I never seemed to have enough. I followed your recipe for feeding a starter and am keeping a double batch on the counter. can I use this in discard recipes even if it is active and bubbling? If not, what would you suggest in this senario? Id like to make something twice a week from my sourdough starter. Thanks for taking the time to put such good information out there!
Hi Michelle, yes the discard is what you pull off the original batch when you feed the starter. It’s kind of hard to explain, but if you have a cup of active and bubbling starter and add it to a recipe, that starter will continue to multiply and will be the catalyst for the rise of the baked item. If the stuff you pull off is sluggish (discard), that means there’s not a lot of active and live yeast in it. If you add the sluggish (discard) stuff to a recipe it will add flavor and texture, but not necessarily give significant rise to the baked item.
If you are baking 2x per week from your starter you don’t really need to have any discard. I find that if I feed my starter, leave it at room temp for a couple of hours to activate, then put it in the refrigerator it will be good to go for a couple of days. Take the starter out a day or two after feeding and it should still be active enough to use once it comes to room temp. Use what you need for the recipe, feed the base, leave at room temp for a few hours and then refrigerate. Just continue doing this 2x per week when you bake.
If you leave it at room temperature all the time, you will have some discard since it really needs to be fed every day. I know I’m not giving a concrete answer but there are sooooooo many variable when working with sourdough.
You can keep it in the Fridge. As she said above: after you feed it and let it sit for a couple of hours, and then pop it in the fridge. Instructions I have found say leaving it alone for a week or so is fine, It needs air, so air-tight containter is not good. If it makes “hooch” where liquid separates from the solids, some say stir it back in, some say pour it out. The starter definitely needs to be fed if it has done that. I find a week in the fridge then it needs feeding. There are a lot of different opinions, and it can be confusing. I suggest start small (this can use a lot more flour than you realize), maybe make a couple of different batches and experiment with what works with your schedule. Poke around, some of the flour manufacturers have good advice, some bakers. This is a “live” entity and it needs tender love and care. Good luck!
I’m new at using sourdough starter, but loving it very much. I am always looking for recipes to use the discard. Thank you very much for sharing. I’ll let you know how it turns out. I’m going to try the cinnamon rolls first.
What if I don’t have access to “filtered” water? Is tap water okay? Would I use bottled water? I’m in Japan and I don’t see anything labeled filtered water and I don’t read Japanese.
You can visit my post How to Make Sourdough Starter. I explain there that I use tap water for my starter.
I guess it depends where you live, I’ve tried tapwater and filtered water and filtered water works way better because the chemicals used to treat the water in California. I also started one of my jars with pineapple juice which was unfiltered and organic but that was only the very first day then use filtered water after that I have two amazing starters and I’ve been able to share with many friends and neighbors during these trying times we’re all becoming bakers, thank you so much for your blog and taking the time to make These incredible recipes I have used a lot of them
tap water loses all its chemicals either through boiling or letting sit for a few hours. I always have a bottle ready on the counter for use making sourdough bread. If there isn’t enough I just boil some and top it up. Before you knead it is also advisable to wash hands then rinse with untreated water.
When I feed the starter, can I just split it in half instead of using the discard? Like, create two starts from one and continue feeding / maintaining both of them? I’m sure that sounds like double the work, but I’m fascinated by the whole concept and trying to experiment with it. Your videos and “how-to” guidance are the best!
Yes, you can split the starter into multiple starters. I actually maintain 3 starters. It’s handy when I want to bake multiple things in one day. Make sure to always maintain the 100% balance with equals weights of starter-flour-water.
I just came across your website via Pinterest looking for discard recipes and read that keeping equal ratios of starter/flour/water is important! I haven’t been discarding anything, ended up with 2 active starters and one in the fridge, but have only been feeding equal parts water/flour, no discard,. The 2 starters seem to grow and bubble each time I feed it. And I didn’t wait until fridge starter warmed up and activated before placing back in the fridge. Have I killed anything!! Thank you for your clear directions and advice!
The purpose of discarding some of the starter is so that you don’t end up drowning in sourdough starter. There are different ways of feeding a starter, I use the 100% hydration ratio which means that each time you feed you use equal weights of starter-flour-water. I doubt you’ve killed your starter. As long as it’s getting fed it’s probably alive. Read through my post How to Maintain a Sourdough Starter and How to Keep a Small Sourdough Starter for more information.
How do you maintain 100% hydration when feeding your starter without needing to change the jar each day? I’m keeping mine on the counter.
Do you mean just to keep the container clean? Since I use deli containers I will usually pour off the 4oz of starter into a clean container and add the flour and water to that. If you have one specific container that you like to use you can pour out all the starter, clean the container and then pour the 4 oz back into the container for feeding.
Hi Ashley. I started on the SD journey in February. I’ve baked for years and have written a cookbook too. I didn’t want to throw any starter away either, so the next best thing was to create a new jar. I have three starters going: John Dough, Jane Dough and Play Dough. I alternate who I use and even gave a small jar to my son-in-law to start his own journey. I finally got a hold of some rye flour (impossible to find these days) so I will be using Eileen’s recipe today. Good luck, Lot’s of fun.
In February, my wife and I decided to cut back on our shopping budget AND eat more whole foods.. AS part of this, we decided to start making our own bread. This month, all of the local stores have sold out of yeast as people stockpile supplies for the apocalypse, so in order to keep making bread, we had to get a starter going. This is new for us, and we’re learning a lot. I came looking for ways to use the discard, and found your sourdough English muffin recipe, too. Your instructions are super clear and I appreciate the amount of science and how/why information you provide – the scientist in me thoroughly appreciates it!
Why thank you Sarah! I find sourdough baking infinitely fascinating.
I second Sarah’s comment to the letter! Thank you Eileen! Baking bread and growing starter babies is helping so much! Your website is the perfect resource during these anxious times.
That’s so kind of you to say, Elissa. I find baking to be very therapeutic and relaxing. Baking bread is especially rewarding.
Can you help me understand when sourdough becomes a discard? I have had my starter in the fridge and have kept it on the small side, feeding it once every week to two weeks. i believe the discard os what I pull off the original batch, however, I never seemed to have enough. I followed your recipe for feeding a starter and am keeping a double batch on the counter. can I use this in discard recipes even if it is active and bubbling? If not, what would you suggest in this senario? Id like to make something twice a week from my sourdough starter. Thanks for taking the time to put such good information out there!
Hi Michelle, yes the discard is what you pull off the original batch when you feed the starter. It’s kind of hard to explain, but if you have a cup of active and bubbling starter and add it to a recipe, that starter will continue to multiply and will be the catalyst for the rise of the baked item. If the stuff you pull off is sluggish (discard), that means there’s not a lot of active and live yeast in it. If you add the sluggish (discard) stuff to a recipe it will add flavor and texture, but not necessarily give significant rise to the baked item.
If you are baking 2x per week from your starter you don’t really need to have any discard. I find that if I feed my starter, leave it at room temp for a couple of hours to activate, then put it in the refrigerator it will be good to go for a couple of days. Take the starter out a day or two after feeding and it should still be active enough to use once it comes to room temp. Use what you need for the recipe, feed the base, leave at room temp for a few hours and then refrigerate. Just continue doing this 2x per week when you bake.
If you leave it at room temperature all the time, you will have some discard since it really needs to be fed every day. I know I’m not giving a concrete answer but there are sooooooo many variable when working with sourdough.
Your explanation was really helpful! I was wondering how I can keep it alive if I don’t feed it everyday because of lack of use. Thank you’
You can keep it in the Fridge. As she said above: after you feed it and let it sit for a couple of hours, and then pop it in the fridge. Instructions I have found say leaving it alone for a week or so is fine, It needs air, so air-tight containter is not good. If it makes “hooch” where liquid separates from the solids, some say stir it back in, some say pour it out. The starter definitely needs to be fed if it has done that. I find a week in the fridge then it needs feeding. There are a lot of different opinions, and it can be confusing. I suggest start small (this can use a lot more flour than you realize), maybe make a couple of different batches and experiment with what works with your schedule. Poke around, some of the flour manufacturers have good advice, some bakers. This is a “live” entity and it needs tender love and care. Good luck!
I’m new at using sourdough starter, but loving it very much. I am always looking for recipes to use the discard. Thank you very much for sharing. I’ll let you know how it turns out. I’m going to try the cinnamon rolls first.
It really is fun to work with sourdough. Hope you enjoy the cinnamon buns.