These simple sourdough discard recipes are perfect if you are just beginning your sourdough journey or have some extra starter to use up.
Discard is the part of the sourdough starter that has not recently been fed and is not active. Sometimes it is removed before feeding the starter.
I remember when I first started my sourdough journey. Creating a starter from scratch and constantly feeding and discarding some of the starter. It felt so wasteful to throw away the excess. Especially when using freshly ground, organic, heirloom wheat.
And as you continue to bake with your starter and are feeding it regularly, there is a time when you will just have so much starter, you won’t know what to do with it.
So what can you do with sourdough discard? So many things! There is no need to throw it in the trash.
Instead try any one of these sourdough discard recipes.
40 Sourdough Discard Recipes
This easy sourdough flatbread recipe is made with only a few simple ingredients. This is the perfect recipe to use for pizza, sandwiches, or for dipping into hummus.
Sourdough Flatbread
Sourdough Skillets are healthy one pot meals that can be made with many different variations. Try it with whatever meats and/or veggies you have in your fridge for a nutritious and satisfying meal.
Sourdough Skillet
Sourdough discard rolls are the quicker version of my favorite sourdough rolls, taking a fraction of the time and offering a sweet flavor, tangy kick, and fluffy texture.
Sourdough Discard Rolls
Homemade sourdough discard bagels made with sourdough discard have a deliciously chewy texture. The perfect way to start a morning or use it for breakfast sandwiches.
Sourdough Discard Bagels
This easy sourdough Dutch baby pancake has a delicious, soft center with the classic puffiness of your favorite German pancake recipe but made healthier with fermented grains. It’s the perfect recipe for all that sourdough discard.
Sourdough Dutch Baby Pancake
These fluffy, buttery sourdough biscuits are made with leftover sourdough discard, giving them a hearty flavor and tender texture. They can be made quickly for an easy breakfast, or long-fermented for added flavor and sourdough benefits.
Sourdough Biscuits
The easiest no fail, no-knead sourdough discard bread is mixed together the night before, fermented overnight, and baked in the morning. This recipe has a soft, chewy crumb with a crusty exterior, and that tangy sourdough taste – without all the work.
Sourdough Discard Bread
This sourdough discard sandwich bread recipe is perfect for sandwiches and has that classic subtle sourdough tang while only taking a few hours to whip up rather than a day. A soft crust with a fluffy interior, this is the best and easiest recipe.
Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread
Flaky, buttery, sourdough pie crust is hands-down our favorite. It makes the perfect foundation for your favorite pie.
Sourdough Pie Crust
A mouth-watering sourdough lemon bread made with tangy discard and lots of vibrant lemon flavor enveloped in a thick, soft layer of sweet lemony glaze.
Sourdough Lemon Loaf
Fluffy, crumbly, and sweet, these buttery chocolate chip scones are the most delicious, decadent breakfast. Long ferment them or make and bake them right away.
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones
A fall favorite, this homemade sourdough pumpkin bread is a sweet and quick bread full of pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree and tangy sourdough starter. Everyone will love this recipe.
Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
Learn how to make sourdough tortillas with five basic ingredients: sourdough starter, flour, water, oil, and salt. They are perfect for a quick summer wrap or your favorite tacos.
Sourdough Discard Tortillas
Healthy sourdough chocolate zucchini muffins are a rich, moist, and delicious way to enjoy the summer bounty. Chocolate sourdough batter is mixed with chocolate chips, shredded zucchini, and hints of orange to make the best sourdough muffins.
Sourdough Chocolate Muffins
The softest, most delicious sourdough banana muffins you’ve ever tasted. A light and fluffy banana muffin, topped with a crunchy and sweet oat crumble. Make them quick or long ferment.
Sourdough Banana Muffins
This irresistible sourdough peanut butter cookie recipe is soft, sweet, and full of peanut butter flavor. This is the perfect way to use up extra sourdough starter discard.
Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies
Light, sweet, and buttery, this sourdough vanilla cake is a great way to use up extra sourdough discard. Topped with homemade buttercream frosting, this makes the best birthday cake.
Sourdough Vanilla Cake
All you need is a few simple ingredients to make these delicious and soft sourdough discard English muffins. Delightfully chewy, this recipe makes the perfect breakfast, brunch, or even use them in place of bread in sandwiches.
Sourdough English Muffins
These deliciously sourdough crumpets are a long-fermented version of the traditional English recipe, yielding a light, fluffy crumb full of holes to capture your butter and jam.
Easy Sourdough Crumpets
This sourdough discard granola bar recipe is the perfect easy recipe to use sourdough discard and create a delicious snack everyone will love! Ditch the store-bought granola bars, save money, and make up your own flavors with this versatile granola bar recipe.
Sourdough Granola Bars
Sourdough discard cinnamon rolls are a great way to incorporate discard in a quick, decadent treat. It’s everything we love about traditional cinnamon rolls — a buttery, cinnamon sugar filling spiraled within sweet, soft dough — with the added flavor and benefit of sourdough.
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
This homemade sourdough granola is uniquely tangy, lightly sweetened, and full of healthy fats from wholesome ingredients. The addition of sourdough starter and your favorite add-ins means lots of crunchy clusters in each bite of this delicious snack.
Sourdough Granola
Super moist sourdough cornbread is the perfect combination of savory and sweet. Serve with a drizzle of honey for the perfect companion to a hearty meal.
Sourdough Cornbread
A sourdough take on a traditional Irish quick bread, it has a tender crumb similar to biscuits and is full of buttery flavor, a light sweetness, and sourdough tanginess.
Sourdough Irish Soda Bread
Learn to make tender, buttery sourdough discard hamburger buns with this same-day recipe. With some basic ingredients and a bit of discard, you can save yourself a trip to the grocery store and create homemade burger buns with the perfect texture and rich, wholesome flavor.
Sourdough Hamburger Buns
Whether you are a beginner or expert, this sourdough naan bread recipe will become a go-to. Simple to make, yet packs a flavorful punch. All you need is a few simple ingredients and a cast iron skillet to make a delicious flatbread for dipping in hummus or to enjoy as the ends to a perfectly layered sandwich or wrap.
Sourdough Naan
Learn how to make this easy discard sourdough pizza crust. It only has four basic ingredients, no kneading or rising required. You really can’t get much simpler than this delicious pizza crust recipe.
Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust
This easy homemade sourdough pasta couldn’t be easier. You only need 3 ingredients and can use an active sourdough starter or discard. Whip up a quick version or long ferment for more health benefits and better digestibility.
Sourdough Pasta
A classic cake with a sourdough twist, this moist and tender sourdough Bundt cake boasts a rich, buttery vanilla flavor with the subtle tang of sourdough.
Sourdough Bundt Cake
These soft and chewy sourdough oatmeal cookies are a super yummy treat packed with plump raisins and a hint of cinnamon. Whip them up for a quick dessert or long ferment them for better digestibility.
Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies
Sourdough blueberry cobbler combines fresh or frozen blueberries with butter and a hint of sweetness, topped with sourdough biscuits and baked until golden brown. This irresistible dessert is a family favorite.
Sourdough Blueberry Cobbler
Sourdough brownies are chocolatey and fudgy, with a signature sourdough kick. Whip them up in an afternoon or long ferment them overnight!
Sourdough Brownies
Light and fluffy sourdough banana bread is a simple and classic quick-bread. Overripe bananas are combined with sourdough starter, brown sugar, flour, and a few other ingredients to make the most delicious and moist banana bread.
Sourdough Banana Bread
Tangy, crispy, and perfectly salty, these homemade, cheesy, herb-seasoned sourdough crackers are a super fun and delicious way to use up leftover sourdough discard.
Sourdough Discard Crackers
Sourdough chocolate chip bread is a tender and tangy sliceable loaf, full of buttery flavor and dotted with sweet, melty chocolate.
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Bread
This sourdough apple cobbler is the perfect healthy apple treat for fall. With no white sugar, fermented grains, and whole ingredients, it can be served for both breakfast and dessert.
Sourdough Apple Cobbler
This sourdough chocolate cake recipe is rich, delicious, healthier, and a more nutritious take on your classic dessert. Start the night before to ferment the grains, develop the flavors, and make the cake easier to digest.
Sourdough Chocolate Cake
Sourdough discard cinnamon bread completes a delicious breakfast and is also wonderful served to guests with a cup of coffee. With options for a quick or long-fermented loaf, you’ll enjoy tangy notes in each bite of this cinnamon-flavored sweet bread.
Sourdough Cinnamon Bread
Sourdough blondies combine the richness of butter, sweet brown sugar, tangy sourdough, and other simple ingredients to make the perfect dessert.
Sourdough Blondies
These sourdough thumbprint cookies are the most delightful little cookie with a sourdough twist. Soft, buttery sugar cookie dough is rolled in sugar, topped with raspberry jam, and baked to perfection.
Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies
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FAQs
Can you freeze sourdough discard?
Yes. Sourdough starter is quite resilient, and the natural yeasts, lactic acid, and bacteria in the starter can withstand freezing. Learn how to freeze a sourdough starter in this post.
How long can you keep sourdough discard?
If you have discard that you aren’t planning on using right away, you can place it in a jar and keep it in the fridge for 7-10 days. After that 7-10 days, you will need to feed it to keep it healthy. Learn more about how to store sourdough starter here.
What can I do with my sourdough discard?
There are so many things you can make with discard – the opportunities are endless. From pizza to waffles and cinnamon rolls to muffins, instead of tossing out your discard, you can make a delicious recipe instead.
If you try any of these recipes and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
These recipes are SO enticing!! I have made the Crackers, Flatbread, Waffles!!
Wonderful, ALL! TU!
Lisa, you amaze me. Thank you for making my sourdough journey easy. Blessings, Mary (your fan)
yes keep these coming
These sound great – Can’t wait to start trying them. Many thanks!!
This is my first time making sourdough. I agree it’s wasteful to discard from your starter. So, I’m glad I can make something with it like flatbread. Thank you for your wisdom.
This is a great post! With everything going on I can bare to throw out my discard. I just keep adding it to a bowl and and have been making a lot of crepes because they also freeze well. They make great breakfast burritos!
❤️Cathleen
Dear Lisa
I’m a non-profit blogger that has returned to my blog after a year off…moving, retiring, etc. I follow you and promote you to my friends and family. I have 13 children with only 3 left at home, so we talk about what you are up to because it is so much like how my children were raised. We farm, bake (for farmers markets till 2019) sewed all our clothes except jeans for the guys, garden/farm, and MORE.
The reason I’m writing is that I would like to know how to either give you credit for things we do that are similar when I share them…like sourdough ideas I’ve tweeked over the years that look like yours, and more. I respect your ownership…Please advise me on when/how I can share an idea and give you credit if it is due.
I couldn’t find a way to write you without commenting, so I apologize.
The Farmer’s Wife
Hi Lisa,
I’m excited to try your flatbread recipe! I’d also like to try your cracker recipe, but you did not include it in this post. Could you send me the recipe, please? Thank you so much for these posts! I’m learning a lot about using sourdough from you!
Lisa,
Thank you so much for all of the recipes and information on sourdough! I’m giving it a try & hope to keep it going for years as you have.
I have not thrown away any discard since the first week. I have made crackers, pancakes, flatbread and I am sure other things. Your site and blog inspired me. I made the KAF English muffins and will NEVER buy them again. Oh… sourdough pasta!! Replace one egg with 1/3 cup discard and go for it; a little extra flavor in your pasta.
Keep up the great work.