3 Easy Sourdough Discard Recipes (2025)

If you are an avid sourdough starter user you are familiar with those times that you have left your starter on the counter for more than 24 hours and it isn’t as full of life as it used to be. By all means, this sourdough starter is still good! It can simply be considered discard at that point which means you can make easy sourdough discard recipes with it.

You might also have sourdough discard if you are starting a new sourdough starter and literally “discarding” half of your starter in those first few days. Once a sourdough starter is established there is no need to discard before feeding again. It is important to note, all of these 3 easy sourdough discard recipes can be made with bubbly and active starter, it does not have to be lacking bubbles in order to make sourdough discard recipes.

3 Easy Sourdough Discard Recipes

  • Sourdough Discard Crepes
  • Sourdough Discard Tortillas
  • Sourdough Discard Pizza

What are the benefits of sourdough?

Sourdough is a long time tradition, dating back to biblical times. Although it wasn’t always called sourdough, any reference to ‘yeast’ before approximately 1850 was most likely referring to sourdough. Packet yeast was not available until right before the turn of the 20th century.

The benefits of sourdough come from the probiotics that create a nice bubbly sourdough starter. In order for the sourdough starter to become bubbly, it must continuously multiple good bacteria (aka, probiotics). As most of us probably know, probitoics are great for our gut health!

The benefits from a sourdough starter are more prominent when you do extended soaking time with your recipes. This means making the mixture and allowing it to rest for at least 12 hours so the good bacteria can soak up into your flour (depending on the recipe).

Sourdough Discard Crepes

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups Sourdough Discard
  • 2 Farm Fresh Eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
  • 1 Tablespoon Raw Honey
  • Pinch of Sea Salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat a well seasoned cast iron pan on medium heat.
  2. Combine all of the ingredients into a bowl or cup with a spout, I use one like this.
  3. Whisk thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined. The mixture will be water-y
  4. Pour a pancake-size amount of crepe batter into your preheated pan. Move the pan around until the batter thins out into a crepe size.
  5. Allow the crepe to become brown on one side before flipping, about 1 minute per side.
  6. Serve with real butter and more raw honey on top!

Sourdough Discard Tortillas

3 Easy Sourdough Discard Recipes (2)

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups Flour, I use this.
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter or Lard, Melted.
  • 1/2 Cup Water
  • 1/2 Cup Sourdough Discard
  • Pinch of Sea Salt

Directions:

  1. Start by melting your butter in a small saucepan.
  2. Preheat a cast iron skillet to medium heat.
  3. Combine all of the ingredients in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.
  4. Turn the mixed on low and allow the sourdough discard tortillas knead for about 10 minutes.
  5. Once the dough is done, take it out of the mixer and start pinching off palm-size balls to roll out.
  6. Roll out your tortillas to whatever size you like, I prefer to do around 6-8 inches.
  7. Add the tortilla to your hot pan and allow to cook about 1 minute on each side.
  8. IMPORTANT!!!!! Once the tortillas has cooked, immediately place it into a towel and wrap it up. This is what makes the tortillas stay soft. If you skip this step they might feel crunchy or hard to roll/fold.
  9. Store flat in the freezer and defrost as needed.

Sourdough Discard Pizza

3 Easy Sourdough Discard Recipes (3)

Ingredients:

1 Cup Sourdough Discard

Toppings of Choice

Directions:

Preheat a well seasoned cast iron skillet in a 425 degree oven.

Once the pan is hot, take it out of the oven and pour your 1 cup of sourdough discard into the skillet.

Move the skillet around so the sourdough discard coats the entire pan, even up the sides of the pan. This will be your pizza crust.

Put the sourdough discard pizza crust back into the oven to cook for about 10 minutes.

While the crust cooks prepare whatever toppings you like, I used onions caramelized in a balsamic glaze.

NOTE* It is best to precook any raw ingredients before adding them to the pizza to ensure the crust will not overcook.

Once the crust is done cooking it will come away from the sides. Take your sourdough discard pizza out of the oven and add all of your toppings.

Place the pizza back into the oven and use the broil function to quickly melt the cheese, if you choose.

Serve as usual.

All of these 3 easy sourdough discard recipes can be made in unique ways depending on what you have or what is in season. Adding fresh fruit and raw whipped cream to the sourdough discard crepes would be a marvelous addition!

Want More Food Recipes? Check These Out!

No-Knead Artisan Bread Recipe with Rosemary and Garlic
Cranberry Jam

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3 Easy Sourdough Discard Recipes (2025)

FAQs

What is the best way to use sourdough discard? ›

You can always use this discard by directly mixing it into a dough for baking. Your discard, as long as it's in good shape, will leaven any bread dough just as well. The discard is just like a levain you would make for a recipe. The only difference is it's the same makeup as your starter.

Do you discard every time you feed sourdough starter? ›

Do I have to discard my sourdough starter? It would be best to discard some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used food (flour and water) that's sustained your starter during the last fermentation period.

What is a substitute for sourdough discard? ›

Add the discard starter to the recipe as a replacement. How much sourdough starter can you substitute? We recommend substituting starter for no more than 1/3 of the flour in the recipe. If you like the result, you can try increasing the percentage the next time.

Do you feed discard before putting in the fridge? ›

Whenever I feed my starter, I don't throw out the discard. I store the discard in the fridge until I have enough to bake with. When baking with unfed/discard starter, I don't need to worry about the starter being at its "peak." I can use it right out of the container without feeding it. Even if it's been in the fridge.

When should you throw out a sourdough discard? ›

I don't like to use discard that is more than one week old in discard recipes . After about a week, the discard can become very sour and impact the flavor of the discard recipe. If you like a strong fermented flavor, you might be okay with letting the discard sit longer in the refrigerator.

Should sourdough discard be at room temperature before using? ›

Store it for future baking: You can store sourdough discard in an airtight container in the refrigerator for future baking with sourdough discard recipes. When you're ready to use it, let the discard come to room temperature before using it to bake.

Can I just feed my sourdough starter without discarding? ›

If your recipe calls for more than 227g (about 1 cup) of starter, feed it without discarding until you've reached the amount you need (plus 113g to keep and feed again).

What happens if you forgot to discard half of your sourdough starter? ›

If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.

Can I leave my sourdough starter out overnight after feeding it? ›

Can I leave my starter out overnight after feeding it? Yes, if you have just fed it.

Is eating sourdough discard healthy? ›

Sourdough discard is rich in probiotics, which can help promote a healthy gut microbiome and improve digestion. It's also a good source of fiber, which can help regulate blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, and promote feelings of fullness.

What is the best container for sourdough discard? ›

Ideally, you should use a medium sized, clear glass jar with a lid that can be loosely rested or screwed on tight. At a glance, the best sourdough starter jar should be: Medium sized. Clear or transparent.

Should sourdough starter lid be on or off? ›

Should I keep my sourdough starter in an airtight container? Keep your starter in an airtight container when you are storing it in the fridge. If it is being kept at room temperature to be used, cover it with a towel or a coffee filter with a rubber band. This allows it to breathe and capture the wild yeast in the air.

Can you put a lid on sourdough discard? ›

You should always have a lid on your sourdough discard jar. Ideally sourdough discard should be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.

What to do with a lot of sourdough discard? ›

Scroll through a healthy variety of sweet and savory options, such as sourdough pumpkin scones, salty pretzels, flaky pie crust, or chocolate-dipped biscotti — all made with discard. Try the sourdough dinner rolls, soft snickerdoodle cookies, or frosted, tangy carrot cake.

How long can you keep sourdough discard on counter? ›

What happens if you let sourdough discard sit too long on the counter? As discard sits at room temperature, it will continue to ferment which increases its acidity levels. If it sits past 36hrs, it will most likely run out of flour to feed on. You will then run the risk of exposing your discard to harmful bacteria.

Can you put sourdough discard in the garbage disposal? ›

for the sourdough discard. Do not pour that down your sink drain. You can put your sourdough discard either in the trash. or the compost, or you can use it in recipes. Don't put it down the drain.

What is the benefit of sourdough discard? ›

What Does Sourdough Discard Do in Recipes? Sourdough discard introduces a mild tanginess and depth of flavour to recipes, distinguishing them from their non-sourdough counterparts. Its natural fermentation process can also contribute to a lighter, more tender texture in baked goods.

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