40+ Classic Sourdough Discard Recipes (Tested & Loved)
From everyday sandwich bread to special occasion treats, here are my most-loved ways to use your sourdough discard. All tested in my farmhouse kitchen!
Over the past ten years, I’ve developed a collection of recipes that have become our family favorites. These are the ones that show up at our breakfast table, get packed into lunch boxes, and show up for family birthdays. From quick morning waffles to chocolate cake (no, you can’t taste the sourdough!), I hope you love them all.
Summer Morning Sourdough Blueberry Bread
A simple loaf that makes the most of fresh summer berries (but works just as beautifully with frozen ones!). Perfect with your morning coffee or tucked into lunch boxes.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Bake: 50 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Classic Sourdough Pancakes (Ready in 30 Minutes!)
These are the pancakes that’ll make you glad you have sourdough discard on hand. They’re impossibly fluffy, with a tender crumb that soaks up butter and maple syrup just right. No overnight wait just mix, pour, and enjoy.
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Homemade Sourdough Pretzel Bites
Just like the ones from the pretzel shop, but better because you made them yourself! These chewy little bites have that classic pretzel texture you love: golden brown outside, soft and pillowy inside. Dust them with salt and dip them in cheese sauce.
Prep Time: 20 Minutes + 2 hour rise
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Sourdough Discard Lemon Sheet Cake
Moist, sweet, and topped with the best ever (EVER!) lemon buttercream. This is my birthday cake every year.
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Bake Time: 25 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy (but you’ll use a lot of bowls)
Soft Sourdough Discard Burger Buns
Not as fun as cake and muffins, but these burger buns are soft and sturdy and super practical. You can double the recipe and freeze them for later.
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Rise + Bake Time: 2 Hours
Difficulty: Medium (if you’ve made yeast breads before you’ll find them easy)
Old-Fashioned Banana Muffins with Crumb Topping
Your search for the perfect banana muffin ends here! These are exactly what you want on a quiet morning. They’re tender and sweet inside, with a buttery walnut crumb that gets just a little crispy on top.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Bake Time: 25 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Blueberry Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Topping
Simple to mix up, but with a few special touches. Blueberries in every bite and a sweet, sparkly cinnamon-sugar top that gets just a little crispy in the oven. The sourdough discard makes them extra tender without any sour taste.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Bake Time: 20 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Famous Sourdough Lemon Loaf
Bright and sweet, with a crackly glaze that makes the whole cake sing (trust me, do NOT skip the glaze – it’s what makes this cake special!). The sourdough discard makes it extra tender, and thousands of home bakers agree – this is the recipe that’ll have everyone asking for the link.
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Cinnamon Sugar Crackers
A cracker, but sweet. If you like fruit salsa, these are perfect with it. And if you don’t, but still appreciate a good crunchy snack, they’re still perfect. I ADORE this recipe.
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Flaky Farmhouse Sourdough Biscuits
These are your grandmother’s biscuits with a clever twist. Each one is perfectly flaky and buttery, with layers that pull apart like magic. Perfect for breakfast with eggs and gravy, alongside your dinner soup, or my personal favorite: still warm, split, and drizzled with honey.Makes 14 biscuits.
Prep Time: 5 Minutes + 1 Hour Chill
Bake Time: 10 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites
A bit of instant yeast means you can use discarded starter and have these ready in an afternoon. The word “irresistible” is over used, but these really, really are!
Prep Time: 20 minutes + Rising
Baking Time: 20 Minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Overnight Sourdough Dutch Baby Pancake)
Think of this as the pancake that makes itself! Pop it in the oven and watch it puff up into a gorgeous, golden bowl that’s crispy on the edges and custardy in the middle. The overnight rest with your sourdough starter makes it extra fluffy and adds the loveliest flavor. Top it with fresh berries and a dusting of powdered sugar, or keep it classic with butter and maple syrup.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes + Overnight Rest
Bake Time: 20 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Heritage Sourdough Banana Bread (Extra Moist!)
This is the banana bread you’ll make when those spotty bananas are calling your name. It’s just like grandma’s recipe. Perfect for breakfast with coffee, or my favorite way: toasted with a pat of butter melting into all those nooks and crannies.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Bake Time: 50 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Carrot Cake Sourdough Quick Bread
A moist, perfectly spiced carrot bread that comes together quickly – no mixer needed! The cream cheese frosting makes it feel extra special, but it's just as delicious plain with butter. Perfect with afternoon coffee or as an easy breakfast treat. Makes 1 loaf.
Winter Cranberry Orange Quick Bread
Here’s your new favorite holiday tradition! Fresh cranberries and orange zest make this bread bright and festive, while the sourdough discard works behind the scenes to keep it perfectly moist. Make a double batch – one for home and one for gifting.
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 55 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Classic Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Perfectly crisp, dunkable cookies that’ll make your morning coffee feel like a little escape to an Italian café. The best part? They stay fresh for weeks, which means you can always have homemade cookies ready for coffee time or unexpected guests.
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Bake Time: 45 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
One-Bowl Sourdough Brownies (The Fudgy Kind!)
Rich and fudgy with that perfect crackly top, they’re everything you want in a brownie – but even BETTER. The sourdough starter is our secret weapon here, making them extra moist and giving them the most amazing texture. Just one bowl, no mixer, no fuss. Perfect for bake sales, after-school treats, or those times when you NEED chocolate.
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Bake Time: 20 Minutes
Difficulty: VERY Easy
Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
They’re perfectly domed with a sweet, crackly top and just the right amount of chocolate in every bite. You’ll want them warm from the oven while the chocolate is still melty.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Bake Time: 20 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Simple Apple Coffee Cake with Crumb Top
This is autumn comfort in a pan! Imagine the most tender coffee cake, loaded with sweet apple chunks and warm cinnamon, all topped with a buttery crumb that gets perfectly crispy in the oven. Perfect for slow weekend mornings, fall gatherings.
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Bake Time: 50 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Fried Sourdough Onion Rings
Make the crispiest, crunchiest, tastiest onion rings you’ve ever had, with the perfect amount of coating, by using sourdough starter discard!
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 5 Minutes
Difficulty: Medium (Deep Frying)
Simple Sourdough Coffee Cake
Here’s the coffee cake that’ll become your go-to for cozy mornings and afternoon treats. It’s perfectly tender (thanks to both sour cream AND sourdough discard!), with ribbons of cinnamon sugar running through the middle and a buttery crumb topping.
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Bake: 45-60 minutes
Difficulty: Medium (you need a mixer)
Sourdough Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This is the cake that makes your house smell like fall! Perfectly spiced pumpkin cake (made extra moist with sourdough discard) topped with swirls of cream cheese frosting. It’s simple enough for a weekday treat but special enough for your autumn gatherings. Everyone asks for the recipe, and no one can tell it’s made with discard!
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 35 minutes
Difficulty: Easy (just mix and bake!)
Classic Vanilla Cake
It’s everything you want in a vanilla cake – soft, moist, and full of real vanilla flavor. Our secret? Sourdough discard makes it extra tender and adds just a hint of something special that everyone notices but can’t quite place. Perfect for birthdays, Sunday dessert, or any time you need a reliable cake that’s sure to please.
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
One Bowl Sourdough Chocolate Cake
Here’s the cake that’ll make you grateful for sourdough discard. So moist it’ll stay fresh for days. You don’t need a mixer, just one bowl and a few minutes of your time. The sourdough does something magical here, making this the richest chocolate cake you’ll ever bake. It’s simple enough for a Tuesday night craving but special enough for birthdays.
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 35 minutes
Difficulty: Easy (truly just one bowl!)
Simple Banana Cake
Just like your favorite banana bread, but dressed up as a cake! Extra moist and tender (thanks to both ripe bananas and sourdough discard), with swirls of cream cheese frosting on top. It’s the perfect way to use those spotty bananas on your counter.
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 35 minutes
Difficulty: Easy (mix, pour, bake!)
Fresh Baked Sourdough Scones
Make these once and you’ll never go back to regular scones! Tender and flaky with the perfect crumbly top – and the sourdough discard makes them extra special. Start with the classic version (lovely with jam and coffee), then try them studded with chocolate chips or bursting with fresh blueberries. These are the scones you’ll want to bake on quiet mornings when you have time to enjoy them still warm from the oven.
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 18 minutes
Difficulty: Easy (master one, then try all three!)
Fresh Apple Cake
tThe most tender spice cake, filled with sweet shredded apples and topped with a dream of a frosting – cream cheese with a hint of apple cider. This is the cake you’ll bake when the farm stand has fresh apples, when friends drop by for coffee, or just because your kitchen needs to smell amazing.
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Quick Morning Waffles
Meet your new weekend tradition! These waffles are exactly what you want – crispy edges, fluffy centers, and ready for whatever toppings you dream up. The sourdough discard is our secret to that perfect texture, and there’s no overnight wait (just mix and cook!).
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy (just stir and pour!)
Sunday Chocolate Chip Sourdough Waffles
Here’s how to be the family hero at breakfast! Golden and crispy outside, tender inside, with melty chocolate chips in every bite. The sourdough discard makes them extra fluffy without any waiting time. Make a double batch – these disappear FAST, and leftovers freeze beautifully for busy mornings.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Sourdough Cheddar Crackers
These are the snack that’ll make you wonder why you ever bought crackers from the store. Sharp cheddar and sourdough discard team up to make these irresistibly crisp, savory little bites. They’re perfect for afternoon snacking, lunch boxes, or setting out when friends drop by.
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy (roll, cut, bake!)
Best-Ever Sourdough Carrot Cake
Perfectly spiced, extra moist (thanks to fresh carrots and sourdough discard!), and topped with swoops of classic cream cheese frosting. No fancy techniques needed – just straightforward mixing and baking. The kind of cake that makes people’s eyes light up at potlucks and family gatherings.
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 35 minutes
Difficulty: Easy (grate, mix, bake!)
Sweet-Tart Sourdough Lemon Bars
That perfect balance of sweet and tart, with a buttery shortbread crust that’s extra special thanks to sourdough discard. The filling is bright and silky, just like your favorite bakery’s version. A dusting of powdered sugar on top makes them look as lovely as they taste.
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy (two simple steps!)
Perfect Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Here’s your new go-to cookie recipe! They’re everything you love about chocolate chip cookies – crispy edges, chewy centers, plenty of chocolate – but even BETTER. The sourdough discard makes them extra tender and gives them that perfect bakery-style texture. Mix up a batch when the kids need an after-school treat or when you just need a warm cookie with a cold glass of milk.
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 12 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Fresh Strawberry Sourdough Muffins
These are the muffins you’ll bake when those sweet summer strawberries are too good to resist! Fresh berries and sourdough discard team up to make the most tender, fruit-studded muffins. A sprinkle of sugar on top adds the perfect sparkle and crunch. Make them for weekend brunch or tuck them into lunch boxes – either way, they won’t last long.
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy (mix and scoop!)
Everyday Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread
Here’s the homemade bread you’ll want to keep on hand all week long. Soft and fluffy texture (perfect for sandwiches!). This is the loaf that’ll make your morning toast and lunchbox sandwiches special.
Prep: 15 minutes + 1 Hour Rise
Bake: 45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy (uses instant yeast!)
Sourdough Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
Remember those cinnamon-sugar donut holes from the county fair? These are just like that, but in muffin form! Tender and light, rolled in sweet cinnamon sugar while still warm. Perfect when you need something special next to the coffee pot.
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 18 minutes
Difficulty: Easy (but a lot of bowls!)
Simple Sourdough Crackers
Just mix, spread, and bake! These crispy crackers are the perfect way to use your sourdough discard when you need a quick snack. Sprinkle them with salt and herbs, or keep them plain for dips and cheese. They’re fresher than store-bought and so much more satisfying to make yourself.
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy (spread and score!)
Glazed Sourdough Cinnamon Apple Muffins
resh apples and warm cinnamon make these muffins extra special, and the sourdough discard keeps them perfectly moist. A drizzle of sweet glaze on top makes them feel like a treat from your favorite bakery. Perfect for the first day of fall.
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy (just grate and mix!)
Flaky Sourdough Pie Crust
The sourdough starter is the secret to a tender, flaky crust that works beautifully for everything from apple pie to chicken pot pie. Roll it out right away or make it ahead – either way, you’ll love how easy it is to work with. Once you try this version, you might never go back to regular pie crust.
Prep: 15 minutes
Chill: 1 hour (+ optional overnight ferment)
Difficulty: Easy
Glazed Sourdough Lemon Muffins
Fresh and bright, like sunshine for breakfast! These cheerful muffins are packed with real lemon flavor and topped with a sweet-tart glaze that makes them feel extra special. The sourdough discard keeps them perfectly tender without any hint of sour taste. Perfect for spring brunches, afternoon tea, or anytime you need a little pick-me-up.
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 18 minutes
Difficulty: Easy (zest, mix, bake!)
Fresh Sourdough Blackberry Muffins
Here’s what to bake when those summer blackberries are too good to resist! Big juicy berries in every bite, with a sparkly sugar top that adds the perfect crunch. The sourdough discard makes these extra tender, and they’re simple enough to mix up while your morning coffee brews.
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Simple Sourdough Cornbread
This is the cornbread you’ll want with every bowl of chili! It’s perfect alongside your favorite soups and stews, or warm from the oven with a drizzle of honey. Quick to make, they use baking powder for the rise.
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Everyday Chocolate Chip Quick Bread
This is the loaf you’ll bake when you need something sweet but don’t want to fuss with a cake. Tender and just rich enough, with chocolate chips in every slice. The sourdough discard makes it extra moist and special. Perfect with your morning coffee, tucked into lunch boxes, or warmed up for an afternoon treat.
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 50 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Tips for Working with Sourdough Discard
One thing I want to make super clear: when you’re first making a new sourdough starter, do not consume that discard. It’s not safe yet, so you just need to throw it away. After day 7 or so, you can start using it.
- Why discard at all? If you never remove some, your starter will just keep growing and it needs to be feat least its own volume. Tiny starter = tiny feeding. Big starter = big feeding. Make sense? Discard actually helps reduce how much flour you’re wasting.
- Cold vs room temp? Either is fine. Really! If my starter happens to be in the fridge, I don’t worry about letting it come to room temperature first.
- Stored discard lasts about a week in the fridge. If it starts smelling off or growing mold, then toss it. I have gone on vacation much longer than a week with my starter in the fridge and never had a problem. This is not a hard and fast rule.
What to Do with a Lot of Discard
- Pick the right recipe! Pancakes and sandwich bread tend to use a lot.
- Give it away! Friends or neighbors might want some to start their own sourdough journey.
- Compost it or dilute it for garden use. A little discard mixed with water can go in your soil. At this point I would personally just throw it out.
Answering Your Questions
You can buy a very cute crock for your countertop, or you can just use a mason jar. Look for a one-piece twist on lid to make it easier.
All purpose flour is just fine.
Sourdough discard can’t replace commercial yeast. The purpose of these recipes is really just to reduce food waste and add a little flavor. Inactive starter won’t actually change the recipe in terms of rising.
Active Sourdough Starter Recipes (When the Starter Makes the Dough Rise)
Of course, the real fun is found here, where we replace active yeast with our stater and make sourdough breads, cinnamon rolls, and so much more.
- A great recipe for your first “true” loaf, this recipe skips stretch and folders and is kneaded in the bowl of a stand mixer. Easy!
- If you have a mixer with a dough hook, these Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with be a breeze. It’s a simple matter of making dough, stretching into a rectangle, and filling and rolling. Don’t be intimidated.
- My favorite variations of sourdough bread are different mix-ins. Try jalapeño cheddar or white chocolate raspberry.
It’s a bonus ingredient. Use it when you can, store it wisely, and don’t stress if you have to toss some. ❤️
By Katie Shaw
Katie shares simple, reliable recipes from her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens.
So looking forward to trying your recipes!!
Hey RG, that’s so exciting! I hope you enjoy trying out the recipes. Sourdough discard is such a great way to make delicious and thrifty meals. Let me know which one you try first, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I tried your Sour Dough Discard Bread.
I should have known something was wrong.
Instead of a hydration of 80 % =/-, it was less than 10%.
What say you ?
Gil I’m not sure what exact recipe you mean since this is a list. but if you mean my sourdough discard sandwich bread that recipe is about 50-60% hydration because it’s a sandwich loaf with yeast, not an artisan style bread. if you’d like to leave the link of the one you mean I can take a look.
Can you store sourdough discard in freezer bags for the freezer or sandwich ziplock bags in refrigerator?
I am starting to think I keep my sourdough starter just so I can make the discard recipes. There are so many fun things to make and this list is fabulous. I can’t wait to try a few of these.
love it carlee!! keep sourdoughing 🙂
Thank you for sharing! There are some amazing recipes here. Pinned!
thanks so much julie! you have so many great sourdough recipes!
Hi, I have an active starter it’s about a month old, when the recipe says unfed how long from a feeding is that ??? When it’s bubbling or already doubled ??
it’s usually at least hours after a feeding. it will typically peak around 4-8 hours and anything after that it’s on the decline and is considered “unfed”. if its still bubbly, just stir it up. using an active starter in a “discard” recipe won’t hurt anything.
Thanks for the info on the starter and the discard! I have been feeding my starter for about 17 days now, and using some of the discard starter that I keep in the fridge. I use Einkorn flour, so it does react a bit differently than regular flour. I have read so many different methods for starter that my brain is on overload, as some directions contradict others. So, I am still feeding my starter twice a day. I started with 1/4 cup + 2 T of flour and 1/4 c water. I still feed it that amount. I discarded twice a day once I started seeing the “hooch” develop (Einkorn develops less hooch, I am told). It looks good and smells good, so I think I am on the right track. I don’t always discard twice a day; sometimes once. Does this make sense? Is my starter pretty much ready after 4 weeks? (which is what I have read.)
Thanks, again for your help!
hi Roseann! I’m not familiar with einkorn starter but the general rule of starter readiness is this: does it double in volume within 4-8 hours after a feeding? (it will double faster in a warmer room). put a rubber band around I t to mark the level at the feeding. if it doubles, you’re good to go!
Sorry to bug you but I’m having trouble clicking the link for the English muffins. Is it possible to get that recipe? I’m so excited for all these recipes! This is si great!
/hi sari! here is the link: https://jonesinfortaste.com/sourdough-english-muffins/
If there isn’t a sour dough flavor added to these recipes what is the purpose of adding the sour dough starter. what purpose does it serve?
it still adds some flavor… I would describe it as a tanginess, like when you add yogurt or sour cream to a baked good. it’s just not exactly sour. but the main benefit of these recipes is when you discard your sourdough starter now you don’t have to throw it out.
Unless you make your starter extra sour and do an extra rise your breads don’t typically taste sour. My starter is extra sour. I make all kinds of stuff with it and it adds a bit of a zing. I made bagels yesterday and donuts a few days ago. They were not sour. Fermented starter is easier to digest and is an excellent addition to baked goods. It also helps those gluten free goodies less dense. GF pancakes rise wonderfully with a couple tbs of starter added to the batter. Since my starter is extra sour my pancakes have a nice zing and fluff like a normal pancake. Add sugar to batter and the zing pretty much goes away.
The benefits of eating the sourdough starter..its a live enzyme..great for maintaining a healthy gut
Hi, I would like to try making the lemon snack cake. This one also does not have a link. Will you please put that in a reply? Thanks so much!
Here you go Sue! I am having the hardest time with these links in the post, sorry!!!! https://heartscontentfarmhouse.com/sourdough-lemon-cake/
Hi – May I have the link to the Lemon cake? That sounds perfect!
Beth
Here you go Beth, sorry I left it out! https://heartscontentfarmhouse.com/sourdough-lemon-cake/
There are not any links other than pancakes. I see links in one of your responses but I can’t get to the pretzels or pizza.
Misty, I think the issue is that the color of the links is too dark. I changed so it stands out now more. They are within the text of each description. 🙂
The Carrot Cake recipe does not have a link. Can you provide one please? I’m excited to try this one. Thanks!
Oonagh
https://heartscontentfarmhouse.com/sourdough-carrot-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting/ here you go! 🙂
I see no link to the recipes . How can I get the recipes for these?
Thanks!
hi Layne, if you click on the heading, the title of the recipe you’re looking for, (Right after the number) it should take you there. 🙂
hi Katie, I clicked on the title of the recipe (right after the number) and nothing. These titles do not look like they are linked like other items on your page. You may want to check it out. Can you post the links in a reply, please? I would love the Banana Bread, blueberry muffins, and the pancake recipe.
Thanks so much!
Layne
layne, you’re right! looks like I changed the link color and they are now a dark blue.
We loved the pretzels. We used everything bagel topping on them. Yummmy!! Thank you
The link for the sourdough English muffins goes to the crackers. Do you have the correct link for the English muffins?
sorry, just fixed it! 🙂
Thanks the pretzels were very tasty.