Sourdough discard recipes

Sourdough discard recipes turn the starter you’d normally throw out into pancakes, crackers, banana bread, and more. Discard is the portion of starter you remove before a feed. It still has flavor and a little structure left, so it bakes well even though it won’t reliably leaven on its own. Keep a jar in the fridge and you’ll always have something to make.

What sourdough discard actually is

Every time you feed a starter, you remove most of it first so the fresh flour and water aren’t overwhelmed by acid. That removed portion is the discard. It is just flour and water that wild yeast and bacteria have already worked on, which is why it tastes tangy.

A few things worth knowing:

• Discard has low leavening power. Recipes here lean on baking soda, baking powder, or eggs for rise.
• The longer it sits, the more sour it gets. Older discard makes sharper crackers and tangier pancakes.
• If you want stronger rise from any of these, see feeding your starter and bake closer to peak instead.

How to store discard

Keep a clean jar or lidded container in the fridge and add discard to it after each feed. Stir the new addition in so it doesn’t form a dry skin on top. Cold discard keeps well for about 1-2 weeks, though these are estimates: trust your nose and eyes over the calendar.

Signs it has gone too far:

• Pink, orange, or fuzzy growth of any color. Throw the whole jar out.
• A skin or gray liquid (hooch) on top is normal. Pour off or stir in the hooch, scrape any dry skin, and carry on.

To freeze, portion discard into 100 g or 200 g amounts in bags or a silicone tray. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using. Frozen discard loses most of its leavening, which is fine for everything below.

The recipes

Start with whatever you have most of. A typical jar holds 100-300 g, and each recipe below is forgiving about the exact amount.

Pancakes

The fastest way to clear a jar. You whisk discard with egg, a little milk, a pinch of sugar and salt, then baking soda right before the batter hits the pan. They cook up tender with a faint tang, and the batter comes together in about five minutes. Good for 200-250 g of discard.

Recipe: sourdough discard pancakes

Crackers

If your discard is on the older, sourer side, make crackers. You mix discard with flour, olive oil, salt, and herbs, roll it thin, then bake until snapping crisp. They keep in a tin for a couple of weeks and use 100-150 g per batch. Roll thinner than feels right; thin is the difference between crisp and chewy.

Recipe: sourdough discard crackers

Banana bread

For a larger jar, this is the one. Ripe bananas carry the sweetness while the discard adds depth and keeps the crumb moist for days. It uses around 200 g of discard and bakes in a standard loaf tin at 175C (350F) for roughly 55-65 minutes. Test with a skewer rather than the clock.

Recipe: sourdough discard banana bread

More discard recipes

Once you have the basics down, work through the rest. Each uses cold discard straight from the jar.

• Pizza dough
• Tortillas
• Blueberry muffins
• Waffles
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Biscuits
• Cinnamon rolls
• Flatbread

A note on quantities

None of these need exact discard weights. Discard hydration drifts depending on how you feed, so the dough or batter may want a splash more liquid or a spoon more flour. Judge by feel: pancake batter should pour and spread slowly, cracker dough should hold together without crumbling, and banana bread batter should be thick but pourable. All bake times are estimates. Pull each one when it looks and smells done, not when a timer says so.