35+ Quick Sourdough Discard Recipes (2024)

These quick sourdough discard recipes and easy no-wait recipes that require no fermentation or proofing. Just mix together and make.

You are constantly feeding your new pet sourdough starter, and you’re also constantly having to discard some of the starter.

Instead of throwing it in the trash, you can use it to make some delicious and healthy, no-wait recipes.

As long as you have a lot of fed starter on hand, you can make these instantly. Some of these are long-fermented sourdough, meaning there is no added flour and you will get the most health benefits.

I also added another section that includes sourdough recipes you can make and bake right away, but do include some added flour.

Obviously, it is better if you can allow your dough to ferment to decrease the phytic acid, help break down the gluten, and make the nutrients more bio-available.

But, let’s face it. Sometimes, lack of planning just doesn’t allow for that. So if poor planning is interfering with your baking, here are some recipes that don’t require the wait.

Tips:

If you are only discarding a little bit at a time, you can keep a jar of discard in the fridge and use it when you have enough discard to make a recipe.
Refrigerated discard will need to be fed every 7-10 days or else it may get hungry and start to form a hooch.
If you want to make a sourdough starter, check out my detailed post here on how to create one.
Can’t get enough sourdough? Check out all my favorite recipeshere.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosurehere.

Tools I use for sourdough baking and cooking:

Stand mixer

Quick Sourdough Discard Recipes

These no-wait recipes include just starter, but no other non-fermented grains. Mix and go. These would be considered long-fermented.

Pancakes

Our favorite sourdough pancakes recipe includes just a few basic ingredients and is simple to whip up any day of the week.

Sourdough Pizza Crust

Hands down, the easiest pizza crust recipe you will ever make. Delicious and crispy, and can be made so many ways.Breakfast pizza,white pizzaormushroom. Whatever your heart desires.

Super Easy Sourdough Crepes

Perfectly thin pancakes, this is one of our family’s favorite ways to eat lots of eggs. Sourdough starter is combined with eggs, milk, and some sweetener to make the yummiest breakfast.

Sourdough Skillet

Not a meal planner? Me neither! I love making sourdough skillets. Basically any veggie and meat you have in the fridge can be cooked in a cast iron skillet and topped with a sourdough crust to make a delicious, healthy, and filling meal.

Waffles

Perfectly crispy and fluffy waffles, and a fun weekend breakfast. I love using my cast iron waffle maker for this healthy meal.

Sourdough Flatbread

The perfect side to accompany any meal, or even use it to make sandwiches.

Sourdough Apple Pie

A yummy, fall-inspired dessert in a pinch. It’s simple and a farmhouse family favorite. Soft and juicy apples in a fluffy, cake-like crust.

Dutch Baby

Sourdough and breakfast just go together. I especially love breakfasts that can be whipped together and baked while we finish up farm chores, like milking the new goats.

No-Wait Sourdough Recipes With Added Flour

While the no-wait recipes above are simple and delicious, sometimes you may come across a recipe that includes fermentation time, but it’s a step you can skip, if needed.

Like the humble biscuit. You could definitely choose to long-ferment it, making the grains more digestible, or you can just mix and bake.

35+ Quick Sourdough Discard Recipes (10)

Sourdough Cobbler

One of our family’s favorite desserts, sourdough cobbler can be made so many ways.Blueberry,peach, strawberry cream cheese, cherry, andpumpkinare our favorites. But make it with your favorite fruit!

35+ Quick Sourdough Discard Recipes (11)

Chicken Pot Pie

One of our absolute favorite dinners… chicken pot pie. I’m not sure there is a more comforting, rustic food. You know how many times I decided last-minute to whip up this meal? And it’s still tasty without the long-fermentation.

35+ Quick Sourdough Discard Recipes (12)

English Muffins

This recipe is on a weekly rotation in our kitchen. They are super versatile. I use these English muffins to make breakfast sandwiches,mini pizzas,chicken salad sandwichesand even minisloppy Joe’s.

35+ Quick Sourdough Discard Recipes (13)

Tortillas

Mexican food is definitely our favorite cuisine, and these sourdough tortillas are a fun family affair. Everyone loves gathering around the island to roll out a bunch of these tortillas. Use them for tacos topped with fermentedjalapeñosorsalsa, or use them to make a wrap.

35+ Quick Sourdough Discard Recipes (14)

Crackers

This is a new recipe on the blog and a really delicious, crunchy, and perfectly salty snack. Long-fermentation not required.

35+ Quick Sourdough Discard Recipes (15)

Sourdough Biscuits

While technically these are long-fermented, there is nothing stopping you from just whipping them up and baking right away. These buttery biscuits are so flavorful and tender, they make the perfect breakfast. You can also turn them into my favorite southernbiscuits and gravy.

35+ Quick Sourdough Discard Recipes (16)

Sourdough Muffins

Blueberry, pumpkin, banana, chocolate zucchini, and carrot cake muffins just to name a few. These can be made quick or fermented.

35+ Quick Sourdough Discard Recipes (17)

Cookies

Snickerdoodle, Shortbread, Peanut Butter, Sugar, Oatmeal, and of course the classic chocolate chip cookies can all be make with discard.

35+ Quick Sourdough Discard Recipes (18)

Cake

For you next birthday or holiday celebration try your hand on sourdough cake. They can be long fermented or made quickly. Classic chocolate, vanilla, and coffee cake.

35+ Quick Sourdough Discard Recipes (19)

Donuts

This recipe is so fun, and perfect for holidays. Mix it up and bake right away or make the night before, allow it to ferment overnight.

There you have it: no-wait sourdough recipes that can come together in no time.

35+ Quick Sourdough Discard Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How quickly do you need to use sourdough discard? ›

When you are ready to bake, remove the discard from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. I recommend keeping sourdough discard for up to one week. If needed, mark the date on the container in your refrigerator. After one week, there is a higher chance of the discard growing bad bacteria or mold.

Know More ›

Can you use 2 day old sourdough discard? ›

Can I Use Old Sourdough Discard? You can use old sourdough discard if it's been stored in the fridge, however, you really want to use it up within a week - 2 weeks max. It's better to use "fresh" discard in a sweet sourdough discard recipe.

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.

Explore More ›

What happens if you forgot to discard starter before feeding? ›

If you didn't discard a portion of your starter each time you feed it, two things would happen: Your starter would grow to an enormous, unmanageable size. Your starter would likely become more and more inhospitable to the bacteria and yeast we want as the mixture would become ever more acidic.

Tell Me More ›

Can I use sourdough discard straight from the fridge? ›

I don't recommend using starter discard from the fridge to make sourdough bread. Why? The discard could be sitting in the fridge for several days, up to 2 weeks, which is far too long without feeding in an environment that's too cold.

Can you use day 1 sourdough discard? ›

Remember, you can't use the discard from your homemade sourdough starter for the first 7 days. You can use sourdough discard in all kinds of sourdough discard recipes, including these no wait sourdough recipes, overnight sourdough discard recipes and sourdough discard recipes that use up a lot of discard.

What to do with day 4 sourdough discard? ›

Sourdough discard works well in many baked goods that don't require lively yeast—flat foods like crackers, tortillas and pancakes. Or you can use it to flavor recipes that rely on leavening from other sources, such as active dry yeast, baking soda and baking powder.

View Details ›

How to tell if sourdough discard is bad? ›

You can store mature sourdough discard in the refrigerator indefinitely. As long as there is no mold, it is good to use. It may develop a grayish liquid on top called “hooch” which can be poured off before use or stirred in. If you stir it in, the flavor will become more sour.

Discover More Details ›

Can I feed my sourdough starter without discarding? ›

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.

Discover More Details ›

Does sourdough discard have to be active to use? ›

It can be at room temperature or come directly from the fridge. The texture is less bubbly (if bubbly at all) when compared to fluffy active starter. Sourdough discard is not active enough to make bread dough rise, and despite its name the “discard” does not have to be thrown away.

View Details ›

What to do with a day 3 sourdough discard? ›

Use your sourdough starter discard in sourdough pancakes, waffles, and banana bread.

Discover More ›

When should you not eat sourdough bread? ›

As a general rule, you should throw out a loaf of sourdough bread when it shows visible signs of mold, when it has an unpleasant odor, or when it doesn't taste right. At this point, mold may be contaminating the bread below the surface, even if you can't see it.

Discover More Details ›

Can you make a new sourdough starter from Discard? ›

One of the amazing benefits of sourdough discard is that you can use it to create new starters, which are known as levains. These off-shoots from the mother starter can be used to experiment with different types of flour or given as a gift – there's nothing quite like sharing an entire ecosystem with your loved ones.

Read On ›

What is the difference between sourdough discard and sourdough starter? ›

I would say the best way to differentiate between discard and active starter is that active starter is starter that has doubled and peaked whereas discard is any starter that is not the main starter and is not being used in an active sourdough recipe as a leavening agent.

Learn More ›

Can you save sourdough discard to use later? ›

Stored in the freezer, sourdough discard will theoretically keep indefinitely. I've left it in the freezer for as long as six months, untouched (i.e., I don't add or remove discard). Before using it, let it thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, never in the microwave.

Get More Info ›

What can I do with day 1 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.

Keep Reading ›

Do you have to discard sourdough every day? ›

Although you need an active, well-maintained starter for certain artisan breads, you can still make tasty bread with a sluggish, slow starter so you don't have to discard sourdough starter daily. In fact, many of my favorite sourdough bread recipes use discard for flavoring to give bread that classic tang.

See Details ›

Do you have to discard every 12 hours for sourdough starter? ›

Starter that's kept at room temperature is more active than refrigerated starter, and thus needs to be fed more often. Room-temperature starter should be fed every 12 hours (twice a day) using the standard maintenance feeding procedure: discard all but 113g, and feed that 113g starter with 113g each water and flour.