15+ Healthy Sourdough Discard Recipes (2024)

May 8, 2024 by Lisa Bass| Updated: May 8, 2024| 2 Comments

Check out my roundup of my favorite healthy sourdough discard recipes! Along with fermented grains, many of these recipes have other health benefits, such as high-protein ingredients and other ingredients full of vitamins and minerals. From breakfast to dinner, eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring or flavorless thanks to these discard meals!

15+ Healthy Sourdough Discard Recipes (1)

Table of Contents

My sourdough journey began with making sandwich bread.

As delicious as it was (still is!), I knew there had to be more I could do with my sourdough starter. So, I began to find creative ways to utilize my starter, especially the discard.

What I ended up discovering was a plethora of amazing recipes that were made even better by using discarded sourdough starter.

The best part about using leftover sourdough discard in your baking and cooking? You get the added benefit of fermented grains – making it easier to digest and better absorbed by the body.

Plus, there just can’t be enough said about the flavor sourdough adds to pretty much anything fromsourdough wafflestochocolate chip cookiestobanana bread.

In this roundup, I’m sharing some of my favorite healthy discard recipes.

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What is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is unfed starter. It’s the amount you remove before feeding an active starter. Some people will just toss the discard, but I love to use it in various recipes.

Once a starter is mature enough, you don’t technically have to “discard” any of it. However, you don’t want too much starter because it will be difficult to maintain and keep healthy.

That’s why I love to use discard in recipes to ensure I keep a healthy starter and get plenty of fermented grains in my diet.

Is Sourdough Discard Healthy?

Although the term “healthy” can mean different things to different people, I would argue that sourdough provides many health benefits.

Fermented grains is what sets it apart. The fermentation process helps break down two components of the grains flour is made up of:

Gluten– Fermenting grains breaks down gluten, which makes the grains easier for our bodies to digest.
Phytic Acid –This is an anti-nutrient. Humans do not have the proper enzymes to break this down. Instead, it can bind to various nutrients in our bodies, inhibiting those nutrients from being properly absorbed. Fermentation breaks these anti-nutrients down for us, which makes the actual nutrients of the food more bio-available.

Recipes made with all discard and no added flour are considered long-fermented recipes, as the grains in the discard have all been sufficiently fermented.

Many of my discard recipes that do have additional flour can be long fermented to ensure you get all these health benefits as well.

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Why You’ll Love These Recipes

Great way to utilize sourdough starter discard– There are some discard bread recipes below, too, but I love being able to use my sourdough starter for every meal of the day at the farmhouse if I want to. It’s not just for bread!

The added depth of flavor– Sourdough discard elevates the flavor of recipes in my opinion.

Cut down on food waste– I never like to throw food away. Honestly, I have not thrown out any discard in years. There’s always something I can make with it. The recipes below are just the tip of the iceberg.

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

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Tips

Some of the recipes below do require another leavening agent, such as baking powder or commercial yeast. You’ll want to have both on hand if you plan to make any discard recipes. Instant yeast is always good to have in the pantry when needed.
Although it isn’t required, I find discard recipes work best when the discard is brought to room temperature before being added to a recipe.
The longer sourdough discard sits in the fridge, the more sour it becomes. Keep this in mind, pending how much sour flavor you like in your recipes.
Although these are all technically discard recipes, active sourdough starter can be used as well.

Healthy Sourdough Discard Recipes

For Breakfast

Sourdough Blueberry Muffins

High in fiber and Vitamin C, among other nutrients, blueberry muffins are a delicious breakfast or snack. I enjoy them with a side of yogurt or a tall glass of milk.

Check out this recipe

Sourdough Zucchini Bread

High in Vitamin C, this is a great quick bread to make if you need to "hide" veggies in baked goods for kids or adults. Add a little nut butter on a slice for some added protein and healthy fat.

Check out this recipe

FAQ

What can I do with sourdough discard?

Sourdough discard is incredibly versatile. You can use it to make a delicious dessert, as a coating for fried chicken, or to add flavor to any dish. I have tons of sourdough discard recipes on the blog. Check out my roundup ofdessert discard recipeshereandbreakfast recipes here.

How long is sourdough discard good for in the fridge?

Discard is very low maintenance and can last a few weeks in the fridge. However, for best results, I recommend feeding it every 7 to 10 days. The cold temperature slows fermentation but doesn’t halt it completely, which is why discard continues to sour.

What is the best container for sourdough discard?

Keep discard in the refrigerator in a non-porous container. I like to use an extra jar. The size you need depends on how much discard you tend to have on hand at any time. I really likethese large jars for my sourdough starter, and if I have extra discard, I’ll store it in a large mason jar.

More Sourdough Recipes from the Farmhouse

Homemade Sourdough Pop Tarts with Jam Filling
Sourdough Discard Lemon Bread with a Lemon Glaze
Pain de Mie (Pullman Bread) Recipe
Sourdough Crumpet Recipe
Sourdough Calzones

15+ Healthy Sourdough Discard Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Does sourdough discard make things healthier? ›

Yes, there are actually several health benefits to using sourdough discard in your cooking and baking. Sourdough discard is rich in probiotics, which can help promote a healthy gut microbiome and improve digestion.

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How do I know if my sourdough discard is good? ›

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.

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Do you discard sourdough every time you feed? ›

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.

Is sourdough discard still good? ›

I recommend keeping sourdough discard for about one week, but I do know others who keep it for much longer. After one week, there is a higher risk of mold or bad bacteria growing on the discard.

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Why do you throw away sourdough discard? ›

If you don't discard your sourdough starter, it will grow too big and be unmanageable. Not to mention you will go through an unmentionable amount of flour.

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Is it healthy to eat sourdough bread everyday? ›

The type of flour used — all-purpose, whole wheat, rye — can affect the nutritional content of sourdough bread, says Wee. But generally speaking, sourdough bread is a healthy option and can be eaten regularly as part of a nutritious, balanced diet.

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Do I need to refrigerate my sourdough discard? ›

Sourdough Discard is Best Stored in the Fridge

The cold temperature of the fridge also slows yeast activity so that the discard doesn't produce quite as much gas. But you'll still want a lid that lets air escape so those gasses don't build up over time!

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Can I keep adding to my sourdough discard? ›

You can combine many days' worth of discard in a single jar, adding to it every time you feed your starter until you're ready to bake with your discard. If you're planning to use that day, discard starter can be kept out at room temperature. Otherwise, store it in the fridge until you're ready to use.

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Can I feed sourdough 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 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.

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Does sourdough discard have to be active? ›

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.

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Can you use 2 week old sourdough discard? ›

Therefore, you can store discard indefinitely, but I suggest using discard within 1-2 weeks. Over time, the discard will become more sour-tasting as it continues to ferment and develop lactic acid. That's why I like to use fresh discard for more sweet recipes, and older discard for more savory recipes.