Easy Sourdough Discard Bread
Have sourdough discard sitting in your fridge? Turn it into a beautiful loaf of bread with a crackly crust and a soft, chewy crumb. This sourdough discard bread recipe uses yeast, so there is no long fermentation or complicated sourdough process. You can have a gorgeous homemade loaf on the table the same day!
The sourdough discard adds a little tang to the bread, while a blend of all-purpose and whole wheat flour gives a delicious heartiness. It's an everyday loaf that’s wonderful for toast, sandwiches, or just enjoying on its own.
I always have discard sitting in my fridge, so I'm constantly finding new ways to use it! Some of my favorites are fluffy sourdough pancakes, sourdough discard banana pancakes, sourdough peanut butter brownies, and sourdough oatmeal walnut cookies.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A great way to use sourdough discard. I love a no-waste recipe! And it also adds a subtle tanginess to the bread.
- No long sourdough process. This recipe uses yeast, so you get a quick sourdough discard bread without the long fermentation and timing of traditional sourdough bread.
- Soft inside, crackly outside. The loaf has a tender, chewy crumb and a beautifully crisp crust.
- Simple ingredients. You only need a handful of everyday pantry ingredients along with your sourdough discard to make this bread.
Recipe Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour: Gives the loaf its structure and a light, soft crumb.
Whole Wheat Flour: Adds flavor and a little more texture to the sourdough discard loaf.
Sourdough Discard: This adds a gentle tang. Bring your discard to room temperature before using.
Yeast: You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. Please make sure your yeast is fresh and not expired.
Water: Use lukewarm water (about 40 C /105 F) to activate the yeast.
Sugar: A small amount of sugar helps activate the yeast.
Salt: This enhances the flavor of the bread.
Please see the recipe card below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
How To Make It
Recipe Video
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Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in the water. Let stand for 10 minutes until foamy.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flours and salt. Pour in sourdough discard and the bubbly yeast mixture. Mix with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms.
Step 3: Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky to the touch. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl.
Step 4: Cover and place in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours or until it doubles in volume.
Step 5: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate it. Shape the dough into a ball.
Step 6: Place the shaped dough on a parchment-lined tray. Cover and let it rise for 45 minutes or until puffy. Meanwhile, place a metal tray on the lowest rack and preheat your oven to its highest setting (mine goes up to 250 C/ 480 F).
Step 7: Once the bread is puffy, sprinkle some flour on top. Using a sharp knife, score the bread. Immediately slide it into the oven, carefully pour a cup of water into the tray underneath, and shut the door quickly. Lower the temperature to 220 C /430 F and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Step 8: The sourdough discard bread with yeast will be done when the top is golden brown, and the bottom sounds hollow when you tap it. Cool the discard bread completely before slicing.
Top Tips
- Your discard doesn’t need to be freshly fed. Use what you have in the refrigerator as long as it doesn’t smell funky or have any mold on it.
- Make sure your yeast is active. To test, mix 1 teaspoon of yeast in half a cup of warm water. If the mixture gets foamy in 10 minutes, the yeast is good to use.
- The dough should be soft and slightly tacky. If it’s too sticky to handle, add extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, but don’t add too much or the bread will be dense.
- Don’t rush the proofing time. For the first proof, the dough should double in volume, and for the second proof, it should be puffy. Press your finger into the proofed dough; if the indentation slowly bounces back, your bread is ready to bake.
- Use a really hot oven. Preheat your oven to the maximum. My oven goes upto 250 C / 480 F. A hot oven helps give the bread loaf a good oven spring and a crackly crust.
- Don’t skip the steam. Pouring water into a hot tray in the oven creates steam that helps the bread expand and gives a nice crisp crust.
- Score the loaf just before baking. This gives the bread more room to expand during baking and gives a pretty finish.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. The crumb needs time to set, and cooling the bread also allows the flavors to develop. Give it at least 1.5 hours before slicing.
How To Serve Sourdough Discard Bread
This easy sourdough discard bread is delicious on its own. Serve it warm, toasted, or untoasted with butter and jam like my homemade cherry jam or persimmon jam.
You can also serve it with:
- Apple butter, pear butter, or cinnamon honey butter.
- Alongside fried pickle dip, spinach artichoke dip, cashew ricotta cheese, or homemade cream cheese.
- It pairs wonderfully with roasted pumpkin soup, creamy pea soup, and Moroccan vegetable stew.
How To Store
Store the sourdough discard loaf in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature. For longer storage, refrigerate for 4-5 days.
You can also freeze the bread for up to 1 month. Slice the cooled bread, wrap it well in plastic wrap and then foil before freezing.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this sourdough discard bread without a stand mixer?
Absolutely! You can knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 10-12 minutes, using the heel of your hand to push the dough away from you, then fold it back over itself. Continue till the dough is smooth and supple.
Can I use cold sourdough discard for this recipe?
I recommend bringing the sourdough discard to room temperature before using it. This helps the dough mix and rise more evenly.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour?
Yes, I have made this discard bread using all-purpose flour many times, and it turns out very well. The amount of liquid will need adjusting, as all-purpose flour absorbs less liquid than whole wheat flour. I suggest starting with 1 cup of water and adding more if needed.
Can I make this sourdough discard bread without yeast?
Not this discard bread recipe. Sourdough discard isn’t active enough to rise the bread on its own. Yeast does the lifting, while the discard adds flavor. For a no-yeast loaf, you need an active, freshly fed starter and a much longer rise.
Can I add seeds or other mix-ins to flavor the sourdough discard bread?
Yes, this is a great basic dough for many variations. You can add sun-dried tomatoes, olives (as I did for my easy olive bread), jalapeños and cheese (as in this jalapeño cheddar bread), or seeds (like in this seeded oatmeal bread).
More Easy Bread Recipes You'll Love
Recipe
Easy Sourdough Discard Bread
Ingredients
- 1.5 tsp Yeast
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 1/4 cups Lukewarm water
- 1.5 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/3 cup Sourdough Discard
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in the water. Let stand for 10 minutes until foamy.1.5 tsp Yeast,1 tsp Sugar, 1 1/4 cups Lukewarm water
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine both the flours and salt.1.5 cups All Purpose Flour, 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour, 1 1/4 tsp Salt
- Pour in the sourdough discard and the bubbly yeast mixture.1/3 cup Sourdough Discard
- Mix well with a spatula until a rough shaggy dough forms.
- Knead the dough using the dough hook attachment for 8-10 minutes, on medium speed, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky to touch.You can also knead the dough by hand for 10-12 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover it with a tea towel or cling wrap. Let it rest for 1-1.5 hours, or until the dough is doubled in size.
- When the dough is doubled in size, transfer to a lightly floured surface and gently deflate it. Shape the dough into a ball.
- Place the shaped dough on a parchment-lined tray. Cover it with a tea towel for the 2nd rise. Let it rise for 45 minutes, or until puffy.
- Meanwhile, place a metal tray on the lowest rack and preheat your oven to its highest setting (mine goes up to 250 C/ 480 F).
- Once the bread is puffy, sprinkle the dough top with some flour. Then using a sharp knife, score the bread. Immediately slide it into the oven, carefully pour a cup of water into the tray underneath, and shut the door quickly. Lower the temperature to 220 C/ 430 F and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when you tap it.
- Cool the bread completely before slicing it.
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure ingredients. This ensures consistent and accurate results.
- Your discard doesn’t need to be freshly fed. Use what you have in the refrigerator as long as it doesn’t smell funky or have any mold on it.
- Make sure your yeast is active. To test, mix 1 teaspoon of yeast in half a cup of warm water. If the mixture gets foamy in 10 minutes, the yeast is good to use.
- The dough should be soft and slightly tacky. If it’s too sticky to handle, add extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, but don’t add too much or the bread will be dense.
- Don’t rush the proofing time. For the first proof, the dough should double in volume, and for the second proof, it should be puffy. Press your finger into the proofed dough; if the indentation slowly bounces back, your bread is ready to bake.
- Use a really hot oven. Preheat your oven to the maximum. My oven goes upto 250 C / 480 F. A hot oven helps give the bread loaf a good oven spring and a crackly crust.
- Score the loaf just before baking. This gives the bread more room to expand during baking and gives a pretty finish.
I’m so excited to try this bread. Can this be baked in a loaf pan or is it best to shape it like a sourdough loaf?
Natasha Author
Hi Linda, somehow I have never baked it in a loaf pan! I've baked it in round shape or like a baguette, so I feel baking it in a sourdough loaf shape may work better for this 🙂 Happy baking! xx
for some reason this dough wouldn't mix and was super wet. It was so messy that I couldn't knead it. I have baked breads and sourdoughs for YEARS and this was the only one I have ever had trouble with. I added two more cups of flour and it was still a mess.
Natasha Author
Oh no! I'm so sorry this turned out be a mess for you. Thank you very much for trying it out though. I really appreciate it 🙏🏻
Jennie
Hi Sarah - I am making this bread right now and was using the calculator to multiply and make several loaves. THAT is where the problem is! The water calculation for both 2 and 3 loaves is WAY off, and is causing me to waste all my starter and lots of flour. 🙁 I wish I would have done a mental calculation before getting started - I will now have no bread to share at a community event tomorrow. Lesson learned! I'm sure this is a great recipe otherwies -and I look forward to trying again sometime soon when I have more discard. But I will not rely on the calculating tool! All other measurements were correctly multiplied - just the water, which instead of coming to 2.5 for 2 loaves, becomes 5.5; for 3 loaves, it should become 3.75 but becomes 8.25!! That is WAY off, and I should have noticed but did not. 🙁
Natasha Author
Hi Jennie, first of all thank you very much for trying out the recipe and for being so kind in your feedback. I checked the recipe multiplier and noticed that the cup measurements for water are indeed off. But they are perfectly fine for metric measurements!
I'll see if there is any way to fix this issue as this is done automatically, based on the measurements I write. But going forward, I will make sure I'll check the multiplier measurements to ensure they are correct.
I'm so sorry that your ingredients went to waste and there was no bread for your event! I hope you will be able to come back to this recipe sometime and will enjoy it!🙏🏻
I never grew up eating whole wheat and really struggle now with how it tastes. Not only could I not tell it had whole wheat in it but it was probably one of the best loaves of bread I’ve ever made. This will be my new go to recipe.
Natasha Author
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback, Emily. This made me so happy! Really appreciate your support and kindness. xx
Does it have to be baked right away? I tripled the recipe and not sure if it’s best to refrigerate dough or freeze baked loaves. Yikes!
Natasha Author
Hi Jackie, so this dough can be baked right away after the 2nd proofing. You can always freeze baked loaves. Hope this helps. 🙂
Hi, What do you mean by sourdough discard? I have sourdough starter in the fridge, would that do? Can't wait to try this. X
Natasha Author
Hi Malka, yes, you can certainly use your sourdough starter. With discard I mean, the part of starter one takes out when feeding the starter.Hope this helps:)
This is a beautiful loaf! I cooked it in my Dutch oven(30 min lid on, 15 min lid off) and it turned out perfectly! For the 45 min rest time before the bake, I placed my dough ball in my banneton basket for an even nicer shape. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Natasha Author
How wonderful, Rebecca! Thank you so much for trying the recipe and sharing your lovely feedback. I so appreciate it. xx
P.S I need to buy a Dutch oven just so I can make breads in it:)
Malka
Hi!
You don't need to spend money on a Dutch oven really, ant oven proof dish with a good lid will do the job. I use casserol dishes Pyrex or clay or metal, works well.
Tashi, you are fantastic! I made your BAKLAVA CHEESECAKE last night, INCREDIBLE RECIPE!!! 👏👏👏👏 Great success, probably best ever cake. You are now my chosen recipe search. Thanks!
Natasha Author
Thank you so so much for your helpful tip and the most wonderful feedback! You really made my day. So grateful for your support. xx