10 Creative Ways To Use Your Sourdough Discard
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If you've had your sourdough starter for a while you might be looking for some new and creative ways to use your sourdough starter and sourdough discard (remembering you can use them interchangeably once you have a mature starter).
These recipes aren't necessarily difficult to make, but they are somewhat different than the usual muffins and crackers you might be used to seeing when it comes to sourdough discard recipes. I've tried to keep this collection of recipes to foods that are a little bit different or use sourdough discard in a different way.
I hope you enjoy using your sourdough discard to make these creative (and somewhat unusual) sourdough recipes!
How To Be Creative With Your Sourdough Discard
Sourdough starter (and discard) doesn't just have to be for making sourdough bread. You can also add sourdough discard and sourdough starter to lots of different recipes - from sauces, pies, pastries and even pasta! I've even created this guide to adding sourdough discard to any recipe!
Sourdough discard can be used to:
- thicken sauces (like gravies)
- bind ingredients together (like granola)
- add more complex flavors (to muffins and cookies)
- create flakey layers (in pie crusts and pastries)
What If I Want To Use Active Starter?
The recipes listed here can be made using sourdough discard or active sourdough starter. That's the great thing about sourdough! Once your sourdough starter is mature, you can use substitute sourdough discard with active starter in any sourdough discard recipe.
The reason for this is that in majority of discard recipes, the discard isn't actually providing the leavening, it's there for other reasons (like the binding or more complex flavor profiles we talked about above).
So let's get creative with some sourdough discard!
Sourdough Discard White Sauce
A creative and somewhat unusual way to use sourdough discard is to add it to sauces and gravies to thicken them. This is exactly what you're doing here with this sourdough discard béchamel sauce. Instead of adding flour to your white sauce, your sourdough discard will be forming the roux to thicken the sauce. This is something I do all the time because my sourdough starter sits on the counter right near cooktop. I add it to sauces and gravies instead of reaching for the jar of flour.
White Pizza Sauce Made with Sourdough Discard
This white pizza sauce is packed full of flavor and you guessed it, made using your sourdough starter! So you can not only have sourdough pizza bases, but also a white pizza sauce made from your starter too! I've also put together a list of favorite pizza toppings too if you want to get extra creative!
Sourdough Discard Puff Pastry
Making puff pastry with your sourdough starter or sourdough discard is an unusual way to use up your sourdough discard. It's not something you would think of right way when it comes to a sourdough recipe, yet the buttery, flakey pastry you yield from your starter is well worth the effort!
Sourdough Pumpkin Pie
Making pumpkin pie with your sourdough discard is such a creative way to use your sourdough discard! Not only do you use sourdough starter or sourdough discard in the pie crust, you also use the discard to thicken the filling! How cool is that? It's a must bake if you're a pumpkin lover and you want to use your sourdough starter and discard in a more creative way.
Sourdough Pasta
Sourdough pasta is such a fun and creative way to use your sourdough discard. And the best thing is, there are so many varieties of sourdough pasta that you can make. From fettucine to spaghetti to lasagne sheets and ravioli. You're really only limited by your imagination! You could even use your own pasta when making sourdough mac and cheese!
Sourdough Dutch Baby
This German skillet pancake is a creative twist on making regular sourdough pancakes. You can make this sourdough Dutch baby sweet or savory, meaning that you're only limited by your own creativity!
Sourdough Chicken Pot Pie
This wonderful sourdough chicken pot pie is one of the most visited sourdough dinner ideas on The Pantry Mama website, and with good reason! It's absolutely delicious! This uses a flakey sourdough pie crust to create a truly delicious chicken pot pie that also has some sourdough starter in the filling as well!
Sourdough Hash Brown Casserole
This is a little bit of an unusual way to use your sourdough discard. In this sourdough hash brown casserole, your discard is used to thicken the filling and it's absolutely delicious! Serve it for breakfast and the leftovers for dinner. It also makes a fantastic side dish to any meal!
Sourdough Granola Bars
You might have tried making sourdough discard granola already, but have made sourdough granola bars? You can personalise them with your own blend of nuts and seeds, you can even add your favorite chocolate chips for some added sweetness. This delicious sourdough snack bar is a staple at my house, I make multiple batches of these each week.
Sourdough Carrot Cake
Now I know I said I wasn't going to give you more sourdough cake recipes, but this one is a little bit different. It's a sourdough carrot cake recipe! It's super moist and delicious and made using your sourdough starter. And did I mention vanilla cream cheese frosting? And if you love carrot cake and want to get even more creative, then you have to try these sourdough carrot cake cookies too!
