When you are looking for a crusty loaf of sourdough bread but don't want to wait forever, this Sourdough Discard Bread is for you! It's ready in just a few hours and so easy to make!
I love making sourdough bread, but it can take a long time! This homemade bread is made in just a few hours and perfect for same day baking! The best part is, you don't need a stand mixer or any fancy equipment. It's perfect for the beginner baker!
Making a sourdough discard recipe is one of my favorite things to do! You can make baked sourdough donuts, sourdough scones, sourdough discard banana bread, sourdough discard pancakes, sourdough Irish soda bread, sourdough discard waffles, sourdough chocolate chip muffins, and even sourdough crackers with herbs and olive oil crackers!
After you make this delicious loaf of sourdough bread, here's lots of recipes and ideas for what to serve with sourdough bread!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's a great way to use up extra sourdough starter discard! I look at my sourdough starter as gold! It can make so many delicious baked goods, so don't waste it!
- It's easy to make! This easy recipe doesn't require any fancy equipment besides a large bowl and a kitchen scale.
- It's ready in a fraction of the time! Your typical sourdough recipe can take upwards of two days before you bake it! This one is ready in just a few hours!
Ingredients to Gather
- Sourdough starter. It should be inactive, not an active sourdough starter. Active means that it has been recently fed. This starter should be right out of the refrigerator and not bubbly and active.
- Dry Active Yeast. Instant Yeast will work too, but we need yeast since the starter is not active.
- All purpose flour. Bread flour will work if you have it, but since we all usually have all purpose flour on hand, that's what we are using today.
- Warm water. To activate the yeast.
See printable recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
What is Sourdough Discard?
Sourdough bread is a bread made from natural yeast, flour, water, and salt. There is no commercial yeast, only naturally occurring yeast from the environment. Sourdough bread requires a "starter" to rise the bread. A starter is filled with good bacteria and wild yeast that gives the bread that traditional sour taste.
You can't feed your entire starter, as it doubles and sometimes triples in size, and that's a lot of discard to have on hand! Keep the excess starter in a mason jar right in your refrigerator. If you are new to sourdough, be sure to check out this post all about how to keep your sourdough starter happy.
Step By Step Instructions
Tips and Tricks
- The bread is done when the top of the bread is golden brown and has that classic oven spring, meaning it has grown in the oven.
- Let the bread cool on a wire rack before cutting into it.
- Feel free to use a mixture of different flours! You can use bread flour, all purpose flour, or whole wheat flour. A mixture of whole wheat flour and white flour would work too!
- You can make the dough up to 24 hours before you would like to bake it. Mix the dough and then place the dough in a bowl that is coated with olive oil. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours. The next day, take the dough out of the refrigerator an hour before you would like to bake it. Then bake it as you would.
- Serve this bread as a side for Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs or Oven Baked Chicken Cacciatore!
Storage Tips
Store leftover sourdough bread in a plastic bag on the counter. A gallon sized Ziploc bag is great.
This is also a great recipe to freeze! Freeze the bread in a Ziploc bag once it has come to room temperature. It will stay fresh for up to 3 months. When you are ready to serve, take the bread out of the freezer and let it come to room temperature on the counter.
Recipe FAQs
Sure! Fit your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix all the ingredients until the dough comes free from the sides of the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the bread rise for 2 hours. Then bake as normal.
For this recipe, it should be discard, not active starter. Active starter and yeast would cause the bread to rise too much. The yeast is doing what the active starter would do.
You can make Blueberry French Toast casserole, or bread pudding! You can also make sourdough breadcrumbs too!
More Sourdough Recipes
Did you love this recipe? If you did, please leave a 5 ⭐️ rating below! Follow along on Instagram and Facebook!
📖 Recipe
Easy Sourdough Discard Bread (No Knead)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 350 g Water Lukewarm
- 10 g Active Dry Yeast
- 500 g All Purpose Flour
- 10 g Salt
- 100 g Sourdough Discard
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the water and yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, add the flour, sourdough discard, and salt. Mix until the ingredients are combined and a shaggy dough forms.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- After 2 hours, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape the dough into a dough ball.
- Score the top of the dough with a sharp knife. Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper and place the parchment paper in a Dutch oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes with the top on the Dutch oven. Remove the lid and bake for another 30 minutes. Take the bread out of the oven and let it cool.
Notes
- The bread is done when the top of the bread is golden brown and has that classic oven spring, meaning it has grown in the oven.
- You can make the dough up to 24 hours before you would like to bake it. Mix the dough and then place the dough in a bowl that is coated with olive oil. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours. The next day, take the dough out of the refrigerator an hour before you would like to bake it. Then bake it as you would.
- You can preheat the Dutch oven if that is how you usually make bread, but it is not necessary.
- Store leftover bread in a gallon sized Ziploc bag on the counter for up to 5 days,
Kim Kikuts
absolutely love it. my starter needs a little work, but the bread was simple and amazing. Thank you.
Kathy
Not to be silly, but what is sourdough discard?
Lynn Polito
Hi! It is the portion of your sourdough starter that is leftover after you feed your starter for making bread. If you make a lot of sourdough, you probably have a lot of sourdough discard because you cannot feed all your starter when making bread.
Julie
Love your recipes - especially the proofing in the instant pot sourdough!
1) Can I shape this one into sub-style rolls? If so, how should I bake?
2) Can the dough be frozen. and baked later?
Thanks, Julie
Lynn Polito
Hi! Thank you so much for making my recipes! I havent tried shaping them into sub rolls, but I don't see why you wouldn't be able to. Baking them for 25-30 minutes should be enough. Let me know if it works out! I would probably bake the bread and then freeze it. I haven't frozen bread dough before.
Missy
Hands down the BEST, & easiest discard loaf I have ever baked! This is now my go to recipe and I have tried a ton!
Thank you!
Lynn Polito
I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for making my recipe!
Tricia Ricchino
Do you put it in the frig after the 2 hour rise or before? If it's before, when do you shape it?
Lynn Polito
Hi! You would let the bread rise for 2 hours and then shape it and place it in the refrigerator with a kitchen towel over it. You can keep it in he refrigerator for up to 24 hours.