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Home » Recipes » Sourdough Recipes » Easy Sourdough Discard Bread (No-Knead!)

Easy Sourdough Discard Bread (No-Knead!)

Published: May 2, 2023 · Modified: Sep 13, 2023 by Lynn Polito · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

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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!

The sourdough discard bread is in a Dutch oven on a cutting board.

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!

Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients to Gather
  • What is Sourdough Discard?
  • Step By Step Instructions
  • Tips and Tricks
  • Storage Tips
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More Sourdough Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe

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

The labeled ingredients for Sourdough Discard Bread are laid out.
  • 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

The water and yeast are added to the large bowl.
Step 1: Add the room temperature water and the active yeast to a large mixing bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
The salt and flour are added to the large bowl.
Step 2: Add the flour and salt to the bowl.
The sourdough discard is added to the ingredients.
Step 3: Mix in the sourdough discard starter.
The dough is mixed together in a large white bowl.
Step 4: Mix the bread dough until a slightly sticky dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
The dough is on a cutting board.
Step 5: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.
The dough is shaped on a cutting board.
Step 6: Shape the dough into a dough ball.
The dough is scored.
Step 7: Score the top of the dough with a sharp knife in whatever shape you would like.
The dough is in a dutch oven ready for baking.
Step 8: Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper and place it in a Dutch oven. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered.

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.

The sourdough discard bread is on a cutting board with one half facing up.

Recipe FAQs

Can I mix this dough in the stand mixer?

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.

Can I use active starter?

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.

What should I do with leftover bread?

You can make Blueberry French Toast casserole, or bread pudding! You can also make sourdough breadcrumbs too!

More Sourdough Recipes

  • A sourdough lemon poppy seed muffin is on a cutting board, unwrapped.
    Tangy Sourdough Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
  • A hand is grabbing a sourdough breadstick.
    Simple Sourdough Breadsticks (No Yeast!)
  • The pumpkin bread is on a cutting board and some slices are cut.
    Simple Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
  • A piece of apple pie is cut out of the larger pie.
    Simple Sourdough Pie Crust

Did you love this recipe? If you did, please leave a 5 ⭐️ rating below! Follow along on Instagram and Facebook!

📖 Recipe

The sourdough discard bread is in a Dutch oven on a cutting board.

Easy Sourdough Discard Bread (No Knead)

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!
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 2 hours hours
Cook Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 3 hours hours
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 277kcal
Author: Lynn Polito

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowls
  • Kitchen Scale

Ingredients

  • 350 g Water Lukewarm
  • 10 g Active Dry Yeast
  • 500 g All Purpose Flour
  • 10 g Salt
  • 100 g Sourdough Discard
US Customary - Metric

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,

Nutrition

Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 92mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @LynnsWayofLife or tag #lynnswayoflife!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kim Kikuts

    September 22, 2023 at 2:12 pm

    5 stars
    absolutely love it. my starter needs a little work, but the bread was simple and amazing. Thank you.

    Reply
  2. Kathy

    September 02, 2023 at 4:49 pm

    Not to be silly, but what is sourdough discard?

    Reply
    • Lynn Polito

      September 06, 2023 at 6:24 am

      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.

      Reply
  3. Julie

    July 20, 2023 at 2:42 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Lynn Polito

      July 21, 2023 at 11:37 am

      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.

      Reply
  4. Missy

    July 08, 2023 at 3:08 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Lynn Polito

      July 09, 2023 at 9:34 am

      I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for making my recipe!

      Reply
      • Tricia Ricchino

        July 19, 2023 at 4:48 pm

        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

        July 21, 2023 at 11:39 am

        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.

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Hey there! I'm Lynn and I'm based just outside of Boston. I'm a wife and mom of two with a passion for cooking and creating homemade food for my family.

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