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 under two hours and so easy to make!
Be sure to check out all these 55 sourdough discard recipes too!
I love making sourdough bread, but it can take a long time! Same day sourdough bread is a good option when you want some homemade bread in a day. I love to make this recipe and my sourdough discard sandwich bread in the morning and then by lunch time I have fresh bread to make grilled cheese or fresh sandwiches.
If you wake up before your kids, you can even make this in the morning and by the time your kids wake you, you'll have freshly baked bread ready to enjoy!
This recipe is a game-changer! I love that I can put my sourdough discard to good use and create a fantastic loaf of bread with minimal effort.
- Alice
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 so many sourdough recipes with your starter, active or inactive!
If you are just starting your sourdough journey, there's a few essential tools for sourdough baking that will ensure every bread loaf comes out perfectly!
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:
- Can You Make Bread With Sourdough Discard?
- Ingredients to Gather
- What is Sourdough Discard?
- How to Make Sourdough Discard Bread
- Sample Sourdough Discard Bread Baker's Schedule
- How Is Sourdough Discard Bread Different From Sourdough Bread?
- What Should I Bake The Sourdough Discard Bread In?
- Variations
- Tips and Tricks
- Storage Tips
- More Sourdough Recipes
- More From Lynn's Way Of Life
- 📖 Recipe
Can You Make Bread With Sourdough Discard?
Yes! This sourdough boule is the perfect recipe to use your sourdough discard! Instead of waiting all day or all night for your sourdough bread to rise, this bread is ready in under two hours. Even though we aren't waiting a long time for the bread to rise, we are still getting that delicious sourdough tang thanks to our sourdough discard.
You can make so many different recipes with sourdough discard! Make sure to join our Sourdough Facebook group with other Sourdough fanatics sharing their favorite sourdough and sourdough discard recipes as well as tips and tricks!
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. You can make your own sourdough starter, buy one, or get one from a fellow sourdough friend! 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.
- Dry Active Yeast. Instant Yeast will work too, but we need yeast since the starter is not active. Since we are using sourdough discard, the yeast is doing the hard work of helping the dough rise. The sourdough starter simply adds a little bit of tang, but it doesn't do that hard work of making the dough rise.
- 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. When baking bread, there's a big difference when thinking of bread flour vs all purpose flour.
- Warm water. To activate the yeast.
See printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
What is Sourdough Discard?
When you first start baking sourdough bread, people often use the term "sourdough discard", but what is sourdough discard? It is the extra sourdough starter that you have left after you feed your sourdough starter.
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 sourdough starter is filled with good bacteria and wild yeast that gives the bread that traditional sour taste. You can make so many different recipes with sourdough discard. I've put together a fantastic list of sourdough discard recipes for you!
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.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Bread
Step 1: Add the room temperature water and the active yeast to a large mixing bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Make sure your water is not too hot or it will kill your yeast. It should be just as warm as room temperature.
Step 2: Add the flour and salt to the bowl.
Step 3: Mix in the sourdough discard starter. You can use a fork here to mix until it gets too stiff to mix.
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.
Lynn's Tip!
To make this even easier, 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.
Step 5: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.
Step 6: Shape the dough into a dough ball. How to shape a sourdough boule is an important step in ensuring the perfect oven spring during the baking process.
Step 7: Score the top of the dough with a sharp knife in whatever shape you would like.
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.
Lynn's Tip!
Use a very sharp knife or a bread lame to score the top of the dough. Cut into the dough about ¼ of an inch. This helps control the expansion of the dough as it bakes in the oven.
Sample Sourdough Discard Bread Baker's Schedule
How Is Sourdough Discard Bread Different From Sourdough Bread?
If you are just starting off your sourdough journey, it might be a little intimidating to make a loaf of bread with just your sourdough starter. This bread is perfect to get your toes wet in the sourdough game! It still uses your sourdough starter, but it's very forgiving.
Sourdough discard bread uses commercial yeast to help the dough rise. We are also using inactive sourdough starter, meaning it does not have the active yeast ready to help the dough rise, so we are getting some help from commercial yeast.
The bread has a little more of a traditional artisan bread taste, as opposed to the classic sourdough taste. It is not as sour as a regular loaf of sourdough bread because we are not having the dough ferment and rise for hours and hours.
What Should I Bake The Sourdough Discard Bread In?
Classic bread made at home is baked in a Dutch oven. A Dutch oven is a heavy bottomed pan that is usually made with cast iron.
If you don't have a Dutch oven, use an oven safe pot with a lid. You can also bake it on a baking sheet and cover it with an oven safe pot. Halfway through the baking process remove the pot from on top of the baking sheet.
Variations
- Change the flour! You can use a mixture of whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, rye flour, spelt flour, and bread flour. If you add whole wheat flour to the dough it will add a nuttier flavor than simply using all purpose flour. Just keep in mind the liquid needed for different types of flour. Don't be nervous to add a little more flour if the bread is too stiff from the different types of flour.
- Add cheddar and jalapenos, just like this cheddar jalapeno sourdough bread.
- Cinnamon raisin is a classic breakfast bread. Just like this sourdough cinnamon raisin bread, add the cinnamon and raisins to the dough as it rises.
- Chop sundried tomatoes and white cheddar in the dough for a perfect bread that is great on a charcuterie board.
- For a dessert bread, add chocolate chips, orange zest, and chopped walnuts.
- Add chopped olives to the dough. You can use kalamata olives or your favorite green olives or a mixture of both.
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 5 Ingredient Baked Ziti, 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.
Once the bread goes stale, it's perfect to use in Italian Sausage stuffing too! You can make Blueberry French Toast casserole, or bread pudding! This makes delicious sourdough breadcrumbs too!
More Sourdough Recipes
Did you make this recipe and love it?
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More From Lynn's Way Of Life
📖 Recipe
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. Do not mix. Let it sit for 5 minutes until the mixture is slightly frothy.
- After 5 minutes, add the flour, sourdough discard, and salt. Mix until the ingredients are combined and a shaggy dough forms. You can do this with your hands or with a wooden spoon.
- 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,
Toni says
I have been saving my discard for awhile and hadn’t found a recipe i wanted to try with it. Made a double batch of this loaf today and wowwww. Its SO delicious, literally was in heaven having a fresh slice slathered in butter. 100% will be making this with all of my discard going forward.
Sarena Reyes says
Hello love this recipe and make it often have you tried adding any flavors like jalapeño cheddar or roasted garlic without any problem with the recipe?
Lynn Polito says
Yes! This recipe has is great for inclusions! You can add it when you shape it or in the mixing part of it.
Ashley says
Delicious!! I got such a beautiful oven spring and the flavor is incredible. Thank you!
Susan V says
Can I add some Greek yogurt to make it taste more like sour dough? (I have not made this yet but am so looking forward to the shorter version!!!)
Lynn Polito says
I haven't tried that! It sounds great though! Let me know how it goes!
Sara Taylor says
I love this easy sourdough recipe so much! I use your measurements exactly but the dough is more wet than shaggy. Can I add more flour without compromising the recipe?
Also, do I have to let the dough rise for the full 2 hours? It seems to be too long, and the dough is very sticky and won't hold a shape. What should the dough consistency be before baking? Thank you!!
Lynn Polito says
Sure! These days, the dough might rise faster (about only 1 hour), especially if you are in a hot area or if your kitchen is really hot. The dough will be a little sticky, so adding flour won't compromise the recipe at all if you would like to add more flour.
Christina cruz says
After I put in fridge.i may want to bake at later time. Do I take it out and let it come to room temp or do I bake cold. And do I use same temp and time.. thank you.
Lynn Polito says
You can bake it from cold!
Natalie Mackay says
Hi there
I love this recipe but I’ve never put inclusions in it. When would be the best time to add some?
Thank you!
Lynn Polito says
You can add inclusions when you shape the dough or you can even add inclusions when you are mixing the dough together!
Morgan says
I'm new to sourdough and may just be reading the recipe incorrectly. Can you clarify when you say after the 2 hour rise... "At this time, you can place the dough in the refrigerator and let it ferment further or you can place it in the refrigerator and bake it later."
Can you bake it immediately after the 2 hour rise instead of putting it into the refrigerator to bake later?
Lynn Polito says
Yes, sorry that seems to be confusing for people. There is no need for a second rise with this bread. After the 2 hour rise, shape it, score it, and then bake it. If you would like to make the dough in advance, you can place it in the refrigerator at this time, but that is only if you would like to make the dough in advance and bake it at a later time. Otherwise, bake it right after the 2 hour rise.
Rebecca says
Thank you for the clarification! I’ve used the recipe a couple of times with great results!
Amanda says
I am wanting to make this, but was wondering if I have to put it in the fridge?
Lynn Polito says
Nope you don't have to! You can bake it right when it's done rising.
Amanda says
Thank you! I’ll be doing this shortly then! 🙂
Susan Nealey says
I began my sourdough journey a few months ago and we absolutely love the bread, but the time needed to do it right just kills me!! Just for the helluv it, I tried this recipe using the discard. OMG! It was life-changing and my husband went nuts over it. He said it was the best bread I've ever made! I have a feeling I will only be making this type of sourdough bread from now on.
Lynn Polito says
I am so happy to hear that!! Thanks for making my recipe!
Mary says
I was a bit skeptical about just letting it rise when the dough was so shaggy, but it baked up into a beautiful and delicious loaf! Great way to use up some discard with very limited effort. Thank you!
Susan Hensley says
I make this weekly- so easy and yummy!
Marissa says
Could I do this in a loaf pan?
Lynn Polito says
Yes! Just shape it into a loaf pan instead of a boule.
sheryl says
Confused by this “ At this time, you can place the dough in the refrigerator and let it ferment further or you can place it in the refrigerator and bake it later”. Any clarification w/b helpful
Lynn Polito says
It's just a note that the refrigerator is a great place to let the dough ferment further, or you can keep it in the fridge so you can bake it at a later time. This is great for when you need to make the dough ahead of time.
Rebecca Atkinson says
I’m sorry. I still don’t get that. The fridge and the refrigerator are the same thing. Is there a second rise? How long for that? That entire comment through me off.
Lynn Polito says
Yes, sorry that seems to be confusing for people. There is no need for a second rise with this bread. After the 2 hour rise, shape it, score it, and then bake it. If you would like to make the dough in advance, you can place it in the refrigerator at this time, but that is only if you would like to make the dough in advance and bake it at a later time. Otherwise, bake it right after the 2 hour rise.
Cathy Kelly says
I have now made this recipe 5 times. The bread comes out perfectly each time. It's easy to do and the results are just wonderful. Thanks for sharing it. It will now be a staple in my house.
Dawn Chiasson says
This recipe is so easy and delicious!!! I use it every time and the bread is perfect 🤩