Skillet Sourdough Discard Cornbread

Name: Skillet Sourdough Discard Cornbread
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Cornmeal; 1 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour; 2 tsp Baking Powder; 1/2 tsp Baking Soda; 1 tsp Salt; 1/2 cup Butter (Melted); 1/2 cup Sugar; 1 cup Buttermilk; 1 cup Sourdough Discard (Inactive); 2 Eggs

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When soup season comes around, it's time to make this Sourdough Discard Cornbread recipe to serve with it! Light, fluffy, and a great use for your leftover sourdough starter, this recipe is a keeper throughout the winter!

Two pieces of cornbread are on a fluted plate. — Cut the cornbread into triangles or squares.

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What is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is the portion of your sourdough starter that you are not feeding. When you are "feeding" your starter to make bread with, you add equal parts flour, water, and starter to a mason jar and let it rise.

You can't feed your entire starter, as it doubles and sometimes triples in size, and that's a lot of starter to have on hand! If you are new to sourdough, be sure to check out this post all about how to keep your sourdough starter happy.

Two slices of cornbread are on it's side in the cast iron skillet. — Wait for the cornbread to cool before cutting.

How to Store Sourdough Discard

After you've fed your sourdough starter and you have some discard left over, place it in a mason jar and cover it. It can keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

Sometimes, a liquid forms on the top of the starter. That is just the byproduct of the yeast laying dormant in the refrigerator. Simply drain that portion out into the sink and use the thicker discard instead.

Ingredients to Gather

An overhead shot of the ingredients for sourdough discard cornbread — You only need a few simple ingredients!

Sourdough Starter Discard- Inactive, meaning straight from the refrigerator.
Buttermilk- Buttermilk gives this cornbread it's fluffy texture. The baking soda mixed with the buttermilk create a really fluffy, light cornbread.
Cornmeal- Yellow cornmeal is classic in cornbread.
Flour- All-purpose flour, or standard white flour.
Eggs- Eggs keep the bread together and add to the rise of the muffins.
Sugar- Honey or maple syrup can be used instead of sugar.
Butter- ½ cup melted butter (or 1 stick) gives this bread it's buttery flavor, but you can use coconut oil or vegetable oil if you prefer.
Baking powder and baking soda- The sourdough starter gives a little rise to this bread, but 2 teaspoon of baking powder and ½ teaspoon baking soda do the majority of the work in making this bread rise.

What Type of Cornmeal is Best?

My favorite type of cornmeal is from Bob's Red Mill. You can find it on Amazon, or in your local grocery store. It's a yellow cornmeal, but a medium grind. That means that the corn has not been ground all the way and there is still some texture left in the cornmeal.

Equipment You'll Need

Let's Make Sourdough Discard Cornbread

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat it.

In a medium bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Combine the ingredients and set that aside.

The melted butter and sugar are added to a bowl — Mix together the butter and sugar.

In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and eggs. Add the sourdough starter, buttermilk, and butter. Mix well to combine.

The eggs are added to the bowl — Crack the eggs into the bowl.

The sourdough discard is added to the bowl. — Add the sourdough discard to the bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter will not be smooth, it’s ok if there are a few lumps left.

The dry ingredients are added to the wet ingredients. — Mix all the ingredients together.

The sourdough discard cornbread batter is mixed and ready to be added to the skillet. — It's ok if there are a few lumps in the batter.

Carefully take the cast iron skillet out of the oven and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Let the butter melt and coat the bottom and sides of the skillet. Pour the batter into the skillet and place it in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and it comes out clean.

Allow the cornbread to come to room temperature before cutting into it.

Lynn's Tip! If you don't have buttermilk, add 1 cup of whole milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes and you have homemade buttermilk!

Storage Tips

Do not refrigerate the cornbread once it is baked. The refrigerator will make the cornbread go stale and it will also promote mold growing on the cornbread.

After the cornbread has cooled to room temperature, cut it into pieces and place it in an airtight container. Keep it on the counter up to 4 days and enjoy throughout the week.

You can also freeze this cornbread. After it is cut, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost, place the bag on the counter and let it come to room temperature.

Two pieces of sourdough discard cornbread are cut into triangles with a skillet in the background. — So simple and so easy!

Variations

Make it spicy! Add one cup of chopped jalapenos and one cup of cheddar cheese to the cornbread batter just like this sourdough jalapeno cheddar bread.
Give it texture! Add one 15 ounce can of drained corn kernels to the batter.
Make it sweet! Add ½ cup of brown sugar, and ½ cup of walnuts or pecans to the batter for a sweeter, more dessert style cornbread.
Make it in a baking dish! No cast iron skillet? No problem! Use an 8x8 inch baking dish that is greased well, so the batter does not stick once it is baked. For thinner pieces of cornbread, use a 9x13 inch pan.

What to Serve with Cornbread

Cornbread is served with all sorts of soups, stews, and chilis, but it's delicious on it's own too with lots of butter and honey!

You can also slather homemade jam on the cornbread! Here are some of my favorite recipes!

A skillet of sourdough discard cornbread is on a wooden background. — Top the cornbread with lots of butter!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use active starter instead of inactive starter?

Yes! If you have active and bubbly starter, that will definitely work! You can use that exact amount in place of the inactive starter.

Does this cornbread taste sour?

No! The sourdough discard adds a bit of a tang to the cornbread, but it does not taste sour. The sourdough discard adds a bit of rise to the cornbread and is a great balance for the sweetness of the sugar. If you want to up the sour flavor, chill the batter in the refrigerator for a few hours, or overnight. That will enhance the sour flavor of the cornbread.

I don't have sourdough starter, can I still make this cornbread?

Yes! You can leave the sourdough starter out and increase the amount of buttermilk to 1 ½ cups. Since this is a sourdough cornbread recipe, I'd recommend keeping it in and taking advantage of the delicious tang it adds to the cornbread.

More Sourdough Discard Recipes

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