This crusty sourdough discard bread is an easy, same-day recipe that gives you a bakery-style loaf without needing an active starter. If you’re looking for a simple way to use sourdough discard, this recipe comes together using sourdough discard and a touch of yeast. In just a few hours with minimal hands-on time you’ll have a tasty loaf of bread!
Why Make This Easy Sourdough Discard Bread?
So why did I make this crusty sourdough discard bread? In an effort to use left over sourdough discard.
Sourdough discard is the portion of starter you remove before feeding. Instead of throwing it away, you can use it in recipes like this bread to add flavor and reduce waste.
When I feed my started I use 50 grams of starter, then mix 100 grams of fresh milled flour and 100 grams of water, which gives me 250 grams of starter. A great amount for when I need to make sourdough recipes such as my simple fresh milled sourdough boule, but if I’m just maintaining I want to use that discard, which is why I developed this recipe. If you are looking for a sweet way to use up discard check out these chocolate chip cookies, cheesy discard crackers, or these muffins.
More About Sourdough Discard
If you aren’t baking loaves of sourdough regularly you can end up with a lot of discard. This discard doesn’t have to be thrown away though! You can gift it to a friend who is interested in baking sourdough, or save it in a jar the fridge. Whenever you discard just add to the jar, and then use it when ready to make a sourdough discard recipe.
Why You’ll Love this Sourdough Discard Bread
- Skill level: beginner friendly
- Time: about 3-4 hours
- Texture: crunchy crust, soft inside
- Uses: sandwiches, soups, stews
- Ingredients: simple pantry staples
Ingredients for This Easy Sourdough Discard Bread Recipe
The ingredients couldn’t be simpler:
- Flour: I use bolted hard white wheat. If you don’t mill your own flour at home you can use whole grain flour. All purpose would work to, but you would probably need to increase your flour amount or decrease the water.
- Water
- Unfed sourdough discard
- Yeast: instant or active
- Sugar
- Salt
What Yeast To Use
Back in the day you had to put active dry yeast in water to “wake it up” before using. That really isn’t the case anymore. Active dry yeast is finer than it was years ago, and can simply be added into your baking. I found this to be a game changer.
Instructions for Crusty Sourdough Discard Bread
Mix the dough
Mix the water, flour, sourdough discard, sugar and yeast together.
Allow to autolyze, add salt, and stretch and fold
Cover with a wet towel and allow this to autolyze for 15-30 minutes. After this add the salt and perform a series of stretch and folds. The dough is not going to to super stretchy, and will still tear easily. Just do your best to give it some folds. Once again cover with a wet towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Another set of stretch and folds
After 15 minutes perform another set of stretch and folds.
Final set of stretch and folds
And one more sets of stretch and folds. By now it should be much stretchier than when you first started. It won’t get quite as stretchy as a normal sourdough.
Allow dough to rest and rise
Allow dough to rest for about 30 minutes. It should almost double in size. While dough is resting put your dutch oven into the oven and preheat everything to 500 degrees.
Rest in fridge
Transfer to a banneton, put in a plastic bag and put in fridge for about an hour. I like to pinch the top of the bread a little to give it some tension.
Score the dough
After an hour take dough out of fridge. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper, then score.
Bake
Take preheated dutch oven out of the oven, put dough into the dutch oven and put the lid on. Put back into the oven and lower temperature to 425 degrees. Bake for 22 minutes with lid on, and 12 minutes with lid off.
Cool and cut
Allow to cool for at least one hour before cutting.
And that’s it! I really do love how easy it is for this to come together. No trying to figure out when you need to feed your started in order for it to be ready to bake with. Just mix everything together and bake it the same day.
You obviously aren’t getting the same benefits from letting the grains ferment longer like you do with a normal sourdough loaf. This loaf also won’t taste as sour as a traditional loaf of sourdough bread, but it sill make a great bread to eat with soup or make sandwiches out of.
If you are looking for other discard recipes check out these muffins. I hope to play around and create more discard recipes, so be on the look out!
Tips for the Best Sourdough Discard Bread
- Allow dough to autolyze
- Don’t use too much flour
- Score deeply
- Preheat Dutch oven for at least an hour
Sourdough Discard Bread FAQs
Can I make sourdough discard without yeast?
Yes-ish. You can make sourdough discard bread without added yeast, but it requires a much longer fermentation time and a discard that is just barely past the active phase. This recipe uses yeast to create a reliable, same-day loaf with great texture.
Why is my sourdough discard bread dense?
If your bread turned out dense the bread could have not risen enough (be sure to watch how much the dough rises, not the time), too much flour was used, or the gluten did not develop enough.
How long can you keep sourdough discard?
Sourdough discard can keep a pretty long time in the fridge. I’ve used mine after it has sat in the fridge for weeks. Sometimes it develops a dark liquid on top called hooch. This is not harmful and can be tossed or mixed in (I toss mine). The older the discard the more acidic it will smell.
No matter how long it has been, it is very important to check for signs of mold or spoilage. If you see any unusual colors, or smell a weird smell discard immediately, and sanitize the jar.
Does sourdough discard bread taste sour?
No, this bread does not have a super sour taste due to the shorter fermentation time. It tastes slightly more sour than a loaf of bread made with just yeast, but not as sour as a loaf of 100% sourdough bread.
How long can you keep sourdough discard bread?
Sourdough discard bread will stay fresh at room temperature for 2-3 days. Store in a brown paper bag, bread box, or wrap in bees wax. Remember, there are no preservatives in the bread, so the shelf life is shorter.
If you don’t think you will eat a loaf within 3 days, then you can freeze it in a freezer safe bag.
Sourdough Discard YouTube Video
Crusty Sourdough Discard Bread with Fresh Milled Flour
Ingredients
Method
- Proof your yeast (if using active dry) by mixing it with a little water, and the sugar.
- Mix the flour, water, proofed yeast, and discard together and allow to autolyze for 15-30 minutes.**Note: if use instant yeast you can add it right to the dough without proofing it.
- Add the salt perform a series of stretch and folds. Cover with a wet towel and let rest for 15 mintues.
- Perform two more sets of stretch and folds 15 minutes apart. After the last stretch and fold you are going to let the dough rest until doubled. About 30 minutes.
- While the dough is resting put your dutch oven in a cold oven and preheat to 500℉.
- After 30 minutes transfer the dough to a banneton. I like to pinch the top of the dough to give it some tension. Place inside a grocery bag and rest in fridge for 1 hour.
- After the hour take the dough out, transfer to a piece of parchment paper and score the top.
- Take the dutch oven out of the oven place the dough into the dutch oven, then put the lid on and put it back into the oven.
- Lower the oven temperature to 425℉. Bake it for 22 minutes with the lid on, then 12 minutes with the lid off.
- Allow to cool for at least one hour before cutting.
