What to Do with Sourdough Discard: 9 Delicious Recipes You’ll Actually Love

If you’ve been nurturing a sourdough starter at home, you’ve likely encountered the discard dilemma. Every time you feed your starter, you’re left with a portion of unused starter — known as sourdough discard. Rather than throwing it away, this tangy, flavour-packed ingredient can transform everyday recipes into something special.

What Is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is simply unfed starter — a mix of flour and water that contains wild yeast and bacteria. While it may not be strong enough to make bread rise on its own, it still brings beautiful flavour, texture, and aroma to other baked goods. Think of it as a natural flavour booster with subtle sour notes and wholesome depth.

Why You Shouldn’t Waste It

Using your discard helps:

• Reduce food waste
• Add nutrition and flavour to recipes
• Cut back on commercial yeast
• Experiment with fun new bakes

Whether you’re a seasoned baker or new to the sourdough world, here are eight of the most popular and easy ways to use up your discard.

What About Gluten Free Sourdough Discard?

Yes, most sourdough discard recipes can be made with gluten-free discard, but a few small adjustments will help you get the best texture. Since sourdough discard doesn’t have much active lift (unless it’s freshly fed), you’ll usually need to add a chemical leavening agent — such as baking powder or baking soda with an acid — to help your bakes rise and stay fluffy.

This is especially important for recipes like pancakes, waffles, or crumpets, where that extra boost creates a light, airy texture instead of something dense or gummy.

General Rule of Thumb: For every 1 cup (240g) of sourdough discard, use: 1 to 1½ teaspoons of baking powder or ½ teaspoon baking soda + 1 teaspoon acid (like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice). The graph below will help but it is good to experiment. 

How to Decide Which Ratio to Use

Desired Texture	Ratio	Notes
Fluffy bakes (pancakes, crumpets, muffins)	1½ tsp baking powder per cup discard	Helps lift heavier GF batters
Denser bakes (flatbreads, fritters, waffles)	1 tsp baking powder per cup discard	Keeps some chew, less airy
Using baking soda instead	½ tsp soda + 1 tsp acid per cup discard	Adds tang, good for discard recipes with yogurt, buttermilk, or sour starter

9 Vegan Sourdough Discard Recipes You’ll Love

1. Fluffy Sourdough Discard Pancakes

Light, tangy, and ready in minutes. Perfect with maple syrup and berries.

Makes: 8 small pancakes
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240g) sourdough discard

• 1 cup (250ml) soy or oat milk

• 1 tbsp olive oil or melted vegan butter

• 1 tbsp sugar (or maple syrup)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup (150g) plain flour or GF 1-to-1 Flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• Pinch of salt

Method

1. In a bowl, whisk discard, milk, oil, sugar, and vanilla.

2. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined — don’t overmix.

3. Heat a non-stick pan on medium. Pour ¼ cup of batter for each pancake.

4. Flip once bubbles appear. Cook until golden.

5. Serve with maple syrup, berries, or coconut yoghurt.

2. Crispy Sourdough Discard Crackers

Mix discard with olive oil, herbs, and salt, then roll thin and bake until crisp. Try rosemary and sea salt for a classic flavour or add sesame seeds for crunch. Great with hummus or vegan cheese.

Makes: About 2 trays
Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240g) sourdough discard

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tbsp dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, or Italian mix)

• Optional: sesame or flax seeds

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (fan-forced).

2. Mix all ingredients until smooth. Spread thinly on a lined baking tray.

3. Sprinkle with salt or seeds.

4. Bake 20–25 minutes, or until crisp and golden.

5. Cool before breaking into pieces.

3. Sourdough Discard Pizza Bases

Add ½ cup of discard to your pizza dough for extra chew and flavour. Let it rest overnight in the fridge for a slow ferment — it’ll reward you with a beautiful crust that tastes like it came straight from a woodfired oven.

Makes: 2 medium pizzas
Time: 15 min prep + overnight rest + 15 min bake

Ingredients

• ½ cup (120g) sourdough discard

• 2¼ cups (340g) bread flour or GF 1-to-1 Flour

• ¾ cup (180ml) warm water

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp sugar

Method

1. Mix discard, water, oil, and sugar.

2. Add flour and salt, knead 8–10 mins until smooth.

3. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. Bring to room temperature, divide, and roll thin.

5. Add toppings and bake at 250°C for 10–12 minutes.

4. Sourdough Discard Waffles

Crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. The natural acidity reacts with baking soda, giving you the fluffiest texture imaginable. Serve with coconut yoghurt and fruit.

Makes: 4–6 waffles
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240g) sourdough discard

• 1 cup (250ml) oat milk

• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour or GF 1-to-1 Flour

• ½ tsp baking soda

• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat waffle iron.

2. Whisk wet ingredients in a bowl.

3. Add dry ingredients; stir until smooth.

4. Pour into waffle iron and cook until crisp and golden.

5. Serve with maple syrup, fruit, or coconut yoghurt.

5. Sourdough Discard Banana Bread

Replace about ½ cup of flour with discard in your favourite banana bread recipe. The result: a moist, flavour-packed loaf that’s not too sweet, with a lovely sourdough tang that pairs beautifully with ripe bananas.

Makes: 1 loaf
Time: 10 min prep + 45 min bake

Ingredients

• ½ cup (120g) sourdough discard

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed

• ½ cup (125ml) light olive oil

• ½ cup (100g) brown sugar or coconut sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1½ cups (225g) plain flour or GF 1-to-1 Flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a loaf tin.

2. Whisk bananas, oil, sugar, vanilla, and discard.

3. Fold in dry ingredients.

4. Pour into tin and bake 45–50 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean.

6. Sourdough Discard Chocolate Cake

Sourdough discard adds incredible richness to chocolate cake — deepening the cocoa flavour and keeping it super moist. Add a vegan ganache or dust with cocoa powder for an easy finish. No one will know it started with leftovers.

Makes: 1 x 20cm cake
Time: 15 min prep + 40 min bake

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240g) sourdough discard

• 1 cup (250ml) soy milk

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• ¾ cup (150g) caster sugar

• ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil

• 1 cup (130g) plain flour or GF 1-to-1 Flour

• ½ cup (50g) cocoa powder

• 1½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp bicarb soda

• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a round cake tin.

2. Mix milk and vinegar; set aside for 5 mins to curdle.

3. Whisk sugar, oil, discard, and milk mixture.

4. Sift in dry ingredients and fold gently.

5. Bake 35–40 mins. Cool, then top with vegan ganache or dust with cocoa.

7. Sourdough Discard Flatbreads

These puff up beautifully and are perfect for wraps, curries, or as a quick pizza base.

Makes: 6–8 flatbreads
Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240g) sourdough discard

• 1 cup (150g) plain flour or GF 1-to-1 Flour

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• ¼ cup (60ml) warm water

• ½ tsp salt

Method

1. Combine all ingredients into a soft dough.

2. Rest for 30 mins.

3. Divide and roll into rounds.

4. Cook in a dry pan for 1–2 mins per side until puffed and golden.

8. Sourdough Discard Muffins

Quick, easy, and endlessly adaptable. Stir discard into your muffin batter with blueberries, choc chips, or grated apple. They rise beautifully and stay fresh for days.

Makes: 12 muffins
Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ cup (120g) sourdough discard

• 1 cup (250ml) almond milk

• ⅓ cup (80ml) oil

• ½ cup (100g) sugar

• 2 cups (300g) self-raising flour or GF 1-to-1 Flour

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 cup blueberries, choc chips, or grated apple

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a muffin tray.

2. Whisk discard, milk, oil, and sugar.

3. Add dry ingredients and mix gently.

4. Fold in fruit or mix-ins.

5. Bake 20–22 mins or until golden and springy.

9. Sourdough Discard Crumpets

These crumpets are light, airy, and slightly tangy from your sourdough discard. Using some baking powder and baking soda ensures they rise beautifully while keeping the signature holes on top.

Makes: 6–8 crumpets
Prep time: 10 minutes
Rest time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240g) sourdough discard (unfed starter)

• ½ cup (120ml) warm milk

• ½ cup (60g) all purpose flour or GF 1-to-1 Flour

• 1 tsp sugar

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda (bicarb soda)

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

• Butter for greasing

Method

1. Mix the batter
In a bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, warm milk, flour, sugar, and salt until smooth. The batter should be thick but pourable.

2. Rest
Let the batter sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. This develops bubbles for a lighter texture.

3. Add leavening
Stir in the baking powder, then sprinkle in the baking soda and vinegar. The batter will foam slightly — this is what gives your crumpets their holes.

4. Cook the crumpets
Heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat and lightly grease both the pan and crumpet rings. Spoon batter into the rings (about 1 cm deep). Cook 5–6 minutes until the tops are set and bubbly. Remove the rings and flip for 1–2 minutes to brown lightly.

5. Serve
Serve warm, toasted with butter, honey, or jam. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days, or freeze for longer storage.

Tips

• For extra holes, thin the batter slightly and cook over lower heat a bit longer.

• Older discard adds more tang; fresh discard gives a milder flavour.

• Butter the pan and rings well for easier removal.

Tips for Using & Storing Sourdough Discard

• Keep discard in the fridge up to a week in a sealed jar.

• Freeze it for up to 3 months — thaw before using.

• If it smells off or shows mould, compost it.

• Mix older discard into recipes that are cooked through (like crackers or cake).