23 Things You Can Make With Sourdough Starter, From Croutons to Cookies
Bake up a loaf of sourdough to enjoy on its own or to incorporate in another recipe, then use the discard to add a touch of tang to waffles, crackers, and more.
Keeping active sourdough starter in your fridge unlocks a world of culinary possibilities. A natural leavener, starter is used instead of commercial yeast for making all kinds of breads, including but not limited to that crusty white boule most people think of when they hear the term "sourdough." Once you have a sourdough loaf, you can eat it as is or incorporate it into another recipe such as stuffing, tartines, or bread pudding,
And then there's a whole other option entirely: By virtue of keeping a sourdough starter alive without it growing to astronomical proportions, you'll end up with sourdough discard whenever you feed it. And sure, you could throw that away, but the discard can be repurposed to provide tang and complexity in pancakes, biscuits, crackers, and more. This recipe roundup explores our favorite ways to enjoy all things sourdough.
Birote (Guadalajaran Sourdough Bread)
Author of New World Sourdough, Bryan Ford re-creates Latin American breads at home, like this "crunchy, darkly baked sourdough bread said to have a flavor unique to the environment of Guadalajara."
Sourdough Buttermilk Waffles
These crisp waffles get their signature tang from a combination of sourdough discard and full-fat buttermilk. Make them either in a Belgian or standard waffle maker.
Sourdough Crackers
Once you've had the homemade variety, you'll understand just how craveable crackers can truly be. Save your sourdough discard to make these crunchy bites, which get even more flavor from cornmeal and your choice of toppings.
Queso Fresco Sourdough Biscuits With Chimichurri
These tangy sourdough biscuits from baker Bryan Ford incorporate chimichurri and queso fresco in the dough; served with additional chimichurri and cheese, they're off-the-charts delicious.
Sourdough Pancakes with Maple-Molasses Strawberries
With a cup of sourdough starter and just 40 minutes of kitchen time, you'll have these show-stopping pancakes worthy of your weekend brunch spread. Just steep the strawberries, make the pancake batter, scoop, flip, and serve.
Sourdough Country Bread
This sourdough bread recipe is ideal for beginners and expert bakers alike. The toughest part? Waiting for your bread to cool before slathering it with salted butter.
Sfincione
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Caleb Clark
Sfincione is a focaccia-like pizza from Sicily that's traditionally topped with tomato sauce and breadcrumbs. Nashville chef Michael Hanna began making his sourdough version during the pandemic by selling his pizza through pop-ups and even sometimes from his driveway.
Grissini
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Stylist by Thom Driver
Grissini are pencil-thin, long, crispy breadsticks with a cracker-like crunch that have been made in the Piedmont region of Italy since the 1600s. At New York’s Barbuto, pastry chef Heather Miller leans on high-quality ingredients and a series of simple steps to churn them out night after night consistently.
Vegetarian Wild Mushroom Sourdough Dressing
You'll need two pounds of fresh wild mushrooms for this next-level sourdough stuffing that's sure to delight meat eaters and vegetarians alike — use a blend of your favorites, such as chanterelle, oyster, trumpet, and hen-of-the-woods. Some of the tangy sourdough pieces become chewy in the oven, while others develop crisp, toasted edges for a textural contrast.
Baked Brie Bread Bowl
Jordan Provost / Food Styling by Thu Buser
Use a sourdough boule with a sturdy crust to make a bread bowl for this melted Brie appetizer. Be sure the loaf is wider than the cheese wheel, so you have room to fit the Brie into the boule with enough space on the sides for the bread slices.
Charred Corn and Tomato Tartines with Tofu Aïoli
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Enhanced by smoked paprika, our eggless, tofu-based aïoli has all the assertive garlic flavor and creamy texture you expect from the condiment. Here, it’s generously slathered on rustic sourdough slices piled high with grilled corn, peppers, and tomatoes.
Sourdough Croutons
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Crisp sourdough croutons soak up the savory, garlicky, and almost Caesar-like vinaigrette that dresses this mix of tender, slightly bitter salad greens, delicately spicy raw red onion, fresh herbs, and sweet crab meat.
Grilled Vegetable Flatbread with Smoked Almond Muhammara
Sangak or lavash flatbread is used as the base for this vibrant grilled dish, but you'll also need about three ounces of sliced sourdough to pulverize and then thicken up the smoky muhammara spread.
Spinach Dip Hot Bread
This gooey, cheesy appetizer takes a toasted, sliced sourdough boule and fills it with buttery bechamel sauce and spinach, though the real star is the jarred Calabrian chiles.
Mussels and Fennel on Grilled Sourdough with Saffron and Garlic Aioli
William Hereford
Sourdough toasts stand up to plump mussels steamed in an anise-scented wine broth, a bright salad of crisp shaved fennel and fried capers, and a special saffron aioli.
Piadina (Italian Flatbread)
Food writer Laura Lazzaroni's recipe for soft, fluffy Italian flatbread is made with extra-virgin olive oil (instead of lard) and sourdough starter discard. Lazzaroni lets the dough ferment in the fridge for two days to add creaminess and a delicious hint of acidity. She also seeks out flavor-packed specialty flours to make her flatbread special.
Sourdough Cookies
The trick to these sourdough cookies' bold character is using as many freshly ground spices as possible — their strong punchiness is pleasantly balanced by the rich flavor of the flours and unrefined sweeteners. Use a combination of stone-ground spelt, rye, and buckwheat for a thick cookie with a heady grain flavor and slight chew.
Sourdough Tortillas with Charred Steak and Scallion Salsa
2017 F&W Best New Chef Val M. Cantu's sourdough tortillas embody his goal of marrying the cuisines of San Francisco and Mexico. Turn them into an excellent meal with the help of your grill — here, you'll char both the simply seasoned skirt steak and the scallions for the salsa.
Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
Yes, you can make gluten-free sourdough! This robust starter combines white rice and teff flours; the former provides a mild flavor and bouncy texture, while the latter brings an earthy, almost wheat-like flavor with a high protein content that helps build structure.
Rustic Apple-Rye Bread
This extra-special loaf combines cracked rye berries soaked in buttermilk, raisins, a dash of cinnamon, and cubes of heirloom apples that release their juices into the crumb while baking. You need to have just a tablespoon of healthy sourdough starter for this recipe.
Sheet-Pan Chicken with Sourdough and Bacon
Sheet-pan dinners are perfect for busy nights. This one featuring roasted chicken on a smoky, peppery bed of potatoes, red onion, and crispy sourdough croutons comes together in just 20 minutes of active work time.
Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage, Red Onion, and Kale
Sweet Italian sausage, curly kale, and wedges of red onion are flavored with parsley, thyme, and crushed red pepper for this delicious, easy sourdough stuffing.
Savory Bread Pudding
Though you can use any good-quality bread here, sourdough is an excellent choice. To make meal time easy, prepare the bread pudding up to a day in advance and then bake it off just before serving.
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