15 Sourdough Recipes That Go Way Beyond the Basic Loaf

So you finally have a bubbly sourdough starter living on your counter. Now what? A starter can do so much more than one round loaf. These sourdough recipes turn it into fluffy pancakes, crispy crackers, chewy pizza crust, tangy rye and soft dinner rolls, and some even use the discard you would normally throw away. If you have ever felt guilty pouring starter down the sink, this list is for you. Ready to feed your starter and get baking..

Sourdough Recipes Begin With a Happy Starter

A sourdough starter is just flour and water that has caught wild yeast and friendly bacteria from the air and the flour. Feed it every day and it will double, bubble and smell pleasantly sour. That is when it is ready to bake with. Discard is the extra starter you remove before feeding, and it is perfect for pancakes and crackers. Does your starter have a name? Many bakers name theirs!

You will need: You need: whole wheat or rye flour, all purpose flour, lukewarm water, a clean glass jar, a rubber band to mark the level.

How to make it: Steps: 1. Mix 50 g whole wheat flour with 50 g water in a jar. 2. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature. 3. Every 24 hours, discard all but 50 g and feed 50 g flour and 50 g water. 4. After 7 to 10 days it should double within 6 hours of feeding. 5. Now it is ready to bake.

Sourdough Recipes 101: The Classic Boule

Every baker starts somewhere, and this simple round loaf is the doorway to all sourdough recipes. The long, slow rise gives it a tangy flavor, a crackling crust and a chewy inside. Baking it in a covered Dutch oven traps steam so it rises tall. Did you hear the crust crackle as it cooled?

You will need: You need: 100 g active starter, 375 g water, 500 g bread flour, 10 g salt.

How to make it: Steps: 1. Mix starter, water and flour, rest 1 hour, then add salt. 2. Do 4 sets of stretch and folds over 2 hours. 3. Let it rise until puffy, 4 to 6 hours total. 4. Shape into a ball and refrigerate overnight in a floured bowl. 5. Score and bake in a covered Dutch oven at 475 F for 20 minutes, then uncovered at 450 F for 20 to 25 minutes.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Round loaves are pretty, but kids want square slices for sandwiches. This soft whole wheat loaf bakes in a regular loaf pan with a little honey and butter for a tender crumb. It is hearty, nutty and still soft enough for PB and J. Would your family eat whole wheat bread? Sourdough recipes made in a loaf pan are also easier to slice thin.

You will need: You need: 100 g active starter, 300 g whole wheat flour, 200 g bread flour, 330 g warm water, 30 g honey, 20 g soft butter, 10 g salt.

How to make it: Steps: 1. Mix everything except salt and butter, rest 30 minutes. 2. Add salt and butter and knead 5 minutes. 3. Rise 4 to 5 hours with a few folds. 4. Shape into a log in a buttered loaf pan and rise until it crowns the pan. 5. Bake at 375 F for 40 to 45 minutes.

Same Day Beginner Sourdough

Not ready for an overnight schedule? This beginner friendly loaf goes from mixing bowl to oven in one day if your kitchen is warm. Slightly less water makes the dough easier to shape. It is a confidence builder, and one of those sourdough recipes you will come back to again and again.

You will need: You need: 150 g active starter, 340 g water, 500 g bread flour, 10 g salt.

How to make it: Steps: 1. Mix in the morning and rest 30 minutes. 2. Add salt and do 3 sets of folds 30 minutes apart. 3. Rise in a warm spot until 50 percent bigger. 4. Shape and rise 1 to 2 hours more in a floured basket. 5. Bake in a hot Dutch oven at 450 F for 40 to 45 minutes.

High Hydration Open Crumb Loaf

Those big, glossy holes you see on social media come from a wetter dough, strong flour and gentle handling. Poll time: when you cut a loaf, do you love A) big wild holes, B) a tighter crumb for sandwiches, or C) whatever tastes best? This loaf is for the A team.

You will need: You need: 100 g active starter, 400 g water, 500 g strong bread flour, 10 g salt, plus a little extra water.

How to make it: Steps: 1. Mix flour and 370 g water and rest 1 hour. 2. Add starter, salt and the rest of the water, squeezing to combine. 3. Do coil folds every 30 minutes, 4 times. 4. Shape gently, keeping the bubbles, and cold proof overnight. 5. Bake covered at 480 F for 20 minutes and uncovered 20 more.

Easy Sourdough Recipes: Focaccia With Tomatoes

Focaccia is the easiest place to start with sourdough because the dough just sits in a pan and does its thing. Lots of olive oil makes the bottom crispy like fried bread, and sliced tomatoes, garlic and rosemary on top make it a meal. Sourdough recipes do not get more forgiving than this.

You will need: You need: 100 g active starter, 400 g water, 500 g bread flour, 10 g salt, 60 ml olive oil, 2 tomatoes (sliced), 2 garlic cloves, rosemary, flaky salt.

How to make it: Steps: 1. Mix starter, water, flour and salt into a sticky dough. 2. Do 3 sets of folds, then refrigerate overnight. 3. Pour oil in a 9 by 13 pan, add dough and let it rise 3 to 4 hours. 4. Dimple with oily fingers and add toppings. 5. Bake at 450 F for 25 minutes.

Sourdough Recipes for Discard: Fluffy Pancakes

This is the best way to use up discard. Mix it the night before with flour and milk, then add egg and baking soda in the morning. The baking soda reacts with the tangy starter and the pancakes puff up tall and fluffy. Butter, maple syrup and a sleepy Saturday morning. Perfect.

You will need: You need: 200 g sourdough discard, 1 cup milk, 1 cup flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda.

How to make it: Steps: 1. Mix discard, milk, flour and sugar the night before and cover. 2. In the morning, stir in egg, butter and salt. 3. Sprinkle baking soda over and stir gently, it will bubble. 4. Cook 1/4 cup scoops on a buttered griddle until bubbles form. 5. Flip and cook 1 more minute.

Crispy Sourdough Discard Crackers

These crackers take 10 minutes of work and use up a whole cup of discard. Roll the dough paper thin, sprinkle with herbs and seeds, and bake until golden and snappy. They are perfect for cheese boards, soup and snacking straight from the jar. Which flavor would you try: rosemary, everything seasoning or cheddar? Discard sourdough recipes like this one mean nothing goes to waste.

You will need: You need: 1 cup sourdough discard, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup olive oil or melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried herbs, seeds and flaky salt for topping.

How to make it: Steps: 1. Mix discard, flour, oil, salt and herbs into a soft dough. 2. Roll very thin on parchment. 3. Sprinkle seeds and flaky salt and press in. 4. Score into squares. 5. Bake at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes until golden, then break apart.

Cinnamon Sugar Sourdough Toast

Thick sourdough toast is a breakfast hero. The tangy, chewy bread is the perfect base for butter and cinnamon sugar, broiled until bubbly and crackly on top, like a quick churro toast. Kids go wild for it. What do you usually put on your toast in the morning?

You will need: You need: 2 thick slices sourdough bread, 2 tablespoons soft butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, pinch of salt.

How to make it: Steps: 1. Mix butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt into a paste. 2. Toast the bread lightly. 3. Spread the paste all the way to the edges. 4. Broil 1 to 2 minutes until bubbling and caramelized. 5. Cool 1 minute before eating, the sugar is hot.

Sourdough Baguettes

Long, crackly baguettes with a tangy crumb feel like a big achievement for a home baker. The trick is a cold overnight rise and lots of steam in the first 10 minutes of baking. A baking tray of boiling water on the bottom rack does the job. Want more crusty bakes? Browse our homemade bread recipes.

You will need: You need: 100 g active starter, 350 g water, 500 g bread flour, 10 g salt.

How to make it: Steps: 1. Mix, fold and rise 4 hours. 2. Divide into 3 and pre shape into logs, rest 20 minutes. 3. Roll into long baguettes and place in a floured towel. 4. Refrigerate overnight. 5. Score and bake at 475 F with steam for 20 to 25 minutes.

Sourdough Recipes From Europe: Hearty Rye

In Germany, Poland and Scandinavia, rye sourdough is everyday bread. Rye flour makes a denser, darker loaf with an earthy, slightly sweet flavor that is amazing with butter, smoked fish or sharp cheese. Caraway seeds are classic. Have you ever tried real rye bread from a European bakery?

You will need: You need: 150 g active starter, 250 g rye flour, 250 g bread flour, 360 g water, 10 g salt, 1 tablespoon caraway seeds, 1 tablespoon molasses.

How to make it: Steps: 1. Mix everything into a sticky dough. 2. Rise 3 to 4 hours, the dough will not get as puffy as white sourdough. 3. Shape with wet hands into an oval. 4. Rise 1 1/2 hours in a floured basket. 5. Bake at 450 F for 45 to 50 minutes and cool fully before slicing.

Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls

Fluffy sourdough rolls are a great addition to a Thanksgiving table, and they can be shaped the night before and baked fresh. Milk, butter and a touch of honey make them soft, while the starter adds a gentle tang. Poll: at Thanksgiving, do you fight over A) the rolls, B) the stuffing, or C) the pie? Holiday sourdough recipes like these rolls free up your oven on the big day.

You will need: You need: 100 g active starter, 450 g flour, 220 g warm milk, 40 g soft butter, 30 g honey, 1 egg, 8 g salt, melted butter for brushing.

How to make it: Steps: 1. Knead everything into a soft dough, 8 minutes. 2. Rise 5 to 6 hours until doubled. 3. Shape 12 rolls in a buttered pan. 4. Rise 2 hours (or refrigerate overnight). 5. Bake at 375 F for 20 to 25 minutes and brush with butter.

Sourdough Recipes for Pizza Night: Blistered Crust

Pizzeria style crust with a puffy, blistered edge is easier than you think with sourdough. A 24 hour cold rest in the fridge gives the dough deep flavor and makes it easy to stretch. Bake it as hot as your oven goes on a preheated pizza stone or steel. Pizza night just got an upgrade.

You will need: You need: 50 g active starter, 325 g water, 500 g 00 or bread flour, 12 g salt, 1 teaspoon olive oil, your favorite toppings.

How to make it: Steps: 1. Mix everything and knead 5 minutes. 2. Rise 4 hours at room temperature. 3. Divide into 4 balls and refrigerate 24 to 48 hours. 4. Rest at room temperature 2 hours. 5. Stretch, top and bake on a preheated stone at 550 F for 6 to 8 minutes.

Seeded Sourdough Loaf

Pumpkin, sunflower, flax and sesame seeds soaked in water overnight make this loaf moist, crunchy and full of nutty flavor. Roll the shaped dough in more seeds before baking for a beautiful crust. It is one of the most satisfying sourdough recipes to slice into. Would you toast it or eat it fresh?

You will need: You need: 100 g active starter, 500 g bread flour, 360 g water, 10 g salt, 120 g mixed seeds soaked in 100 g water, extra seeds for coating.

How to make it: Steps: 1. Mix starter, flour, water and salt. 2. Add the soaked seeds during the first set of folds. 3. Rise 4 to 5 hours with folds. 4. Shape, roll in seeds and cold proof overnight. 5. Bake in a Dutch oven at 475 F covered 20 minutes, uncovered 25 minutes.

Olive and Herb Sourdough

Briny olives, fresh rosemary and a little lemon zest turn a simple loaf into something special for a dinner party. Pat the olives dry so they do not make the dough wet. Last poll: of all these sourdough recipes, which one will you bake first? A) focaccia, B) pancakes, C) crackers, or D) olive loaf?

You will need: You need: 100 g active starter, 500 g bread flour, 360 g water, 10 g salt, 120 g pitted olives (patted dry), 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, zest of 1 lemon.

How to make it: Steps: 1. Mix starter, flour, water and salt. 2. Add olives, rosemary and zest during the second set of folds. 3. Rise 4 to 5 hours. 4. Shape into an oval and cold proof overnight. 5. Score and bake covered at 475 F for 20 minutes, then uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes.