Short on time but still want flavorful crusty bread? This quick and easy Sourdough Discard Bread Recipe is perfect for you. I make this recipe during the busiest times of the year, when I haven't planned a head but still want delicious freshly-baked bread. In this post, I'll teach you how to use excess sourdough discard with active-dry yeast so can have delicious bread on the table in just over 2 hours instead of 2 days.
This recipe was originally published in Sept. 2023. I have since added more photos and tips for success.
Jump to:
- Why I developed this recipe
- Why I love this recipe
- What’s the difference between sourdough bread and sourdough discard bread?
- What makes this a “no-knead” recipe?
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Baking with sourdough discard
- Why use commercial yeast with sourdough discard?
- How to Make Sourdough Discard Bread
- Baker's Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- You may also like
- Easy Sourdough Discard Bread Recipe
Why I developed this recipe
The taste, texture, and nutritional value of a long-fermented loaf is as good as it gets. However, sometimes I just can’t commit two days to make a loaf of sourdough bread.
If you’ve seen my recipes for sourdough discard focaccia, sourdough discard pretzels, and sourdough discard sandwich bread, you’ll know how much I love the convenience of combining sourdough discard with commercial yeast.
This recipe is perfect for those times when you have a sudden craving for a classic crusty loaf or your family requests bread at the last minute.
Why I love this recipe
- Quick and easy bake - great for beginners!
- Recipe uses one bowl
- Great way to use up sourdough discard
- Sourdough flavor without the time commitment
- Mixed by hand, no stand mixer required!
This was my first run through with this recipe and it turned out amazing! I love that this loaf yields a similar structure to a true sourdough loaf with a fraction of the time and effort. Will definitely make again.
- Allison
What’s the difference between sourdough bread and sourdough discard bread?
Sourdough discard bread combines excess sourdough discard with either active-dry or instant yeast, resulting in flavorful bread with quicker proofing times.
In contrast, a no yeast sourdough bread that relies solely on an active sourdough starter for leavening takes hours and even days to make. While these breads are undoubtedly delicious and nutritious, they take a lot of time and planning to bake, making sourdough discard breads a quick and easy alternative.
What makes this a “no-knead” recipe?
This recipe creates a higher-hydration bread dough. This makes a dough that’s stickier, and almost impossible to knead. To create strength in the dough, you’ll need to conduct a series of folds instead. These folds are completed in the bowl and are a much gentler way to develop gluten.
Want to know more about gluten development? Check out my post on How to Stretch and Fold Sourdough Bread.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Whole wheat flour: Adds a nutty flavor to bread, feel free to substitute bread flour, all-purpose, rye, or spelt. Don’t attempt to make this bread with 100% whole wheat flour or your bread may turn out dense and gummy.
Sourdough discard: If you don't sourdough discard saved up, feel free to use active sourdough starter. If you don't have a strater, add 56 grams of flour and 56 grams of water to your dough.
Active-dry yeast: You can use instant yeast for this recipe, you can skip blooming the yeast if you substitute.
Cane sugar: I like to use organic cane sugar because it is produced using more sustainable methods. Substitute white sugar, brown sugar, honey or maple syrup.
Salt: Use kosher salt or sea salt. Different types of salts have varying grain sizes so the amount of salt added to the recipe may differ if you use volume measurements.
See recipe card for the full ingredient details.
Baking with sourdough discard
This homemade bread is quick to make because it uses active dry yeast as the main leavener instead of an active starter. Sourdough discard lends a rich and complex flavor profile to the bread. Since it's employed solely for its flavor-enhancing qualities, there's no need to activate it; you can use it directly from the refrigerator.
If you’re using sourdough starter discard that has been in the fridge for weeks it will impart even more pronounced flavor, which differs from the results using a freshly fed starter. Both will work for this recipe but will offer different flavor profiles
Why use commercial yeast with sourdough discard?
Adding instant yeast and sourdough discard in a recipe combines convenience and flavor. Commercial yeast is more efficient at converting starches into sugars and generating carbon dioxide compared to the wild yeast in sourdough, significantly reducing dough rise times.
For instance, my crusty sourdough bread recipe requires up to 4 hours for bulk fermentation, whereas this sourdough discard bread only needs approximately 30 minutes for its initial rise.
While it may not achieve the depth of flavor, open crumb and spongy texture developed during a two-day fermentation, the addition of sourdough discard starter to your bread dough imparts a more nuanced and intensified flavor compared to using instant yeast alone.
Love quick and easy sourdough recipes that use commercial yeast? Check out my recipes for Sourdough Discard Hot Dog Buns and Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Bread
STEP 1: Make the dough
Combine water, sugar and active-dry yeast, let the yeast bloom for 15 minutes. Add in the sourdough starter and dry ingredients. Mix until no traces of dry flour remain.
Tip
Commercial yeast has a shelf life. Make sure your active-dry yeast or instant yeast is still fresh before attempting this recipe or your dough will not rise.
STEP 2: Stretch and fold
Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds in 15-minute intervals during bulk rise. To perform 1 set, use your fingertips pick up one side of the dough and stretch it as far as you can without tearing. Then fold the dough over itself, turn the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat 3 more times (this is one set).
Stretch and Fold Sample Schedule*
9:00 a.m. - Fold 1
9:15 a.m. - Fold 2
9:30 a.m. - Fold 3
Tip
This dough can initially feel quite wet and sticky. If it feels too difficult to handle, work with wet hands and use your fingertips and only pick up the edges of the dough.
STEP 3: First rise
After the last fold, allow the dough to rise untouched until doubled in volume.
STEP 6: Bake
Score the dough. Bake in a covered Dutch oven at 475 F for 25 minutes. Remove the cover and bake at for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how dark you'd like your crust.
Baker's Tips
Don’t use hot water: Hot water will kill yeast, make sure the water you use is under 115 F.
Use cold water: Fermentation contributes to the development of bread's flavor profile, giving it a richer taste. Personally, I opt for cold water since it effectively slows down fermentation, your dough will take longer to rise, but your bread will be more flavorful.
Use a sharp blade to score your dough: A dull blade will drag and result in uneven and ragged cuts on the dough's surface. Check out my post on How to Score Sourdough Bread for more information.
Bake with steam: Steam keeps the surface of the dough soft during the initial stages of baking for full crust expansion. The easiest method to introduce steam is baking bread in a Dutch oven. If you don't have one, consider using a loaf pan; find details in my post on How to Bake Bread in a Loaf Pan.
Use temperature to measure for doneness: The best way to know if your loaf is baked is by measuring the internal temperature. The bread should be at least 190 F when probed with an instant-read thermometer.
Add aromatic herbs to your sourdough discard bread for a savory twist! Try my recipe for Sourdough Discard Rosemary Olive Oil Bread.
Recipe FAQs
Sourdough discard is any portion of your starter that is removed during the feeding process or any part that is not used to leaven sourdough bread. You can use it in other bakes and dishes or store it in the refrigerator for future use.
This dough contains a lot of water about 73 percent. It’s completely normal for your dough to feel very sticky and difficult to handle right after it’s mixed. Allowing your dough to rest for 15 minutes after mixing will let the flour hydrate completely and the gluten to develop. The short rest periods between folds will make the dough less tacky and much easier to handle.
When folding, use wet hands and only use your fingertips to pick up your dough. This will prevent it from sticking to your hands.
There are a few reasons why your dough may not be rising:
Your yeast is expired and can no longer make dough rise. If your yeast has been in your pantry for quite some time, activate it by mixing it with water and sugar first before mixing it in your dough. The mixture will look bubbly and smell yeasty if it’s still viable.
Your kitchen is too cold, cool temperatures will drastically slow down fermentation or the rate at which your dough rises. If your kitchen is too cold your dough will eventually rise, it may just take longer than the times cued in this recipe.
You used hot water and you may have killed your yeast. Water hotter than 115 F will kill yeast, if you accidentally add hot water to your yeast, start over.
Absolutely! You can skip the step that calls for activating your yeast if you use instant yeast.
Instant yeast may make your dough rise faster, you may need to shorten your proofing time to make sure your dough does not become over proofed.
An 8-inch or 9-inch circle or oval banneton will work for this recipe.
If you don’t have a banneton, use an 8-inch mixing bowl lined with a tea towel dusted with rice flour or all-purpose flour.
You can also bake this bread in a loaf pan, but you'll need to add steam to your oven.
You may also like
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Easy Sourdough Discard Bread Recipe
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Ingredients
- 7 grams active-dry yeast
- 226 grams water
- 14 grams cane sugar
- 113 grams sourdough discard
- 180 grams bread flour
- 90 grams all-purpose flour
- 60 grams whole wheat flour
- 7 grams salt
Click US Customary to view volume measurements
Instructions
- Make the dough: Mix the water, active-dry yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Allow the mixture to bloom until it smells yeasty and looks bubbly.7 grams active-dry yeast, 226 grams water, 14 grams cane sugar
- Fold in the sourdough discard, bread flour, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour and salt until no traces of dry flour remain. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.113 grams sourdough discard, 180 grams bread flour, 90 grams all-purpose flour, 60 grams whole wheat flour, 7 grams salt
- Stretch and fold: After the rest period, complete 3 sets of stretch and folds in 15-minute intervals.
- To complete a stretch and fold, with the dough inside your bowl, pick up the side of the dough closest to you using your fingertips. Stretch the dough out as much as you can without it tearing and fold it over itself. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 3 more times.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set it in a warm place and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
- First rise: Let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in volume. The dough should double in volume and appear bubbly, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 475 F with a Dutch oven inside.
- Shape: Coat a banneton with rice flour (see note*). Shape the dough into a boule or a batard.
- To shape your dough, turn the proofed dough on a clean work surface. Flatten the dough out into a rectangle. Fold the side closest to you towards the center and the top of the dough over the bottom flap. Fold the sides over each other
- Flip the dough and round it into a boule or roll it into a batard. Place the dough into a prepared banneton with the seam side up.
- Second rise: Cover the banneton with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until puffy and well risen, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Score: Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper with the seam-side down. Score the dough.
- Bake: Place the dough with the parchment paper inside the hot Dutch oven. Bake the dough covered for 25 minutes and uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Enjoy: Transfer the baked loaf to a cooling rack. Let the bread cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.
- Store: This bread will store well for up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature.
Tips
These recipes were developed and tested using grams for precise measurements. To increase your chances of success, I recommend investing in a kitchen scale. I've included rough volume estimates (in tablespoons and cups), but they might not be totally accurate.
Remember all ovens are unique, these recipes were tested in my oven which runs cooler than others. You might need to lower the temperature if your bake appears to be browning too quickly. Monitor your bake closely and make adjustments if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, any nutrition information provided is an estimate.
Terri Metcalfe says
Oh my god, this is not going to last long - amazing flavor, texture, just superb! I didn’t have time to bake it initially as I had to rush out so it was left in the fridge for 5 hours at step 11. Unreal!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
So happy you loved them! The long fermentation must have made the flavor incredible.
Terri Metcalfe says
It’s become quite a feature in our house over the last few weeks!
Della B. says
Last question, does it matter how weak your discard is? For example, discard I saved in the freezer.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
You may want to let your discard warm up a bit from frozen since that may lower the temp of your dough too much.
Della B. says
Thank you Hannah! I am going to do this!!
Della B. says
I assume you can still do an overnight 12-hr. cold proof and bake directly from the fridge like a traditional sourdough for better flavor?
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Yes! That should work just fine.
Whitney says
i love this recipe so much. thank you!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Thank you so much! I am so thrilled that you enjoy it!
Reena says
Love this recipe. So easy to make. This was my 4th attempt at making a sourdough bread. I think using the discard was easier. Thank you for this recipe.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
You're so welcome!
Mike R says
HOLY SMOKES THIS IS GOOD. I just made my third loaf and I kind of wish my oven was big enough to do 10 at a time. Thank you, Hannah, for such a great recipe. This is exactly why I prefer to make my own bread and how I'm going to use my starter discard.
Mike
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Hi Mike! So great to hear that you loved the bread. Your excitement about the recipe shines through and your comment really made me smile. So happy you found a recipe you love in my little corner of the Internet.
April F. says
I hated wasting so much starter discard and found this recipe a few days ago. it's so simple and easy, fairly quick and delicious! I just made my second loaf. The consistency is more like sandwich bread. For those who can't take the crispy crust, just leave the lid on the dutch oven for a little while when it's finished baking and the steam will soften it. Wonderful! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
So happy you loved the recipe! This is becoming a favorite too, especially when I'm too busy to plan ahead for a huge sourdough bake.
JoAnne says
I plan to make this bread in a day or two. Can I substitute orange juice for the water?
Thanks.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Yes! But the orange juice may not impart the flavor you desire. To get an orange flavor you'll most likely need to add zest or orange extract for a more intense flavor.
Bethany says
Do I need to add sugar? Or could I use honey instead (the same amount)? Thank you! The recipe looks great and I'm eager to try it...
Hannah Dela Cruz says
You can use honey!
Anne says
Hi Hannah, thanks for posting this recipe! This is a great way to use up sourdough discard (mine is a rye starter) and it doesn’t take too long to make. I left out whole grain flour and used 200g of bread flour and 130g of AP flour. I did 4 sets of stretch and fold. Used an 8x4 loaf pan and baked with another 8x4 loaf pan on top to trap steam. Baked at 425 covered for 25 minutes and 10 minutes uncovered (although 5 minutes would have been fine in my oven) to brown. Came out really well!🙂
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Those sound like great substitutions! I'm glad you used a little bit of AP since I think it really improves the texture of bread. Thank you for your detailed notes!
Anne says
Hi! If I make this recipe in a loaf pan, should I use 8x4 or 9x5 loaf pan? Looking forward to trying this out. 🙂
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Hi Anne this recipe will fit in both! Make sure you add steam to your oven if you are baking with a loaf pan.
Here's how to do it if you've never done it before: https://makeitdough.com/can-you-bake-sourdough-in-a-loaf-pan/
Sherry says
I am getting ready to make this, but have a question. Can bread flour be used for the whole recipe instead of part of it whole wheat flour?
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Yes. That would work or you could also use all-purpose flour.
Lala Chan says
I've found it, my go to sourdough discard bread. I've made it a few times now, experimenting on my oven temp as my oven runs warmer than most. Thank you for this recipe.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Yay! So happy that you've met your match. Thank you for the feedback.
Laurel says
I made my first loaf of sourdough with this recipe…AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for posting this recipe and photos to help with the steps. My bread came out so beautiful. Like you said about your oven running cooler than most, I did 25 mins covered and then 5 mins uncovered in my Dutch oven and it was perfect!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
So glad you loved the recipe!!! Proud of you!
Rachael says
I'm new to the sour dough world. what is the difference in the different flours used? would it hurt to just use bread flour? I tried the recipe and my dough was very dense and did not want to stretch. then after it was done, the bread was very dense and the bottom crsut was incredibly hard to cut through.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Hi Rachael - flour is the most important part of a recipe and using over another makes a huge difference. Check out my blog on flour to find out more: https://makeitdough.com/best-flour-for-sourdough/.