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.
Meg says
I've been using this recipe a LOT - the base recipe is great (though the first rise is described as 10-15 mins to double in volume which is definitely incorrect).
I'm experimenting with this loaf a lot as well - it's amazingly flexible and can cope with just about any addition, including flavoured oil. It's flexible about resting times and number of stretches too (I'm usually baking amidst child and work chaos and sometimes it gets forgotten for a bit or I'll end up doing extra stretches because I'll forget how many I've done). Excellent base recipe, thank you!
When I'm making the basic loaf, the only regular change I make is to half the sugar and use 10-12g salt per loaf due to personal preference.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Glad the recipe is working for you! I should probably edit this recipe and rename the first rise section to bench rest*. The dough rises throughout the folding period so that's also included in the rise time which makes it 45 mins in reality.
finn payne says
Used this for my first loaf and it was INCREDIBLE!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I'm glad your first loaf came out great! Thanks for trying my recipe.
Noemi says
Best discard bread ever! Isn’t as tasty as the real thing but a very good use for my discard and if you want quick but real bread! Also used my discard straight out of the fridge 😜
Hannah Dela Cruz says
So happy you loved the recipe, Noemi!
Sara says
If I want to bake the next day, at which point should I put it in fridge? Before or after second rise?
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I would put it straight into the fridge after shaping. Commercial yeast is quite strong so it will continue rising in the refrigerator.
Sarah says
mine isn't rising much in the oven, is this normal?
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Hi Sarah - this may be a proofing issue. If your bread isn't rising much in the oven, it may be over or underproofed.
Dawn says
If I wanted to add inclusions, at what step would be best?
Thank you in advance!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I'd add the inclusions during the second fold.
Sonia Mendez says
I tried this recipe today! Amazing results! Thank you so much!
Kathleene says
I made this for the first time the other day and it is easily one of my new favorites. I did have an issue with getting my loaf out of my banneton. I floured it up, just as I would do with my pure sourdough loaves and it stuck to the inside. After I finally got it out, it was not cooperating with shaping. Despite that and it not being pretty, it was SUPER tasty and it's still fresh 5 days later. We are getting snow tomorrow so, Im prepping to make another. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Positively delicious!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Hmm unless I am misunderstanding your comment. The dough should have been shaped before it was put inside the banneton. Glad you still loved the taste!
Maggie says
I love that this recipe lists the ingredients and measurements after each instruction. I’m excited to bake this today!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I'm baking this today too! Good luck!
Carol Shields says
Great use of my discard and a really consistent bread! Result
Shannon says
This is such a great and yummy recipe! I want to add more discard to the recipe but I’m not sure how much extra I should add. If I do add more, should I add less flour or something else? I would love some advice on it! Thank you for such a great recipe!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I wouldn't add anymore as it might make the dough too acidic and could prevent you from developing a good gluten network in your dough.
PhyllisCorella says
It tastes delicious, is very easy, and looks like it came from the bakery. Just like almost everyone, I hate to chuck the discard.
Thank you for all your discard recipes. I don't know which one I'm going to try next but rest assured, I will be trying another one.
Rema says
I made this recipe because I had too much extra sourdough discard. The smell and flavor of this bread were incredible. Visually, though, my bread wasn't as pretty as yours. My bread was flatter and had a more closed crumb structure.
Katrine Eskildsen says
I have adjusted this recipe to make the most amazing rolls that we use either for pulled pork sandwiches or for breakfast just with butter and maybe jam. I have exchanged the whole wheat flour with quick oats. When it's time to shape the dough, I flatten it into a rectangle that I cut into 8 pieces. I raise these for about 30 minutes and bake at 450F for 15 minutes. I'm baking them several times a week now! Thank you for a great recipe!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
That sounds delicious! Such a great idea making these into rolls.
Claire Parker says
I’d like to make this into rolls so following your instructions. Before you cut into 8 pieces do you fold the rectangle then cut or just make into a rectangle and cut? Thx
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I would go straight to dividing the dough after proofing. No need to pre-shape the dough or "fold the rectangle."
Don't forget that you'll need to add steam to your oven if you're baking your rolls in a baking pan or baking sheet.
Jessie says
I have made this recipe several times now, and I really like it.
I have been dabbling in trying to make homemade sourdough bread off and on for awhile. My sourdough starter never seems to rise as much as they say it should, no matter what I do, and I don't like throwing away the discard at all. So, I tried this recipe to use up the discard and was amazed by the result. My bread came out looking like it was made in a bakery. It rises really well and looks almost too pretty to eat, and tasted like delicious. So, happy I tried this recipe. I have made it several times and each time it comes out perfect.
I use my kitchen aid mixer with the dough hook attachment to initial mix the dough and then just follow the directions from there. Thank you for this recipe excited to try your other sourdough discard recipes.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I'm so happy you were finally able to make bread that you love!
Ben says
Hi, no matter how many stretch and fold I make the dough doesn’t hold any shape at al, I can’t fold it or shape it as it’s too loose.
Not sure where I go wrong I’m at 5-6 stretch and fold and no difference.
Have you any tips ? Maybe my stretch and fold are incorrect but I’ve looked up loads of tutorials and I think I’m doing it right, just not seeing any difference after.
Can I use a kitchen aid to knead the dough a little bit to give it strength or reduce the amount of water maybe ?
Still tastes amazing 🤩
Thanks !
Hannah Dela Cruz says
You may actually be harming the gluten network of your dough by completing too many folds. It's very normal for your dough to feel "loose" after it has sat for a while, this characteristic is called "extensibility." Perhaps you are having a proofing issue - which is why you feel as though your dough doesn't have a form. Try letting your dough proof until it feels bubbly and has noticeably increased in volume. This usually makes dough look a bit more like it has a structure. Complete the windowpane test, once you've passed it, stop folding and just let your dough rise until ready to shape. See if this makes a difference.