If you’ve already fallen in love with sourdough discard recipes, welcome — you’re officially in the best part of sourdough baking.

Discard is low-pressure, flexible, and honestly? It’s where I have the most fun.

These are three of my favorite sourdough discard recipes that I come back to again and again. They’re practical, crowd-pleasing, and don’t require you to plan your life around your starter.

Why I Love Baking With Discard

Sourdough discard gets a bad reputation as something you have to deal with.

I see it differently.

Discard is:

forgiving
flexible
perfect for busy schedules
ideal for “I want to bake today” energy

You don’t need it to be bubbly or active. You just need it in the fridge.

1. Thumbprint Cookies

This one alone is reason enough to keep a starter.

Why I Love It

Can be made same-day or refrigerated
Perfect for quick cravings
Super simple

Discard pizza dough has:

A slightly tangy flavor
a soft and buttery texture
zero stress

Ingredients:

8 tblsp unsalted butter
¾ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup sourdough discard
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp baking powder

For topping:

¼ granulated sugar (optional, for rolling the cookies)
⅓ cup strawberry or raspberry jam (my favorite is from Aldi)
⅓ cup powdered sugar

Instructions:

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy (about 2 or 3 minutes). Add egg, vanilla and discard and mix until combined.
Add flour, baking powder and salt to wet ingredients. Mix until combined.
Pour ⅓ cup sugar into a bowl. Scoop out cookie dough and shape into a ball and roll it in the sugar. Place the dough ball on a baking sheet, press an indentation into the top of the ball. Spoon ½ tsp jam into the divet. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes at 350F. Allow to cool and then dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Scrunchy tip:
If dinner plans change, just throw the dough in the fridge and use it the next day. Just pull out the dough ahead of time to let it come to room temperature before baking.

2. Sourdough Discard Bagels

Yes, bagels sound intimidating — but discard bagels are surprisingly approachable.

Why They’re Worth It

chewy, bakery-style texture
great for meal prep
freeze beautifully

These are perfect for:

Getting rid of a lot of discard
breakfast sandwiches
avocado toast
“I need something filling” mornings

I usually make a batch on the weekend and freeze extras. They reheat (and toast!) like a dream.

Ingredients:

1 cup discard
3 cups ap flour
1 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Water bath:

Fill pot halfway with water
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp baking soda

Egg wash:

1 egg
2 tbsp water

Instructions:

Mix discard and water.
Add all dry ingredients into a large bowl and stir. Pour wet ingredients into a large bowl to form a dough by hand or a stand mixer.
Drizzle olive oil over dough and cover. Let rise so that it doubles in size.
Flour a working surface and roll dough into a log form.
Divide the dough into bagel forms and create round pieces. You can put your hands through the hole and roll it on the work surface to create a more even dough, and to help seal the ends together.
Place dough on a baking sheet, cover and let rest until the dough doubles in size again.
Bring water, baking soda and honey to a boil. Dip each bagel, one at a time, into water bath for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Set the bagels back on the baking sheet and cover with egg wash.
Bake bagels for 15 to 20 minutes at 425F.
Let cool.

Scrunchy permission slip: If the shaping isn’t perfect, they still taste amazing.

3. Sourdough Discard Coffee Cake

This is my favorite way to use discard when I want something sweet but not fussy.

Why I Keep Making It

soft, tender crumb
subtle tang from the discard
perfect with coffee or tea
has a moist interior

Discard works beautifully in quick breads and cakes. It adds moisture and depth without requiring fermentation.

This is a great:

weekend bake
brunch option
“something to snack on all week” recipe

Cake Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
½ cup softened butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup discard
½ cup sour cream
1 ½ all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Crumb ingredients:

1 cup ap flour
1 cup brown sugar
4 tsp ceylon cinnamon
½ cup melted butter

Instructions:

Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy, then add eggs, milk, discard and sour cream. Mix until fully combined. Stir in dry ingredients.
For the crumb, stir flour, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter and mix.
Spread half the cake batter into a pan, then sprinkle half of the crumb on top. Then pour remaining batter and crumb on top.
Set the oven to 350F and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool.

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Tips for Using Discard Without Overthinking It

A few things I’ve learned along the way:

Cold discard straight from the fridge is fine
Discard doesn’t need to be fed first
Timing is flexible; these recipes don’t care
AP flour works perfectly

Discard baking should feel easy, not precious.

How This Fits Into My Sourdough Routine

These recipes are part of my:

beginner sourdough routine that fits a busy life
low-waste, scrunchy kitchen approach

If you’re just starting out, I also recommend:

Everything connects — and nothing requires perfection.

Final Thoughts

If sourdough feels overwhelming, discard recipes are where confidence builds. They’re forgiving. They’re practical. They make your starter feel like a gift instead of a chore.

Cookies, bagels and coffee cake are on regular rotation in my kitchen — and I hope they are in yours too.

3 More Easy Sourdough Discard Recipes You’ll Love (Cookies, Bagels and Cake)