Published: · Modified: by Hannah Dela Cruz · This post may contain affiliate links
Don't throw away your sourdough discard! Use it to make delicious Sourdough Discard Cookie Recipes. There are so many ways to use sourdough starter than just baking bread. From chewy chocolate chip cookies to crispy biscotti you'll love the flavor and character it adds to cookies.
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The first recipe I ever developed was my Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies, so sourdough cookie recipes will always have a special place in my heart.
Why you’ll love these recipes
You can use up a lot of sourdough starter: If you don’t bake bread very often, cookies are a delicious way to use up excess sourdough starter.
Sourdough discard adds a delicious tang: The natural acidity of sourdough complement the rich buttery notes and the sugary sweetness of cookies.It also adds a nuanced flavor that you simply can't get otherwise.
Adds moisture to dough: Water that’s locked in sourdough discard keeps cookies moist and tasting fresh for days longer.
Can I add sourdough discard to any cookie recipe?
Adding sourdough discard to cookie dough isn’t as simple as simply chucking a cup of it into your favorite recipe. Sourdough contains a lot of water, and this added moisture can adversely affect the texture and flavor of cookies, causing them to either harden or spread.
Balancing the ratio of ingredients is especially important for cookies. It’s best not to experiment and to use recipes that have been specifically formulated, tried and tested using sourdough discard.
My Top 10 Sourdough Cookie Recipes:
This list has been updated based on the most viewed and loved recipes on Make It Dough!
Soft and Fudgy Sourdough Discard Chocolate Cookies
Soft and fudgy, these Sourdough Chocolate Cookies are made with three types of chocolate. Sourdough discard adds a delicious tang that perfectly balances the rich flavor of chocolate.
Sourdough Discard Chocolate Cookies
Sourdough Discard Crinkle Cookies
Crinkle cookies were my absolute favorite growing up. I've always been an absolute chocolate fiend, so I could never get enough of these rich and fudgy treats. When I set out to recreate a sourdough version of these cookies, I knew I wanted them to have a really soft, and chewy middle. Adding discard to
These Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside with a great flavor thanks to browned butter and sourdough discard.
Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies
Sourdough Pumpkin Cookies
These Sourdough Pumpkin Cookies are soft, chewy, with a delicious earthy flavor thanks to the addition of pumpkin puree! A quick one-bowl recipe that tastes even better a few days after they are baked.
Sourdough Pumpkin Cookies
Chewy Sourdough Molasses Cookies
Molasses and sourdough are a match made in cookie heaven! You’ll love the taste and texture of these Sourdough Molasses Cookies. Perfectly spiced, seriously chewy with a crunchy, crackly top, these cookies develop an even more delicious texture days after being baked
Chewy Sourdough Molasses Cookies
Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
These Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies are truly chewy (not crisp or gooey) with a rich nutty, toffee-like flavor thanks to the addition of browned butter and dark brown sugar. Incorporating a little bit of sourdough discard to these chocolate chip cookies adds a delicious tang that makes these cookies truly unique.
Don’t throw away your excess starter, use it to make these Sourdough Biscotti. Crisp and wonderfully crunchy, these biscotti are delicious and taste delightful with a cup of coffee. These twice-baked cookies are easy to make and are the best excuse to eat dessert for breakfast!
Sourdough Biscotti
Sourdough Banana Cookies
Just like the edge of a loaf of banana bread, these Sourdough Banana Cookies are chewy, caramelized and slightly crisp. This no-frills eggless cookie uses overripe bananas and sourdough discard so you can feel good about using ingredients you may otherwise throw away.
Sourdough Banana Cookies
Sourdough Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Chewy, sweet, loaded with oatmeal and raisins with just a hint of cinnamon, I’m a bit biased but I think these Sourdough Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are the perfect cookie. This one bowl recipe is simple to make and takes less than an hour from start to finish.
Sourdough Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Sourdough Lemon Cookie Pies
Tangy, sweet and loaded with bold lemon flavor, you’ll love these Sourdough Lemon Cookies Pies. Two soft, chewy cookies with a fresh lemon filling sandwiched in the middle, you’ll love these bright zesty treats.
Sourdough Lemon Cookie Pies
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Sourdough Cookie FAQs
What is sourdough discard?
Sourdough discard is any portion of your starter that is removed during the feeding process or any part that is not used to make bread. You can use it in other bakes and dishes or store it in the refrigerator for future use.
What are sourdough discard recipes?
Sourdough discard recipes can be savory dishes and desserts that do not use sourdough for its leavening abilities. These can be breads that combine commercial yeast and sourdough discard, or that use chemical leaveners like baking powder or baking soda.
Why did my cookies spread?
Sourdough adds additional moisture to cookies which can cause them to spread. The sourdough cookie recipes on this blog are formulated to compensate for this. It’s important to maintain the proportions of ingredients in any recipe and weighing your ingredients maximizes your chances of success.
Will my sourdough cookies taste sour?
Sourdough discard adds a delicious tang that balances the sugary sweetness of cookies. The intensity of this flavor depends on the unique acidity of your sourdough discard. If you’ve been keeping your discard in the fridge for a long time, then it will impart a more pronounced flavor in your bakes.
You may also like:
Soft and Chewy Sourdough Discard Sugar Cookies
Sourdough Discard Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Chewy Cranberry Oatmeal Sourdough Cookies
Ube White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Sourdough Cookies
« Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins
Sourdough Discard Cranberry Muffins »
Reader Interactions
Did you make this recipe? Do you have questions? Let me know below!
If you have too much starter compared to the additional flour and water you're adding, your hungry starter consumes all the nutrients and then it's not as bubbly.
The yeast in your sourdough starter digest the flour in your dough and produce the gas which rises your dough, creating a beautiful loaf. And as I often say during my online bread making classes, treat your yeast just like you'd like to be treated!
Whole wheat flour is an excellent choice for creating a sourdough starter due to its nutrient-rich composition and potential for fostering a robust microbial community. However, it's important to note that the quality of whole wheat flour can vary between brands.
Honey: Honey adds a sweetness to this dough and helps balance any sour flavor that comes through from the fermentation process. If you are looking for whole wheat bread without the honey, try this recipe. Salt: Salt enhances the flavor and helps tempers the fermentation.
If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.
Can I leave my starter out overnight after feeding it? Yes, if you have just fed it. Since the night is rather long, feed it in a 1:4:4 ratio so that's not over fermented by the morning. If for example you use a 1:1:1 ratio, the starter would have peaked in the middle of the night, and collapse by the morning.
Overworked sourdough can become tough and lose its ability to rise properly. If your dough feels tight and is difficult to shape, it might be overworked. Remember, sourdough requires a gentle touch and should not be kneaded as vigorously as other types of bread dough.
You can upgrade your cookie dough by adding spices to it, said Tracy Wilk, lead chef at the Institute of Culinary Education. This can lead to a warm, spicy cookie. To do so, combine ground cinnamon, ginger, and sugar, and then roll your balls of cookie dough in the mix before baking.
Flattening the cookie dough provides more surface area that comes into contact with the ice bath, shortening the time it takes to chill. Then submerge the dough in the ice water and let it chill. After 20 minutes the dough will be completely chilled and ready for baking.
The World's 'Oldest' Sourdough Starter Was Made With 4,500-Year-Old Yeast. There's no bread quite like sourdough. In addition to being tasty as a sandwich bread, delicious as sourdough croutons, and even great just toasted with butter, sourdough's production process is decidedly unlike other breads.
How Long will it take? The dough is ready when it has doubled in size and no longer looks dense. This can take anywhere from 3-12 hours depending on your current room temperature, the potency of your sourdough starter and the specifics of your surrounding environment.
Remember, it doesn't take much time each day to feed it, but the work you put in to getting to know what makes your starter happy will give you the best results when it comes to baking incredible, naturally-leavened breads. Ripe starter will: Look: doubled or tripled in size within 4-8 hours after feeding.
There are two main acids produced in a sourdough culture: lactic acid and acetic acid. Acetic acid, or vinegar, is the acid that gives sourdough much of its tang. Giving acetic acid-producing organisms optimal conditions to thrive and multiply will produce a more tangy finished product.
In my experience, the shortest final proof (at room temperature) that I prefer to do is one hour. The longest final proof (at room temperature) is about 3 hours. When going past 2-3 hours in a final proof, the crumb tends to get very gassy and opens up large gas bubbles with a longer countertop proof.
Introduction: My name is Eusebia Nader, I am a encouraging, brainy, lively, nice, famous, healthy, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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