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Pancakes, crackers, waffles, flatbreads, banana bread and a same-day pizza base, each with exact quantities and a proper method. No vague “stir some in and see” advice.
Every recipe below is written for a specific amount of 100% hydration discard (equal parts flour and water by weight), which is the ratio most starters get fed at. If your jar holds more or less than that, the discard calculator will scale the whole recipe up or down for you, no mental maths required.
Makes about 10 | 20 minutes
Sourdough Discard Pancakes
The easiest way in. If you’ve never cooked with discard before, start here, it’s basically a normal pancake batter with a jar of leftover starter folded through.
Ingredients
150g sourdough discard
200g plain flour
1 egg
240ml whole milk
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Butter, for the pan
Method
Whisk the discard, egg and milk together until smooth.
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt separately, then fold into the wet mixture. A few lumps are fine.
Rest the batter for 10 minutes while a non-stick pan heats over medium heat with a knob of butter.
Ladle in the batter, cook until bubbles set on top (about 2 minutes), then flip for another minute.
Keep warm in a low oven while you work through the rest of the batch.
Tip: don’t skip the rest. Ten minutes lets the baking powder start working evenly through the batter, and skipping it is the single biggest cause of flat, dense pancakes.
Got more or less than 150g discard? The discard calculator scales this recipe to match exactly what’s in your jar.
Makes 1 tray | 30 minutes
Sourdough Discard Crackers
Genuinely one of the best things you can do with discard. Thin, snapping crisp, and better with a glass of something on a Friday than anything from a packet.
Ingredients
100g sourdough discard
50g plain flour
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp fine salt
1 tsp dried herbs (rosemary or thyme)
Method
Mix everything into a stiff, slightly tacky dough. Add a little more flour if it’s too wet to roll.
Roll out as thin as you dare between two sheets of baking paper, about the thickness of a coin.
Cut into squares or diamonds, then prick each one with a fork.
Bake at 180°C (fan) for 12–15 minutes, until deep golden and properly crisp, not just coloured.
Cool completely on a wire rack before storing. They crisp up further as they cool.
Tip: older, more sour discard actually makes better crackers than fresh. This is the recipe for the jar you keep meaning to use up before the weekend bake.
Got more or less than 100g discard? The discard calculator scales this recipe to match exactly what’s in your jar.
Makes 4 | 20 minutes
Sourdough Discard Waffles
Slightly richer than the pancake batter, and the tang from the discard cuts nicely through maple syrup. A good lazy-Sunday bake if you’ve got an iron gathering dust.
Ingredients
180g sourdough discard
150g plain flour
2 eggs
60g butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Method
Whisk the discard, eggs and melted butter together until combined.
Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt until just smooth. Don’t overmix.
Heat the waffle iron and lightly grease it.
Pour in the batter, close the lid, and cook until deep golden and the steam slows right down, usually 4–5 minutes.
Serve straight away. Cooked waffles freeze well and reheat nicely in the toaster.
Tip: let the melted butter cool properly before it goes in. Add it hot and it scrambles the eggs on contact, which leaves the batter streaky instead of smooth.
Got more or less than 180g discard? The discard calculator scales this recipe to match exactly what’s in your jar.
Makes 4–6 | 40 minutes
Sourdough Discard Flatbreads
No oven, no waiting around, just a pan and about half an hour. These are the fastest thing on this page, good for a night when you want something to go with hummus rather than a proper cook.
Ingredients
200g sourdough discard
100g plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for cooking
Method
Combine the discard, flour, salt and oil into a rough dough. It’ll be soft and slightly sticky, that’s correct.
Rest for 20–30 minutes at room temperature, which makes it far easier to roll.
Divide into 4–6 pieces and roll each one thin on a floured surface.
Cook in a hot, dry pan or griddle, about 1–2 minutes a side, until blistered and lightly charred in spots.
Stack under a tea towel to keep soft while you cook the rest.
Tip: don’t skip the rest, even though it’s tempting when you’re hungry. It relaxes the gluten enough that the dough stops springing back when you roll it.
Got more or less than 200g discard? The discard calculator scales this recipe to match exactly what’s in your jar.
Makes 1 loaf | 1 hour
Sourdough Discard Banana Bread
The discard adds moisture and a gentle tang that balances the sweetness nicely. A good use for the very ripe, spotty bananas nobody else in the house will eat.
Ingredients
120g sourdough discard
200g plain flour
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
80g butter, melted
100g light brown sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
Method
Beat the mashed banana, eggs, melted butter and sugar together, then stir in the discard.
Fold in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt, mixing just until no dry streaks remain.
Pour into a lined 2lb loaf tin.
Bake at 170°C (fan) for 45–55 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil after 30 minutes if the top’s colouring too fast.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
Tip: use the ripest bananas you can find. Discard already brings the tang, so under-ripe banana leaves the loaf tasting flat instead of rounded.
Got more or less than 120g discard? The discard calculator scales this recipe to match exactly what’s in your jar.
Makes 2 bases | 1.5 hours
Sourdough Discard Quick Pizza Base
This isn’t a substitute for a properly fermented pizza dough if you’ve got the time. It’s what to reach for on a Tuesday when you want pizza tonight, not tomorrow, and you’ve got a jar of discard sitting there anyway.
Ingredients
200g sourdough discard
300g strong white bread flour
7g fast-action dried yeast
10g salt
30g olive oil
About 100ml warm water, added gradually
Method
Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl, then add the discard, olive oil and most of the water.
Bring together into a dough, adding more water a splash at a time until it’s soft but not sticky.
Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic, then rest, covered, for about an hour until visibly puffed.
Divide, shape into bases, and top as you like.
Bake as hot as your oven goes, ideally 240°C or more, until the crust is blistered and the base is cooked through, usually 8–12 minutes.
Tip: a house-music playlist and an hour of proving is about the right pace for this one. Rush the rest and the base tears instead of stretching.
Got more or less than 200g discard? The discard calculator scales this recipe to match exactly what’s in your jar.
Frequently Asked
Questions about using sourdough discard
How much sourdough discard can I use in a recipe?
There’s no strict upper limit, but as a rule of thumb, discard can replace 20–30% of the total flour and liquid in most standard recipes without changing the method. Beyond that, you’re really into “discard recipe” territory. Each recipe above is built around a specific amount, and the discard calculator will scale any of them to match exactly what’s in your jar.
Does discard need to be fed before I bake with it?
No. That’s the whole point of discard, it’s the portion you remove before feeding, so it’s already inactive and won’t rise a loaf on its own. That’s exactly why it works so well in batters and quick doughs like these, where you don’t want the extra lift.
Can I use discard straight from the fridge?
Yes, straight from the fridge is fine and is how most of these recipes are written. Cold discard just takes a minute or two longer to loosen up when you whisk or mix it in, nothing to worry about.
How long does sourdough discard keep before I need to use it?
Kept in a sealed jar in the fridge, discard is good for one to two weeks. It gets more sour as it sits, which suits savoury bakes like the crackers and flatbreads above particularly well. If it’s formed a layer of liquid on top, just stir it back in rather than pouring it away.
Does discard need to be 100% hydration for these recipes to work?
These quantities assume a standard 100% hydration discard, equal parts flour and water by weight, which is the most common maintenance ratio. If yours is stiffer or looser, the discard calculator works out the actual flour and water content so you can adjust accordingly.
Can I freeze sourdough discard instead of baking with it straight away?
Yes. Discard freezes well in flat, labelled bags or small tubs for up to three months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before using, and give it a good stir, since it tends to separate slightly in the freezer.
Can I use discard in any recipe, or only ones written for it?
In theory, any recipe with flour and liquid can absorb a bit of discard. In practice it works best in bakes that don’t rely on commercial yeast or careful gluten development for their final texture, which is why pancakes, crackers and quick breads are such reliable places to use it.
Still Stuck?
Unsure how much discard you’ve actually got? Ask the Coach.
Not sure if your starter's hydration is really 100%, or whether your jar of discard is still good after two weeks in the fridge? The AI Baking Coach can look at what you're describing and tell you exactly what to do next.
