What is sourdough discard?

Sourdough discard refers to the excess starter that remains after it doubles in size and begins to fall back down . This term can be deceiving though as “discard” doesn't mean it's unusable or wasted. A better way to think of it is as leftovers.

Is eating sourdough discard good for you?

Technically, sourdough discard has the same benefits as sourdough starter , since they are both wild yeast ferments. In terms of beneficial lactic acid bacteria, natural yeasts acetic acid and colonies of microbes, they are both full of them.

Does sourdough discard go bad?

You can use old sourdough discard if it's been stored in the fridge, however, you really want to use it up within a week - 2 weeks max. It's better to use "fresh" discard in a sweet sourdough discard recipe. Use older discards in more savory recipes.

What is the secret to great crepes?

Let the batter rest . If you can make the batter the night before, or 8 hours before you plan to make crêpes, they will be better than straight away. This resting period allows the gluten in the flour to develop and bond to the milk and eggs, and this yields a more complex flavor.

Why is the first crepe always bad?

The first is that heat hasn't yet evenly distributed across the surface of the pan when the first dollop of batter is added . The centre of the pan will invariably be hotter than the edges and there will be hot spots – especially with thin pans or with pans that are too big for the burner or hob.

Why are my crepes puffing up?

Large air bubbles that spring up on top of the surface of crepes are not so good, however, as these bubbles tend to pop and can leave holes that prevent your crepes from cooking evenly. These large air bubbles are usually a sign that your crepe batter has been over whisked and has too much air in it .

What's the difference between sourdough starter and discard?

Only a small portion of the sourdough starter is reserved and fed during each feeding, the rest is referred to as discard, since typically it is thrown away. In efforts to reduce waste, discard is often collected from multiple feedings and stored in the fridge until enough is allotted to be used for discard recipes.

What can I use instead of sourdough discard?

Sourdough discard: If you don't sourdough discard saved up, feel free to use active sourdough starter . Active-dry yeast: You can use instant yeast for this recipe, you can skip blooming the yeast if you substitute.

What do you do with sourdough discard?

This question gets asked so often in my Facebook Group of over 190,000 sourdough bakers - in fact, sourdough discard recipes are the most popular recipes shared in the group. The sourdough discard recipes that use the most sourdough discard are sourdough discard waffles, muffins, crackers, pie crust and pizza dough .

Do you really need to discard sourdough starter?

Nope! Once the sourdough starter is established on day 8, all you have to do is just give it flour and water. You no longer need to discard half of it.

Sourdough Discard Crepes Recipe | Kiersten Hickman (2024)

So…how’s everyone doing? It’s the beginning of a new month and I’m starting off strong with (yet again) another post about breakfast food. Cue Demi Lovato’s “Sorry Not Sorry” because I couldn’t help but post these sourdough crepes immediately. And y’all are going to thank me for this recipe. Did I scarf down an entire crepe as I was making the others? Maybe. Just maybe.

Sourdough Discard Crepes Recipe | Kiersten Hickman (1)

Sourdough Discard Crepes Recipe | Kiersten Hickman (2)

As always, I shall share with you the inspiration behind my delicious creation. This week I read this great piece from Epicurious praising the sourdough crepe, and it had me thinking: I do love a good pancake (shameless plug for these lemon ricotta beauties), but it’s true! Pancakes—especially sourdough ones—sit heavy in your stomach after. The thought of enjoying a light pancake breakfast was appealing to me, and in true it’s-Friday-treat-yourself fashion, I decided to give the sourdough crepe a go.

The best part? These sourdough crepes don’t have to sit overnight.

Cue the Hallelujahs, because it’s true. While I do believe that letting the sourdough crepe batter sit overnight will enhance the flavor and texture (similar to Epicurious’ recipe), I’m an impatient lady and wanted my crepe now. I mean, how many times have you gone to make a sourdough recipe and found yourself disappointed because it needed to sit overnight? I wasn’t having it. I just didn’t want to waste my discard, so I just used up my fed sourdough starter and made crepes immediately.

The reason a lot of sourdough discard recipes sit overnight is because of texture. Sourdough pancake batter needs to sit because it helps to make those pancakes really fluffy. But you don’t need a fluffy crepe, do you? Hence why I decided to just go for it.

How to shape the perfect crepe

It does take a little practice, but trust me, you’ll get the hang of it. And I think we can both agree that it’s going to be completely worth the effort. Plus, a weird shaped crepe is still a great crepe. Hence why I scarfed the first one down while making these.

To make crepes, I like to use my cast-iron skillet. Surprised? Probably not. I literally make anything and everything in my cast-iron skillet. For this recipe, you can either make four crepes in a 10″ skillet, or three crepes in a 12″ skillet. If you’re using a 10″ skillet, you’ll pour 1/3 cup of batter into the pan. For 12″ crepes, you’ll pour in about 1/2 cup of batter.

For perfectly shaped crepes, make sure the pan is warm, not hot, over medium-low heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with some cold butter, then pour in the batter. Make sure you have kitchen mitts on! You’ll want to immediately grab both sides of the skillet and swirl the batter around the pan to make that perfect circle. This is the part that will take practice, but I promise, once you get the hang of it, it’s like riding a bike. You’ll cook the crepe on the first side for longer (two to three minutes) than the second side (30 to 60 seconds ). Place it on a plate, fill, and destroy.

Sourdough Discard Crepes Recipe | Kiersten Hickman (3)

Sourdough Discard Crepes Recipe | Kiersten Hickman (4)

Fillings for sourdough crepes

The possibilities are seriously endless when comes to crepes. You can make them sweet or savory, enjoy them for breakfast, lunch, or hey, why not for dessert, too?

Here are some fun crepe combinations you can throw together once your sourdough discard crepes are made.

Blueberries + Ricotta Cheese
Nutella + Strawberries
Peanut Butter + Bananas (or Chocolate Chips!)
Butter + Jam
Cream Cheese + Jam
Ham + Cheese
Any Fresh Fruit + Maple Syrup (pictured!)
Smashed Avocado + Everything Bagel Seasoning
Fresh Mozzarella + Tomato + Chopped Basil + Balsamic Vinegar

Other sourdough discard recipes

Looking for other ways to use up your sourdough discard? Warning, these call for an overnight rise! But don’t you worry, I’ll come back with lots of clever non-overnight sourdough discard recipes for you. Promise!!

Sourdough Crepes

Use up your sourdough discard immediately and whip up these crepes for breakfast!

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time15 mins

Ingredients

135 grams sourdough starter recently fed
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp melted butter plus butter for the pan
Dash of salt
1/4 cup milk

Instructions

Measure out the sourdough starter in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Add in the two eggs, melted butter, and a dash of salt. Mix together with a spatula.
Slowly pour the milk mixture into the bowl as you continously whisk. The matter should be thin and smooth.
Heat up a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. If you use a 10" skillet, you'll be able to make 4 crepes. If you use a 12" skillet, you'll only get 3 crepes.
Melt some butter in the pan to coat. For a 10" skillet, pour in 1/3 cup of batter into the pan. For a 12" skillet, pour 1/2 cup of batter into the pan. Immediately swirl the crepe batter around the pan so the entire bottom is covered in it, so you can get that perfect circle shape.
Cook on the first side for 2-3 minutes. The bottom should get nice and golden.
The crepe is ready to flip when you can easily get a spatula underneath it. Flip it and cook on the other side for 30 to 60 seconds—until the other side is golden brown.
Serve immediately with fresh berries, syrup, or any other desired fillings!

Notes

These crepes should last in the fridge for up to four days! Store in an air-tight container or in aluminum foil. To heat it up, place it in the cast iron skillet and you can either heat it up on the stovetop or in the oven at 250 degrees for 10 minutes.

Calories are based on a 12″ crepe. For a 10″ crepe, it will be about 125 calories.