The best way to use up your sourdough discard? In more bread, of course! This recipe will show you how to make a simple toasting loaf using your sourdough discard, and it will also outline how generally to use sourdough discard in any bread recipe. 🍞🍞🍞

Sliced sourdough discard toasting bread on a cutting board.

There are countless recipes well suited for using sourdough discard in place of some of the flour and water, but my favorite way to use it us is such: in any bread recipe. My family subsists on toast and sandwiches, so I often use my discard in this favorite simple sandwich bread recipe or in this even simpler toasting loaf (recipe below), which is soft but sturdy, excellent of course for toast, but also great for sandwiches when freshly baked.

Whereas the sandwich bread recipe calls for milk and melted butter, this one calls for water alone as well as a small amount of honey, which lends the subtlest sweetness, promotes browning, and helps keep the bread soft. It can be omitted if you prefer. Find step-by-step instructions below or use your sourdough discard in any of your favorite bread recipes:

How to Use Sourdough Discard in Any Bread Recipe

If you are feeding your starter at 100% hydration, meaning equal parts by weight flour and water, it is very easy to adapt any bread recipe to use sourdough discard in place of some of the flour and water.

To do so, simply decide how much discard you are going to use by weight; then divide that weight in half and subtract that figure from both the total water and total flour called for.

For instance, if you want to use 100 grams of discard in a bread recipe, simply subtract 50 grams each flour and water from the amounts called for in the recipe.

I find that when using discard in bread recipes, I often have to add a little bit more flour — I do this by eye, slowly sprinkling in more flour until my dough ball comes together. Depending on the state of your discard, you may or may not need to make any adjustments to the recipe. Just know that using discard in bread recipes is very forgiving.

PS: If you’ve ever wanted to build a sourdough starter from scratch, but have been too intimidated by the process, take the Sourdough Starter from Scratch Challenge

PPS: 4 Other Favorite Sourdough Discard Recipes:

How to Make Simple Sourdough Discard Toasting Bread, Step by Step

Gather your ingredients: flour, water, salt, sourdough discard, instant yeast, and, optionally, honey (or other sweetener).

The ingredients to make sourdough discard toasting bread — honey, salt, water, sourdough discard, yeast, and flour — on a countertop.

In a large bowl combine the water, honey (if using), salt, and instant yeast.

A large bowl holding water, salt, honey, and yeast.

Stir to dissolve the salt and honey.

A large bowl holding water, salt, honey, and yeast, all stirred together.

Add 200 grams of sourdough discard (see recipe box if you’d like to use less).

A bowl on a scale holding water, yeast, salt, honey, and 199 grams of sourdough discard.

Stir to combine.

A bowl of water, yeast, salt, honey, and sourdough discard stirred together.

Add the flour.

A large bowl holding water, yeast, salt, honey, sourdough discard and flour, not yet stirred together.

And stir until you have a wet, sticky dough ball. Cover the bowl and let rest for 30 minutes.

A large bowl holding just-mixed sourdough discard toasting bread dough.

Then perform a series of stretches as folds using a wet hand. Here’s video guidance:

Cover the bowl again and let the dough rise …

A bowl holding sourdough discard toasting bread dough after a set of stretches and folds.

… until it doubles in volume.

A large bowl of risen sourdough discard toasting bread dough.

Using a flexible bowl scraper, deflate the dough by pulling it from the sides of the bowl and into the center. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and roll into a coil. Here’s video guidance:

Deflated dough:

A bowl of sourdough discard toasting bread dough deflated after the first rise.

Turned out dough:

Sourdough discard toasting bread dough, after its first rise, turned out onto a work surface.

Rectangle:

Sourdough discard toasting bread dough stretched out on a work surface into a large rectangle.

Drizzle the loaf lightly with olive oil, and rub to coat.

A 9x5-inch loaf pan holding sourdough discard toasting bread dough, ready to make its final rise.

Let rise until the dough crowns the rim of the loaf pan.

A loaf pan holding sourdough discard toasting bread dough, risen and ready to be baked.

Bake at 375ºF for 45 minutes.

A loaf of sourdough discard toasting bread baking in the oven.
A just-baked loaf of sourdough discard toasting bread still in its loaf pan on a rack.

Then turn out onto a cooling rack.

A just-baked loaf of sourdough discard toasting bread on a cooling rack.

Let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Sliced sourdough discard toasting bread on a cutting board.

This bread freezes beautifully.

Sliced sourdough discard toasting bread on a cutting board.

It’s great for sandwiches when freshly baked:

Sliced sourdough discard toasting bread on a cutting board.

And, of course, makes excellent toast:

A slice of sourdough discard toasting bread, toasted and buttered on a plate.
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Sliced sourdough discard toasting bread on a cutting board.

Simple Sourdough Discard Toasting Bread

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Description

This recipe will show you how to make the simplest of simple bread recipes using your sourdough discard: a soft but sturdy loaf, great for toast and sandwiches 🍞

Notes:

  • For best results, please use a scale to measure. 
  • Yeast: SAF instant yeast is my preference. If you are using active dry yeast, sprinkle it over the water and let it bloom for 15 minutes before proceeding. 
  • Salt: The rule of thumb with bread is that the weight of the salt should be 2 to 3% the weight of the flour. For this recipe that is 10 to 15 grams. I always use 15 grams of salt, and I do not find the bread to be too salty, but, as you know, I have a high salt tolerance. Use an amount appropriate to your tastes and preferences. Finally, I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, but you can use fine sea salt or whatever salt you like. 
  • Sourdough Discard: You can use either freshly discarded discard (as in from a room-temperature feeding of your starter) or you can use discard you’ve had in the fridge (ideally not older than 2 weeks). Ideally, you are feeding your starter at 100% hydration, meaning equal parts by weight flour and water, which is the hydration of the starter I use in all of my sourdough bread recipes. You can use as much or as little sourdough discard here as you like but adjust the recipe accordingly: if, for example, you want to use 100 grams of discard, use 350 grams of water and 500 grams of flour. 
  • The pan: I am using this 9×5-inch USA pan. You could use a 10×5-inch loaf pan here as well. An 8×4-inch pan might be too small here. 

Ingredients

Please read all notes above before proceeding:

  • 300 grams (about 1 1/3 cups) water, cold or room temperature
  • 4 grams (1 teaspoon) instant yeast
  • 10 to 15 grams (2 to 3 teaspoons) salt
  • 21 grams (1 tablespoon) honey or other sweetener, optional
  • 200 grams (about 1 cup) sourdough discard
  • 450 grams (about 3.5 cups) bread flour, plus more for dusting
  • softened butter for greasing
  • olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

  1. Mix the dough: In a large bowl, combine the water, instant yeast, salt, and honey (if using). Stir to dissolve the salt and honey. Add the sourdough discard and stir to combine. Add the flour, and stir until you have a wet, sticky dough ball. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Stretch and fold: Fill a small bowl with water. Using a wet hand, stretch and fold the dough by grabbing an edge and pulling it up and towards the center. Repeat this stretching and folding process, moving your hand around the edge of the dough with every set of stretches and folds. As you stretch and fold, you should feel the dough transform from being sticky and shaggy to smooth and cohesive. Find video guidance here. 
  3. Let it rise: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature until it has doubled in volume, roughly 2 to 3 hours. Note: Depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the time of year, this may take more or less time. Rely on the visual cues (doubling) more than the timing. 
  4. Prepare a loaf pan: Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with softened butter. 
  5. Coil up your dough: Deflate the dough using your hand or a flexible bench scraper, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat it into a rectangle roughly 8 by 16 inches (Note: the length isn’t as important as the width: don’t go much wider than 8 inches or you will have to squish it into your loaf pan). Starting at the small end, roll the dough into a tight coil. Transfer it to your prepared pan. Pour 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the surface and rub to coat. Find video guidance here. 
  6. Final rise: Let the dough rise until it crowns the rim of your pan, roughly 1 hour. When your dough begins approaching the rim (or roughly 30 minutes after you place the dough in the loaf pan), preheat your oven to 375ºF.
  7. Bake it: Bake for 45 minutes.
  8. Turn out onto a cooling rack and let cool completely (if you have the patience) before slicing — it is much easier to slice the bread into thin, uniform slices when the bread has cooled completely.
  9. Store the bread in an airtight bag or vessel at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
  • Prep Time: 3 hours
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: yeast, sourdough
  • Cuisine: Amerian