Fried sourdough starter to make your life easy: 5 recipes!

Have you ever fried your sourdough starter? They have crispy edges with a delicate sour flavor. Fried sourdough is just delicious. So, if you are into that, and don't mind pan-fried bread, this blog post is for you. I am going to share 5 ways that I fry the sourdough starter or the sourdough discard, to make quick flavorful pan-fried bread.

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

What is sourdough discard?

The portion of the starter that is supposed to be discarded before giving a fresh feeding, is called the sourdough discard.

It is crucial to discard a portion of the starter, to maintain a specific volume of starter. In simple terms, some of the sourdough starter is discarded to prevent the starter from building up exponentially every time with feedings.

The phenomenon is derived from the commercial bakeries that bake hundreds of loaves every day and feed their starters multiple times a day. Their starter is already large enough and with multiple feeding per day, it would multiply and would continue to become larger and larger. Which will be more wasteful. So to avoid that, a portion of the starter is discarded before feeding only.

At home as well, we want to maintain a certain amount of starter. So, we discard a part of the starter before feeding, so that after feeding, we end up with the desired quantity of the starter and our starter does not keep piling up.

 So, in every situation, a sourdough baker has an accumulated portion of sourdough discard.

How to use discarded sourdough starter?

You have 3 options when it comes to the sourdough discard.

1. Discard the Discard: Really! Throw the sourdough discard? Never.
2. Sourdough Discard recipes: Use the discard to make something you have been planning to make. Discard is as good as a starter and you can leaven any kind of bread with it.
   Sourdough discard recipes aim at using the discarded sourdough to make delicious bread. But, that means you have to make an entire batch of sourdough pancakes or sourdough pitas to put that discard to some use.
   
   What if you are not up for an elaborate recipe? Sometimes all you need is a simple way to get done with the discard.
3. Convert the discard into a recipe: Instead of baking a loaf, or a batch of sourdough savory pancakes, or something else, you can simply make a small recipe that would not take much of your time and effort.
   
   If you have a cup of accumulated discard, you can simply make a sourdough discard fry bread.
   
   An excellent breakfast is there for you! Or you can fry the dough as small fritters which is nothing but a deep-fried sourdough starter.

Deep-fried sourdough starter

You can make these delicious fried starters using the sourdough discard. Just sweeten and flavor the discard with some sugar and vanilla. Now dunk a strawberry or banana in the batter and fry it! These deep-fried starter fritters are super crispy and flavorful. You can also roll them in some sugar cinnamon. I love them. These sweet fried starter fritters are best enjoyed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

But that would require deep frying and so much oil. And, yes much more hassle.

 On the contrary, just put 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and make a fried sourdough starter bread. This flatbread is crispy and flavorful. You can adjust the flavors according to your liking and add whatever topping you like. It is a very versatile bread. There are numerous ways you can flavor them. This blog post is all about the fried sourdough bread made with a starter or discard.

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls from the discarded starter

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls made with discarded sourdough starter. These cinnamom rolls are Cinnabon like, super soft, fluffy, addictive and eggless .

Check out this recipe

Easy Sourdough Discard Naan recipe

Looking for ways to use your sourdough Discard!! You have reached the right place. This Indian Flatbread: Naan made with sourdough discard is chewy, yet soft and flavorful without any yogurt! It is a foolproof stovetop naan recipe. It is very forgiving. There is no way you can mess it up.

How to prepare the starter or discard for the recipe?

1. Bring it to room temperature: If you store your sourdough starter in the refrigerator then make sure to remove it from the refrigerator ahead of making any recipe. We must bring it down to room temperature.
2. Make adjustments to the sourness of the starter as per your liking: The second thing to note is how old the discard is? Usually, people accumulate discard over time, and then maybe at the end of the week, they plan to convert it into some recipe. If that is the case with you and your starter is more than a week old and it has been stored at room temperature you might need to seriously adjust flavor, as your starter would be very sour.  I recommend you add some sugar and milk to balance the sourness.
   

Even if you keep the starter refrigerated it is going to be sour. That is what sourdough is. So in all cases, you will have to adjust for the sourness.

But there is no thumb rule for that. T keep my starter refrigerated and  I do not add anything to combat sourness in my fried sourdough bread. I just like it that way. Whereas the rest of my family members don't quite like the sourness so if I am making for them I have to make some adjustments.

5 quick pan-fry bread recipes

Sourdough discard can be used to make all sorts of Savory pancakes. But, these are not savory sourdough pancakes. These starter fried bread are a sort of skillet-fried flatbread. Instead of going for complete recipes, these are quick bread that you can make and solve  2 problems.

First, ...what to make for a quick breakfast for myself?
Second, what do I do with the sourdough discard?

1. Fried sourdough starter bread made with Cumin and cilantro: Indian inspired
2.  Fried Sourdough starter scallion bread: Asian inspired
3. Thyme and basil fried sourdough bread: Italian inspired
4. Fried sourdough starter with caramelized onions:
5. Fried Sourdough starter bread with tofu.
   
   

1. Fried sourdough starter bread made with Cumin and cilantro: Indian inspired

In addition to the sourdough discard, or starter you will need 

• Ghee for frying the bread, (optional)
• Cumin seeds, 
• Fresh cilantro leaves, 
• Spring greens 

This fried sourdough skillet bread is made in Ghee and is spiced with some cumin and fresh cilantro. This one has a very comforting flavor. This might be my Indianish taste buds, but I am pretty sure that you will like it too. It is crispy and crunchy on the outside, smoky due to cumin and the sourness at the back of it (from the sourdough discard).

Take the discarded starter in a bowl and add, salt, pepper, and chili powder ( or chili flakes, or leave it if you do not need heat)

In a skillet add ghee and let it melt. Add cumin seeds, and wait for a few seconds until they start to sizzle and become aromatic. Then sprinkle chopped cilantro leaves and spring greens in the center and quickly pour in the sourdough discard. Let it cook for half a minute and then sprinkle some cumin seeds, spring greens, and cilantro on the top. Use a spatula and gently flip when the edges start to become golden brown. Pan fry bread till it turns golden brown.

Be extra careful while flipping the bread.

If you want to use dry coriander (cilantro) seeds, add them along with cumin seeds in the beginning and let them roast a bit.

2. Fried Sourdough starter scallion bread: Asian inspired

This fried sourdough bread recipe is the most basic discard recipe you can make at your home. Flavors here are very much Asian-inspired.

• Sesame seeds: Black or white sesame seeds, use whatever you have on hand.
• Scallions
• Toasted sesame seed oil

 The recipe is very similar to the previous recipes. I like to add ½ teaspoon of toasted sesame seed oil to the sourdough batter and mix it well before pouring the discard into the skillet. We can not use more toasted sesame seed oil, because it is pretty strong in flavor. Little is much in this case. So please, do not overdo it.

Instead of cumin seeds, we will add sesame seeds and scallions to the oil before pouring the sourdough discard onto the skillet. Pan-fry the bread for a minute and sprinkle more sesame seeds and scallions. Once the bread has browned, flip it to the other side and cook. It should be golden brown crispy and coated on both sides with toasted sesame seeds and scallions! And yes, a hint of sourness from sourdough.

3. Thyme and basil fried sourdough bread

So this one is more of an Italian-inspired fried bread. The flavors are basic Italian flavors. Thyme, basil, oregano, and olives.

Ingredients other than the discard that we will be using in this bread are:

•  Fresh thyme 
•  dry oregano
•  dry basil
•  Olives

 So in this recipe, I like to use good extra virgin olive oil for frying. It gives it a more organic Italian flavor. You can also add capers if you like. Substitute fresh thyme with dry thyme in case you don't have it on hand.

As far as the procedure is concerned, start by heating olive oil in a skillet. Put some fresh thyme leaves and sliced Manzanilla olives. Then pour in the batter. Let it cook for a minute or so and then top it with fresh thyme, dry oregano, basil, and chopped olives. Flip over and let it cook on the other side.  Now enjoy this delicious fried sourdough bread. It is best enjoyed right off the skillet. It is at its crispiest!

4. Fried sourdough starter with caramelized onions:

• Red onions
•  chopped cilantro

  There is the only one-star ingredient in this one. Wait…. wait…. sorry, two... The sourdough discard and caramelized onions.  The sweet caramelized red onions complement the sourness of the sourdough discard beautifully.

  Start by slicing half an onion. Choose red onions because they work best in this recipe. I have tried this recipe with white and yellow but red ones are just the best. 

And as far as the discard is concerned just like all the previous recipes we would like to add salt, and pepper to the discard and mix. And for the cooking medium, you can use any neutral-flavored oil.

Cilantro is optional, but I like to add it.  In addition to the beautiful color and aroma, they also add some crispness. On frying, the cilantro leaves become crispy and crunchy!

5. Fried Sourdough starter bread with tofu

This one is my absolute favorite fried sourdough skillet bread.  To make this one you will need:

• Extra-firm tofu
•  black salt
•  cilantro 

 I like to use extra-firm tofu but medium tofu would work just fine. Make sure to squeeze out the maximum moisture. Crumble a piece of tofu on a muslin cloth and twist and squeeze out all the excess moisture.

 This way I will end up with a crumbled tofu that has no excess moisture. I like to season the crumbled tofu with black salt, and pepper before adding it to the bread. When the bread is pan-frying from one side, I sprinkle the scrambled tofu on it. Later I pour a little bit of sourdough starter on the tofu before flipping it to pan fry. Always flip carefully. Remember there is oil in the pan.

Frequently asked questions

Quick Recipe Notes:

• Add a tablespoon of milk to adjust the flavor of the sourdough. Milk helps to reduce the acidic flavor. Also, you can use a pinch of sugar.
• Take extra caution while flipping the bread. Remember there is no oil in the pan. The key is to flip very gently.
• These bread are very versatile. The possibilities are endless. Feel free to experiment and share with me too.
  
  
  A few sourdough recipes that you will love:

• Everything you need to know about making dehydrated sourdough starter and easily reviving it
• How to make Naan using the Sourdough Discard
• How to make Sourdough Brioche
• How to make all-purpose Flour Sourdough bread

No matter at what stage in your sourdough journey you are, you are always looking for new recipes to try. Give this one a try. If you are health conscious, just reduce the quantity of oil.

If you found it useful, I request you leave us a comment. Or you can also tag me on Instagram with your creations.

Happy baking!

Print Pin

5 from 6 votes

5 Fried sourdough starter recipes

Fried sourdough is just delicious! Sometimes when you are looking to use the accumulated sourdough discard, you need a quick recipe like this. Instead of going for elaborate recipes, this quick and easy fried sourdough starter bread recipe comes in handy. These are 5 ways that you can fry the sourdough starter or the sourdough discard, to make quick flavorful pan-fried bread.

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword Fried sourdough discard, Fried sourdough starter, pan fried bread

Prep Time 1 minute minute

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Meenakshi

Ingredients

Ingredients common in all the recipe variations

• 1 cup Sourdough starter or Discard for each variation of the fried bread
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• Pinch of chili powder
• 2-3 tablespoon Olive oil for frying depending on the size of the skillet

Ingredients for recipe variation 1: Fried sourdough starter bread made with Cumin and cilantro

• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• ¼ cup of chopped cilantro leaves
• A handful of chopped spring greens

Ingredients for recipe variation 2: Fried Sourdough starter scallion bread:

• ½ teaspoon Sesame seeds Black or white sesame seeds
• ¼ cup chopped Scallions
• ¼ teaspoon Toasted sesame seed oil

Ingredients for recipe variation 3: Thyme and basil fried sourdough bread

• 1 teaspoon Fresh thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon dry oregano
• ½ teaspoon dry basil
• 5-6 Olives sliced

Ingredients for recipe variation 4: Fried sourdough starter with caramelized onions

• ¼ red onion sliced
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Ingredients for recipe variation 5: Fried Sourdough starter bread with tofu.

• 4- inch cube of Extra firm tofu
• ¼ teaspoon black salt
• Handful chopped cilantro

Instructions

Common Instructions for all variations

• In a bowl mix the starter with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Set aside.

Instructions for making the Indian inspired fried sourdough bread:

• In a skillet, melt ghee. Now add cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds start to sizzle, add chopped cilantro.
  
• Now quickly pour the sourdough starter on it.
• Let it cook for half a minute. Sprinkle the spring greens and chopped cilantro over it.
• When the sides become golden brown, carefully flip the bread using a spatula.
  
• Let the bread fry until it becomes golden brown.
• Transfer on to a tissue paper. Let the tissue absorb all the excess oil.
• Enjoy!

Instructions for making Asian inspired Fried Sourdough starter scallion bread:

• Heat oil in a skillet. Now add sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
• Gently pour the sourdough starter on it.
• Let it cook for half a minute. Sprinkle more sesame seeds and scallion on the raw side.
  
• When the bottom sides become golden brown, carefully flip the bread using a spatula.
  
• Let the bread fry until it becomes golden brown.
• Transfer on to a tissue paper. Let the tissue absorb all the excess oil. Now dig in!

Instructions for making Italian inspired Thyme and basil fried sourdough bread

• Heat oil in a skillet. Now add thyme leaflets and quickly pour the sourdough starter on it.
• Rotate the pan gently to spread the starter in the skillet.
• Let it cook for half a minute and then sprinkle more thyme, basil, oregano, and spread some olives.
  
• When the bottom sides become golden brown, carefully flip the bread using a spatula.
• Let the bread fry until it becomes golden brown.
• Transfer on to a tissue paper. Let the tissue absorb all the excess oil.
  
• Enjoy as your heart desires!

Instructions for making Fried sourdough starter with caramelized onions

• Heat oil in a skillet. Now add thinly sliced onions.
  
• Saute till the onions become golden.
• Gather the onions at the center and spread the sourdough starter on it.
  
• Rotate the pan gently to spread the starter in the skillet.
• Let it cook for half a minute and then sprinkle chopped cilantro.
• When the bottom sides become golden brown, carefully flip it using a spatula.
• Let the bread fry until it becomes golden brown from both the sides
• Transfer on to a tissue paper. Let the tissue absorb all the excess oil.
  
• Enjoy as such or with your favorite sauce.

Instructions for making Fried Sourdough starter bread with tofu.

• Scramble the tofu and squeeze out the excess moisture. Add black salt, mix and set aside.
• Add oil in a skillet.
• Before the oil gets hot, put some chopped cilantro in the center of the skillet.
  
• Now pour the starter over it.
• Let it cook for half a minute and then sprinkle the scrambled tofu and remaining cilantro. Then add some left over starter over the tofu also.
  
• When the bottom sides become golden brown, carefully flip the bread using a spatula.
• Let the bread cook until it becomes golden brown.
  
• Transfer on to a tissue paper and cover with another tissue. Press to remove all the excess oil onto the tissue papers.
• Enjoy as your heart desires!

Notes

• Add a tablespoon of milk to adjust the flavor of the sourdough. Milk helps to reduce the acidic flavor. Also, you can use a pinch of sugar.
• Take extra caution while flipping the bread. Remember there is no oil in the pan. The key is to flip very gently.
• These bread are very versatile. The possibilities are endless. Feel free to experiment and share with me too.
• Please note that each variation would need a cup of sourdough starter or discard. 
• The nutrition facts are the average of all 5 recipes.

Nutrition facts

 

 

Pin for later!