Sourdough Discard Cornbread

This Sourdough Discard Cornbread is a great transition from summer into fall. It's sweet and fluffy, and great to pair with a summer soup, a bowl of chili, or as a side for a backyard barbeque. Cornbread is also a great time to break out the honey: a warm piece of cornbread, slathered with a bit of butter and a honey drizzle.... delicious!

This Sourdough Discard Cornbread is delicious to serve with this Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup, or this Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup.

If you're looking for other sourdough discard recipes, check out this Sourdough Discard Garlic Pull Apart Bread, Sourdough Discard Breadsticks, and this Sourdough Discard Focaccia.

Ingredients

As long as you have sourdough discard, you are well on your way to making this recipe!

• All-purpose flour: This gives the final cornbread a light and fluffy feel.
• Yellow cornmeal: Yellow cornmeal gives the cornbread it's color. If you only have white cornmeal on hand, that will work in a pinch!
• Sourdough discard: The sourdough discard should be unfed and at room temperature for this recipe. This recipe is designed for a sourdough starter with a 1:1 ratio (when you feed the starter, it's with 1 part water and 1 part flour). If your starter uses a different ratio, you'll need to adjust some of the ingredients.
• Granulated sugar: This is a sweet cornbread, and granulated sugar gives it that sweetness.
• Non-dairy milk: I like to use unflavored almond milk, but you can use any kind of unflavored non-dairy or regular dairy milk.
• Egg: The egg helps give this bread structure and moisture.
• Honey (optional): I love to top this cornbread with a swipe of butter and drizzle of honey. Feeling fancy? Try a little raw honeycomb on top! This is also a great time to try out any hot honey or salted honey.

See full recipe below for detailed directions.

Substitutions & Variations

This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.

• Use active sourdough starter - If you'd rather make this recipe with active starter, you can! To do so, replace the sourdough discard with active sourdough starter (1:1 substitute).
• Sourdough Discard Cornbread Muffins - Make a muffin version of this cornbread by dividing the batter into a lined muffin pan. Bake at the same temperature, but keep an eye on the time - they may not need to bake as long!
• Use a cast iron pan - You can use a cast iron pan for this cornbread. Let the pan heat up while the oven is coming to temperature. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and coat the sides and bottom of the pan with butter, then pour the batter into the hot pan. Keep an eye on the baking time as it may not need to bake as long.
• Remove the egg - If you're not using eggs, replace the egg with ¼ cup of plain yogurt (dairy or non-dairy).

I have not tested this recipe with other variations, but if you do, let us know how it turns out in the comments! I always love to hear how you're adapting these recipes and use those as ideas for future recipes as well!

How to make Sourdough Discard Cornbread

This recipe comes together in just a few easy steps!

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Add all wet ingredients (including sourdough discard) and whisk to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased 8x8-inch baking pan.

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Slice, then serve!

What is sourdough discard?

Sourdough discard is what is leftover after you feed your sourdough starter. You can either literally discard this (trash or compost) or use it in sourdough discard recipes like this one.

Sourdough discard is not as active as sourdough starter, so you do need to use a leavening agent (in this case, baking powder) for the dough to rise predictably. Don't worry, the final cornbread will still have a bit of sourdough flavor and you'll get a little bit of additional lift from the natural yeast in the sourdough discard!

If you are new to working with sourdough starter, check out these in-depth guides on how to feed sourdough starter, how to use sourdough discard, and tips for struggling sourdough starter.

Storage

Room Temperature Storage: Store this cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can reheat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to make it warm and soft again.

Freezer Storage: Cornbread freezes very well. Let the cornbread cool fully, then add to an airtight container or bag (individual servings work well here!). Freeze for up 3 months. Reheat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds to make it warm and soft again.

Recipe FAQ