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 Bread (one-loaf recipe!)
  • Sourdough Focaccia
  • Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with Orange Glaze

Sourdough Discard Crepes Recipe | Kiersten Hickman (5)

Print Recipe

Sourdough Crepes

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

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time15 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: French

Keyword: crepes, sourdough crepes, sourdough discard, sourdough discard recipes, sourdough starter

Calories: 166kcal

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.

Sourdough Discard Crepes Recipe | Kiersten Hickman (6)

Sourdough Discard Crepes Recipe | Kiersten Hickman (2024)

FAQs

Can I use sourdough discard instead of starter? ›

Can sourdough discard be used as starter? While sourdough discard can't replace an active starter in a recipe that relies on a robust leavening agent, it can be revitalized and used to create a new starter.

Can I bake with cold sourdough discard? ›

You can utilize a cold starter in any sourdough discard recipe. These recipes don't require a sourdough starter for leavening, so you can use your starter directly from the fridge. These recipes offer a fantastic solution for using excess sourdough.

What is the difference between levain and discard? ›

Sourdough discard is excess levain or sourdough starter that is not used in a recipe or for maintaining the starter. 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.

What can I do with day 3 sourdough discard? ›

What to do with sourdough discard? Don't throw it away! Instead, use it to make delicious and nutritious treats like pancakes, waffles, muffins, and bread. Sourdough discard is a great source of natural yeast and flavor, and can add a unique tangy taste to your baked goods.

Does sourdough discard go bad? ›

You can store mature sourdough discard in the refrigerator indefinitely. As long as there is no mold, it is good to use. It may develop a grayish liquid on top called “hooch” which can be poured off before use or stirred in. If you stir it in, the flavor will become more sour.

Does sourdough discard have any health benefits? ›

Sourdough discard is rich in probiotics, which can help promote a healthy gut microbiome and improve digestion. It's also a good source of fiber, which can help regulate blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, and promote feelings of fullness.

Can I use sourdough discard straight from fridge? ›

Yes you can use sourdough discard straight from the fridge, you don't need to let it come to room temperature if you don't want to. What is this? If you are using it straight from the fridge it may be a little stiff or thick, so you'll need to ensure you mix it really well.

Can I leave sourdough discard out overnight? ›

At room temperature (70 F), sourdough discard should last about 1-2 days. Beyond that, it won't go bad necessarily, it will just become more acidic as time goes on (especially in warm weather). Not ideal for sweet recipes. In the fridge, it will keep for about a week or so, and in the freezer it will last indefinitely.

Do I need to feed my sourdough discard before baking? ›

Absolutely! A jar of sourdough discard serves as an insurance policy against starter death. If you have some discard on hand, remove a spoonful of it and feed it fresh flour and water in a clean jar. You should have a bubbly starter ready to bake with after a couple of feedings, depending on the discard's condition.

How do you pronounce the word levain? ›

“The name comes from a French word, pronounced “Luh-Ven,”” said Randall, a frequent visitor of Levain. She believes that the owners based the name off of the French word for leaven, which is Levain. Other students disagree. “I pronounce it the way it's supposed to be said: Luh-Vayn,” said Hariani.

What is Autolyse sourdough? ›

Published: May 17, 2023 · Modified: Sep 15, 2023 by Hannah Dela Cruz · This post may contain affiliate links. Autolyse is the rest period following the mixing of flour and water. It's a fancy name for a very simple step that imparts a myriad of benefits to sourdough bread.

Can I use fed starter instead of levain? ›

It's always an option to use your starter instead of making a levain. But, for most recipes, I prefer making a levain so I can control the flour going into the levain, the ripening timeline, and when I use it to mix into a dough—all of this without having to adjust my continually maintained sourdough starter.

How soon can you start using sourdough discard? ›

You can use 1-2 week old discard in “discard recipes”… think cookies, brownies, muffins, non-yeast breads, tortillas (pretty much anything that doesn't require active starter (aka wild yeast).

How long can sourdough starter discard sit out? ›

I left my sourdough discard out at room temperature for a few days. Is it okay? As long as your kitchen isn't too warm (I'd say 78°F or higher) your starter/discard will be fine stored at room temperature for at least a few days without feeding. The flavor will get more acidic the longer it sits.

Can you feed sourdough discard to chickens? ›

You can feed unused sourdough starter (sourdough discard) to your chickens. It's a great way to introduce fermented foods into their diet and a better alternative than yoghurt (chickens aren't good with dairy).

What is a substitute for sourdough starter? ›

Generally, you can substitute a packet of yeast for 100g of sourdough starter. If your recipe uses less than a packet of yeast, you can use less sourdough starter, however it won't make too much difference because of the way wild yeast works.

How much starter to discard before feeding? ›

How To Feed Your Sourdough Starter (at a Glance)
  1. Remove and discard half of your sourdough starter.
  2. Feed what's left in the jar with equal parts flour and water by weight (1:1:1 feeding ratio).
  3. Let rise at room temperature (covered or airtight) ideally 75+ F, until bubbly, active and double in size (2-12 hrs.).
Jan 3, 2021

What is a substitute for 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.

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