Sourdough Discard Tortilla Recipe (2024)

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This is one of those items that you never think you'll make - but it's really simple and tastes SO much better than running to the store! Homemade Sourdough Discard Tortillas are ready in a pinch!

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This is my sister's go-to recipe. Molly is the sourdough QUEEN and tortilla master. I can't quite manage round tortillas like her...but she throws down round after round one. It must be all the practice!

She swears by only using her rye starter and a fresh ground whole grain, but I've made them with my white/all-purpose starter and white/all-purpose flour and they're just as delicious. Just dont tell her I cheat on her recipe and use white flour. I promise they're just as delicious, even if you can't roll a round tortilla like me.

I often choose to make items that are "easy to pick up" from the store. But I believe my family's health is worth the time it takes to make things like hamburger buns and hot dog buns. It also lets you control ingredients in mixes like ranch dressing and hot chocolate.

Why You Need This Recipe

  • tortillas have a simple ingredient list!
  • the rustic look of rolling them out adds charm to the dinner table.
  • kids can make these from start to finish.

Key Ingredients

Sourdough Discard Tortilla Recipe (2)

Starter - If you've got sourdough going, you've got discard! You can use the starter at any stage, whether it's doubled or ready to feed.

Flour - See the recipe card for details, but I've used basically any flour in my kitchen with good results.

Fat - Butter, lard, oil, anything in liquid state will work here.

Liquid - Water or milk to pull things together.

How to Make Whole Grain Tortillas

***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***

Step 1: Combine wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls.

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Step 2: Add wet to dry and stir with a wooden spoon or just your hands.

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Step 3: Let dough rest to ferment for several hours or overnight. Then divide into golf-ball-sized balls.

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Step 4: Roll 'em out as thin as you can! Shape does NOT matter here, friends!

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Step 5: Cook in a cast iron skillet until dry and bubbly. You can use fat or not in the skillet. It depends on the pan, more often than not I use a dry pan.

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Tips and Tricks

  • Not eating right away? Wrap fresh tortillas in a tea towel to rest until cooled.
  • Reheat tortillas quickly in a dry skillet so they fold nicely.
  • If leaving the dough for up to 8 hours, you can leave it on the counter. But for overnight or up to 24 hours, store the dough in the fridge the whole time.

Substitutions

I've literally used just about any flour you can think of. Especially because the dough is resting to ferment it will hydrate nicely if using fresh ground. If you've only got store bought, that's great, too! And my sister loves rye flour, I've used kamut and spelt. Really the sky's the limit here.

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FAQs

Can I make these vegan?

Absolutely! While traditional tortillas use lard, you can use truly any oil here. And while I always have milk to use up, water works just as well, or any unsweetened plain vegan alternative is great. This means they will work for just about any diet as they can be dairy-free or vegetarian/vegan.

How do I store tortillas?

Wrap them in a lint-free towel immediately after removing from the pan. Once completely cooled, you can then place in a plastic bag or container for storage. If freezing, only freeze in stacks you will thaw all at once because you won't be able to separate them.

What to Serve with Sourdough Tortillas

You can obviously go straight to filling with taco meat, but another great idea is grill some chicken and wrap up with Caesar salad! Of course quesadillas with homemade cheese don't get any better than when the meal is 100% farm-fresh.

Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea

More Sourdough Discard Recipes

  • Dairy Free Sourdough Discard Pancake Recipe
  • Sourdough Bread Sticks
  • Sourdough Puff Pastry
  • Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins

Hey friends, don't forget to follow me over on Instagram, cause if you like me here, I post there a LOT! I'm also on YouTube with tutorials and Facebook for all sorts of things.

If you like this recipe, I’d love if you reviewed it so others can find it easier. Sharing this recipe on Facebook or Pinterest is another way you can help us out at no cost to you. Thanks, xo Kate

Sourdough Discard Tortilla Recipe (15)

Sourdough Discard Tortillas

Kate Schat

Make use of that discard with this versatile tortilla recipe. So many different flour, fat and milk options to make soft tortillas.

4.88 from 31 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Bread

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 12 tortillas

Calories 112 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour*
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, melted lard, or melted butter
  • ½ cup water or milk
  • ½ cup sourdough starter This can be at any stage as long as it has doubled. So it could be nice and doubled, or fallen and ready to discard.

Instructions

  • Mix flour, salt, and oil/lard together.

  • In a measuring cup, combine starter and water/milk.

  • Combine the wet and dry ingredients and gently knead into a uniform dough.

  • Let sit 6-18 hours; but 12 is best. If you want to push it to 24 hours, leave it in the fridge for the full 24 hours.

  • Divide into golf ball-sized balls, and roll thin as you can.

  • In a cast iron frying pan on medium heat with no oil, cook for 30-60 seconds a side, until there are little brown spots/bubbles.

Notes

  • These keep really well! Our preferred method is to wrap in a cotton or linen tea towel right away after they're cooked. When they're cooled, put the whole bundle in a plastic bag.
  • To eat after they're cold, we prefer a refresh in the toaster oven or on a hot skillet.
  • *Any of the following have been tested and work out dandy: all-purpose, soft white wheat, hard red wheat, hard white wheat, khorasan/kamut, red fife, einkorn, or spelt.

Nutrition

Calories: 112kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 3gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 4mgPotassium: 38mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 16IUCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Sourdough Discard Tortilla Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to use 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.

Why do you throw away sourdough discard? ›

Why do you discard sourdough starter? Bakers often ask us, “Do I really need to discard my starter?” And the answer is yes. Regularly discarding a portion of your starter and refreshing it with flour and water keeps the microorganisms in it healthy, happy, and thriving — and healthy starter translates to better bread.

What is the difference between sourdough bread and sourdough discard bread? ›

Sourdough bread relies on the wild yeast in active sourdough starter to give the bread its rise, whereas sourdough discard bread uses discard and relies on commercial yeast.

Can you do anything with sourdough starter discard? ›

You can always use this discard by directly mixing it into a dough for baking. Your discard, as long as it's in good shape, will leaven any bread dough just as well. The discard is just like a levain you would make for a recipe. The only difference is it's the same makeup as your starter.

Can I leave sourdough discard out overnight? ›

Where should I store my jar of sourdough discard? Store your discard in a jar in the refrigerator where it will continue to ferment, albeit very slowly, whereas at room temperature, it will ferment quickly and you will soon have very ripe discard on your hands that won't be useful for much of anything.

When should I start saving sourdough discard? ›

When in the process of making a new sourdough starter you should not save the sourdough discard. During the beginning stages of making a starter it is more susceptible to mold and other bad bacteria. You will want to wait until the starter is doubling in size and bubbling with each feeding.

What happens if you feed sourdough without discarding? ›

If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.

Is sourdough discard bad for you? ›

Yes, there are actually several health benefits to using sourdough discard in your cooking and baking. Sourdough discard is rich in probiotics, which can help promote a healthy gut microbiome and improve digestion.

Do I have to discard half my starter? ›

When creating a sourdough starter from scratch, my advice is to feed twice daily… each time, discarding HALF the volume just before you feed.

When has sourdough discard gone bad? ›

While it will smell different to a fed, active starter, it won't smell unpleasant. The discard should be fine in the fridge, however if it is displaying signs of mold or any pink or orange tinges then it has gone bad and needs to be tossed.

Can you pour sourdough discard down the drain? ›

You can put your sourdough discard either in the trash. or the compost, or you can use it in recipes. Don't put it down the drain.

How long is sourdough discard good for in the refrigerator? ›

Therefore, you can store discard indefinitely, but I suggest using discard within 1-2 weeks. Over time, the discard will become more sour-tasting as it continues to ferment and develop lactic acid. That's why I like to use fresh discard for more sweet recipes, and older discard for more savory recipes.

Can you use a day 1 sourdough discard? ›

Remember, you can't use the discard from your homemade sourdough starter for the first 7 days. You can use sourdough discard in all kinds of sourdough discard recipes, including these no wait sourdough recipes, overnight sourdough discard recipes and sourdough discard recipes that use up a lot of discard.

Can you store sourdough discard on the counter? ›

Sourdough Discard is Best Stored in the Fridge

Because sourdough discard is not as active as the starter you're feeding to use for bread making, and because you don't need it to be super bubbly and active, it's safest to keep it somewhere dark and cool where you don't have to worry about temperature fluctuations.

Can I freeze sourdough discard? ›

Freezing sourdough discard is a clever way to avoid waste and save it for future recipes. By preserving the discard, you can use it in various delicious dishes without feeling guilty about tossing it out.

Do you discard before or after feeding sourdough? ›

Why You Must Discard Some of Your Sourdough Starter Before You Feed It. If you don't discard your sourdough starter, it will grow too big and be unmanageable. Not to mention you will go through an unmentionable amount of flour. Let's say you start with 50g of flour & water on day 1.

Should sourdough discard be at room temperature before using? ›

Store it for future baking: You can store sourdough discard in an airtight container in the refrigerator for future baking with sourdough discard recipes. When you're ready to use it, let the discard come to room temperature before using it to bake.

What is the benefit of sourdough discard? ›

Its natural fermentation process can also contribute to a lighter, more tender texture in baked goods. Moreover, the lactic acid bacteria present in the discard act as a natural preservative, extending the shelf-life of the final product.

Can you put sourdough discard in the garbage disposal? ›

You can put your sourdough discard either in the trash. or the compost, or you can use it in recipes. Don't put it down the drain. If you have ever, like, tried to clean out a crusty sourdough starter jar, you know, that stuff turns to, like, basically cement.

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