Fabulous Flatbreads and Pizza Creations

These flavorful flatbreads showcase sourdough’s versatility while requiring less shaping skill than traditional boules. They’re your ticket to sourdough success with half the stress!

• The Best Garlic Cheddar Sourdough Focaccia: This fluffy, flavor-packed focaccia combines the tang of sourdough with savory garlic and sharp cheddar. The olive oil creates an irresistible crispy exterior while maintaining a soft, airy interior with those beautiful irregular holes that make you look like a professional baker! It’s dimpled, golden perfection that will ruin restaurant focaccia for you forever.
• Same-Day Sourdough Pizza Crust: Who says sourdough has to take forever? This quick but incredibly flavorful pizza crust lets you satisfy those pizza cravings without planning days ahead! The dough develops amazing flavor and perfect texture in just hours, creating the foundation for pizzas that will make delivery services fear your newfound skills. Top it with your favorite ingredients for a pizza experience that will have everyone asking for “just one more slice!”
• Delicious Sourdough Calzones: This is likely my kids’ favorite sourdough recipe—”inside out pizzas!” These are easy to customize, so everyone gets the toppings they want. You get a crispy, chewy dough and a savory filling that will satisfy your taste buds. If you’re a fan of fresh sourdough bread, you’ll definitely want to give this recipe a try the next time it’s pizza night. 

Sweet Sourdough Creations

Sourdough isn’t just for savory applications—its tangy notes beautifully complement sweet flavors too! These treats will revolutionize your breakfast and dessert game.

• Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls: These easy, tender rolls utilize sourdough discard for flavor and improved texture. The combination of brown sugar, cinnamon, and that subtle sourdough tang creates morning magic that’ll have everyone rushing to the breakfast table! The aroma alone is enough to lure sleepy family members out of bed on weekend mornings. They’re like regular cinnamon rolls that went to finishing school!
• The Best Sourdough Pumpkin Bread for Autumn: This lightly sweet quick bread combines the tangy notes of sourdough with warm fall spices and pumpkin. It’s basically autumn in a loaf pan! The active sourdough starter adds complexity to the flavor profile while improving the bread’s keeping quality—though good luck having any leftovers to “keep” once your family catches the scent wafting through the house!
• How to Make Perfect Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones: These simple yet tasty scones use sourdough for improved texture and digestibility, with chocolate chips adding indulgent sweetness. They’re crisp on the outside, tender inside, and perfect with your morning coffee! These scones will make you question every coffeeshop pastry you’ve ever bought—they’re that good!
• Rich & Decadent Chocolate Hazelnut Sourdough Star Bread: This showstopping decorative bread combines the tang of sourdough with luscious chocolate hazelnut spread for a treat that’s as beautiful as it is delicious. The room temperature fermentation creates a soft, enriched dough that’s perfect for special occasions or holiday gatherings. It looks complicated but follows a surprisingly simple method that will have everyone thinking you’re a baking genius—and hey, you are!

Practical Recipes With Sourdough Bread

These practical recipes provide solutions for common sourdough challenges while creating delicious results. They’re the everyday heroes of your sourdough journey!

• Easy Sourdough Tortillas: Make these simple, flavorful flatbreads with just a few ingredients. They’re soft, flexible, and full of tangy sourdough flavor—perfect for tacos, wraps, or storing in the freezer for future meals. These tortillas prove that sourdough recipes don’t have to be complicated or time-consuming! Taco Tuesday just got a serious upgrade.
• Easy Sourdough Bread Bowl Recipe: Create edible vessels for your favorite soups with these impressive but surprisingly simple bread bowls. The higher hydration dough creates an open crumb structure perfect for soaking up delicious soup while maintaining the bowl’s integrity. Talk about a dinner conversation starter! Plus, the earth-friendly bonus of fewer dishes to wash makes this recipe a true win-win.
• Overnight Sourdough Bagels: This recipe is our favorite way to start the day when we need something simple! You do the bulk of the work the night before, then, first thing in the morning, boil and bake. You can sprinkle seasoning on top of the dough to create different flavors, so get delicious bagels that are much better than anything from the grocery store.
• Easy Overnight Sourdough English Muffins: This delicious recipe is a staple in our house, especially because I can batch cook and freeze these! I like to use a mixture of flour—half all-purpose and half freshly milled to add extra nutrients. These English muffins are perfect on their own, as mini pizzas, and make great little grilled cheese sandwiches!

Sourdough Discard Recipes

Don’t waste a drop of your sourdough starter! These recipes transform discard into delicious treats that’ll make you look forward to feeding day.

• One Bowl Pumpkin Chai Bread: This easy, delicious, quick bread requires minimal prep work yet delivers moist, flavorful results with warm autumn spices. The sourdough discard adds complexity without overwhelming the delicate spice profile. It’s the perfect solution for using discard while creating a treat that pairs perfectly with your afternoon cup of tea—self-care in baked form!
• Immaculate Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls: Experience the flavors of fall with these immaculate pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls. Made with pumpkin puree and a brown sugar cinnamon filling, they bring extra warmth to autumn mornings. The sourdough component makes the dough exceptionally tender, creating swirls of spiced perfection that’ll make you wish pumpkin season lasted all year!

Tools You May Need

• Kitchen scale: Precision is key in sourdough baking, and measuring ingredients by weight rather than volume significantly improves consistency and results. This is the easiest way to ensure your hydration percentages are spot-on every time! Think of it as the difference between “eyeballing” ingredients and using scientific precision—your bread will thank you!
• Dutch oven or combo cooker: While not absolutely necessary (as shown in my Dutch oven-free recipe), these vessels help create steam during baking for that perfect crusty exterior. The enclosed environment mimics professional bread ovens, giving you better results at home. It’s like creating your own mini professional bakery oven right in your kitchen!
• Bench scraper: Essential for handling high hydration dough without incorporating too much additional flour. This simple tool will become your best friend for dividing dough and cleaning your work surface. At under $10, it’s possibly the best value-to-usefulness ratio of any baking tool you’ll ever buy!
• Banneton or proofing basket: Creates that classic spiral pattern while supporting the dough during its final rise. The cane material wicks away moisture from the dough surface, helping develop that beautiful crust. Plus, those gorgeous concentric circles will have everyone thinking you’re a professional baker!
• Lame or razor blade: Allows for controlled scoring that directs the dough’s expansion during baking. The sharp blade creates clean cuts that open beautifully in the oven for that artisan look.
• Parchment paper: Makes transferring dough to hot baking vessels much easier and prevents sticking. Adding a piece of parchment paper to your baking routine will save you countless headaches and potential burn hazards. Consider it cheap insurance against dough disasters!

How to Make the Most of Your Sourdough Starter

1. Feed your starter regularly: Whether kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator, regular feedings maintain your starter’s vitality and flavor development. A consistent feeding schedule results in more predictable dough rise times. Think of your starter as a tiny pet that rewards good care with delicious bread!
2. Watch for peak activity: Most sourdough recipes work best when your starter is at peak activity—typically 4-12 hours after feeding, depending on temperature and other factors. Look for a starter that has doubled in size and is full of bubbles, looking like it’s hosting a microscopic bubble party!
3. Do the float test: A spoonful of active starter should float in water, indicating it’s ready to use in your recipe. This simple test can save you frustration by ensuring your starter is vigorous enough to leaven your bread. It’s like a quick fitness test for your starter that takes seconds but saves hours of potential disappointment!
4. Save your discard: Instead of throwing away excess starter during feedings, collect it in a separate container in the refrigerator to use in discard recipes like cinnamon rolls. This is a good idea that reduces waste while expanding your baking repertoire! Your future self will thank you when pancake cravings hit on Saturday morning!
5. Adjust for room temperature: Fermentation happens more quickly in warm environments and more slowly in cold temperatures. The temperature of your kitchen significantly impacts how your dough behaves, so learn to adjust your timing accordingly. Your sourdough is like Goldilocks—it has strong opinions about what temperature is “just right!”

Recipe Tips

• Patience is key: Sourdough baking operates on the starter’s timeline, not yours. Allow for proper fermentation time for best results, and resist the urge to rush the process. Remember: good things come to those who wait, and great bread comes to those who let their dough ferment properly!
• Watch the dough, not the clock: Environmental factors like kitchen temperature significantly impact fermentation rates. Learn to recognize visual cues for when your dough is properly fermented, such as increased volume and bubbles visible on the sides of the bowl. Your dough will literally “tell” you when it’s ready if you know what to look for!
• Manage hydration levels: Higher hydration dough (with more water) produces more open crumb structures but can be harder to handle. Start with lower hydration recipes and work your way up as your skills improve. Think of it like swimming—you start in the shallow end before diving into the deep water of 80% hydration doughs!
• Create surface tension: Proper shaping creates surface tension in the dough, which helps it rise upward instead of outward during baking. This is achieved through techniques like envelope folds and gentle rounding. Use a lightly floured work surface for sticky dough to help it build tension.
• Score with confidence: Decisive, purposeful scoring with a razor blade yields the best results and beautiful patterns on your finished loaves. Don’t be timid—commit to your cuts like a bread surgeon! I like to dust the top of the dough with rice flour before scoring.

Sourdough Recipe Variations

• Whole grain adventures: Most of these recipes can incorporate varying percentages of whole wheat flour, rye, spelt, or other whole grain flours. Start by substituting 25% of the all-purpose flour with whole grains and adjust from there based on your taste preferences. It’s like adding different instruments to your bread’s flavor orchestra!
• Enriched variations: Add eggs, butter, or milk to create richer, softer sourdough bakes perfect for breakfast treats and desserts. The commercial yeast often found in enriched doughs can be completely replaced with sourdough for more complex flavors. These additions turn everyday bread into special occasion-worthy treats!
• Flavor mix-ins: Incorporate herbs, cheese, dried fruits, nuts, or seeds into your doughs for endless variation in flavor profiles. Add these mix-ins during the last set of stretch-and-folds for even distribution. The possibilities are endless—let your imagination (and your pantry) be your guide!
• Cold fermentation magic: Try retarding your dough in the refrigerator overnight for a cold proof that develops flavor while fitting baking into your schedule. This cold fermentation creates deeper flavors and often results in better crust development. Plus, it’s a great way to work bread baking into busy schedules—let time do the work while you sleep!

Expand Your Sourdough Repertoire

Once you’ve mastered some basic sourdough recipes, consider exploring these other aspects of sourdough baking:

• Flour adventures: Experiment with ancient grains, heritage wheats, and alternative flours to discover new flavor profiles and baking characteristics. Each flour brings its own personality to your bread—like inviting different guests to your bread party!
• Hydration challenges: Challenge yourself with high hydration dough that creates those beautiful open crumb structures perfect for artisan breads. The practice of handling wetter doughs will improve all your baking skills. It’s like leveling up in the sourdough video game of life!
• Decorative scoring artistry: Practice artistic scoring patterns that turn your loaves into edible works of art. A sharp blade and confident hand can create wheat stalks, leaves, geometric patterns, and more! Your social media followers won’t believe you made it yourself!

For inspiration on what to serve with your sourdough creations, check out what to serve with sourdough bread. Also, head over to the winter soup roundup for perfect pairings with your sourdough bread bowls.

• Use a tiered stand to display your cinnamon rolls, creating height and visual interest on your breakfast table.
• Arrange complementary items in separate serving dishes around the table, considering color and texture contrasts for visual appeal. Use parchment paper for easy cleanup.
• Provide small plates and napkins for easy self-serving, especially if you’re hosting a casual brunch-style gathering.
• Set up a beverage station with coffee, specialty lattes, and juice options so guests can help themselves.