Sourdough Sugar Cookie Recipe - The Happy Mustard Seed (2024)

These drop cookies are soft, tangy, and delicious. This Sourdough Sugar Cookie Recipe is easy to make and uses up your sourdough discard like the other recipes here: Recipes Using Discard Sourdough.

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Sourdough Sugar Cookie Recipe - The Happy Mustard Seed (1)

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There are so many different ways to use your sourdough discard and these cookies are one of the best! Baked just until they are cooked all the way through and the edges aren’t brown gives you a beautiful soft cookie.

If you have made your own sourdough starter or one has been passed down to you, you know that feeding it produces more and more starter. You need to do something with it or the bowl will overflow. Instead of throwing away the unfed sourdough discard, I challenge you to do something tasty with it.And Cookies are a great way to do just that.

These cookies are perfect for that task! The sourdough makes the cookies soft and gives them a slightly tangy flavor (kind of like a snickerdoodle). They are so good you may consider adopting them into your Christmas cookie dessert recipes this year.

Sourdough Sugar Cookie Recipe - The Happy Mustard Seed (2)

Using Sourdough Starter To Make Cookies:

This recipe is made with sourdough starter discard which can be used for tons of amazing recipes including bread, tortillas, cake, cookies, pancakes, pizza crust, and so much more.

If you’re new to making sourdough, check out this article on how it works:

Let’s Make The Sourdough Sugar Cookies! Here are the step-by-step instructions in photos to help.

Let’s Make The Sourdough Sugar Cookies! Here are the step by step instructions in photos to help.

I am using discard from my homemade sourdough starter. The starter I am using for this recipe is an older active starter so the cookies will have a slight tang. If you would like less of a tang, you can add in a pinch or two of baking soda which will help to neutralize the sour flavor.

Ok, let’s get started.

After you preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, link your baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
In a large size bowl of a stand mixer, combine your flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt

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Then in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and sourdough discard and mix until combined. Then add the dry ingredients and mix until dough is combined.Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, forming a ball

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Roll cookies into ball and then coat with sugar. Add to your parchment lined baking sheet.

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Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. For best results, let the sugar cookies rest on baking sheet before moving them to cool in a wire rack.

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Tips For Making Perfect Sourdough Cookies:

There are many tips and tricks for making the perfect sourdough discard sugar cookies, here are a few to help get you started

  1. These are drop cookies, so no cutouts or cookie cutters are required. This means the whole process will be much shorter since there’s no need to roll out, cut, and carefully place them on the tray.
  2. This sourdough sugar cookies recipe can create many other cookie recipes by adding mix ins like chocolate chips or toppings like icing and sprinkles.
  3. Use up your sourdough starter discard by making an extra batch and freezing to bake when you’re craving them again.
  4. You can bake them directly from room temperature but if you refrigerate the cookies for 1 hour before baking, they will come together better and rise slightly higher.
  5. Let them sit overnight. They are softer the next day.

How To Store The Cookies

You can keep the cookies on the counter in an air-tight container for between 3 – 5 days.

Tip: If they start to get hard or stale, place a half piece of sandwich bread in the bag (don’t let it touch the cookies). The bread will give moisture to the cookies and will soften them and extend their life.

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You can make the cookie dough up to 3 days ahead of when you want to bake them. Take the dough out of the mixing bowl and place in an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap and then refrigerate them.

Can you freeze the sourdough sugar cookies dough? Yes! These sweet cookies are easy to freeze. After mixing in the flour, lay out a piece of plastic wrap on the counter, form the dough into a flat disc, and wrap tightly with the plastic wrap. Make sure to write what it is and the date on the outside with a marker so when you’re looking through your freezer you can remember what it is. It’s also helpful the write the oven temperature and minutes to bake so you don’t have to guess.

Be sure to check out these other easy recipes. Recipes For Discarded Sourdough Starter

Sourdough Sugar Cookie Recipe - The Happy Mustard Seed (8)

Fun Ways To Use The Rolling Sugar

Before the cookies bake, you will roll them in a ball and coat them in a thin layer of sugar. This gives the cookies an extra yummy layer. A fun way to give that layer a boost is to add a flavor like cinnamon, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, or allspice. Add just a pinch of one of these to the sugar to make a spiced sugar cookies recipe! Your taste buds (and friends) will thank you for it!

For the best results, do not squeeze the dough or press them too hard in the sugar. Gently roll them.

Sourdough Sugar Cookie Recipe - The Happy Mustard Seed (9)

Sourdough Sugar Cookie Recipe

Karla Harmer

These drop cookies are soft, tangy, and delicious. This Sourdough Sugar Cookie Recipe is easy to make and uses up your sourdough discard like the other recipes here: Recipes Using Discard Sourdough.

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 30 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup white sugar + 2 tablespoons
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup sourdough discard
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Then line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

  • In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.

  • In a stand mixer cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Use the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed.

  • Add eggs one at a time, vanilla and sourdough discard and mix until combined.

  • Then add the dry ingredients and mix the dough until just combined. It will be thick and not too sticky. Do not over mix.

  • Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and clean the paddle. At this point it should start to form a ball.

  • Start to create the cookie. Form 1 tablespoon sized balls of dough, then lightly roll those balls into the rolling sugar.

  • Set balls on a cookie sheet pan.

  • Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Check after 7. The cookies should be soft in the center but done.

  • Make sure to remove the cookies before the edges turn golden brown, you do not want to overbake them.

  • Allow the cookies to cook for 5 minutes prior to moving to the cooling rack.

  • Repeat the baking process until all cookies are done.

Keyword sourdough sugar cookie reicpe, sourdough sugar cookies

Did You Love This Recipe?Follow me on Pinterest For More Inspiration! @KarlaHarmer

Sourdough Sugar Cookie Recipe - The Happy Mustard Seed (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you feed sourdough starter sugar? ›

The sugar puts stress on both the yeast and the bacteria, but the stress is less severe for the yeast. Therefore, the microbial population in the ripe sweet starter is skewed more toward yeast and also sugar tolerance, which is helpful if you happen to be making a sweet enriched dough.

Is sourdough healthier than yeast bread? ›

Sourdough's Health Benefits

Sourdough's long fermentation and rising time leads to changes in the bread that don't occur in conventional yeast-leavened bread. These changes may have health benefits for some people, especially those with certain digestive issues.

Does sugar make sourdough rise faster? ›

Adding sugar to the dough will decrease the time it takes for your dough to rise. This can decrease the sour flavor in your sourdough bread. If you enjoy the sour taste from a long, slow ferment, adding sugar may not be for you. Too much sugar will affect the gluten development of your sourdough.

How to improve sugar cookies? ›

There are a few things you can add to your ready - to - bake sugar cookies to give them more flavor . One option is to mix in some vanilla extract or almond extract to enhance the overall taste . You can also add in some cinnamon , nutmeg , or other spices to give the cookies a warm and cozy flavor .

What happens when you feed sourdough starter? ›

Why do I have to feed sourdough starter? You have to feed your starter because it's alive! The yeast and healthy bacteria within the starter snack on carbohydrates present in the flour you feed it, creating gases, alcohol, and an acidic environment.

Is sourdough bad for blood sugar? ›

Sourdough bread is made through a slow fermentation process, which may cause this type of bread to raise blood sugar more slowly than other breads. As a result, sourdough bread could be a great choice for those with diabetes. Whole grain sourdough bread is the best sourdough bread for diabetics.

Is it okay to eat sourdough bread every day? ›

Health benefits of sourdough. The type of flour used — all-purpose, whole wheat, rye — can affect the nutritional content of sourdough bread, says Wee. But generally speaking, sourdough bread is a healthy option and can be eaten regularly as part of a nutritious, balanced diet.

Is sourdough bread anti-inflammatory? ›

The best bread to reduce gut inflammation is bread made from whole grains. Refined grains, such as the grains found in white bread and white pasta, are known to increase inflammation across the whole body. Sourdough bread and rye bread are both good options for an anti-inflammatory diet.

Why is sourdough bread not fattening? ›

Potential Health Benefits of Sourdough Bread

This is due to the way that the lactic acid bacteria in the bread interacts with these nutrients. These bacteria destroy certain types of acid commonly found in other types of bread, which increases the availability of nutrients like folate, potassium, and magnesium.

What does adding honey to sourdough do? ›

One of the benefits to adding honey to sourdough is that it can reduce the sour flavor of the bread. This could also be a disadvantage if you really enjoy that tang! Much like sugar, honey will feed the yeast in a very fast manner, meaning that it can increase the rise of your sourdough.

What is the secret to sourdough? ›

The secret to sourdough is simple: water. The more water you add to your dough will affect how open the crumb (bigger holes and softer texture) will be once it's baked.

What happens if you let sourdough rise too long? ›

If you over-ferment the dough you run the risk of the gluten structure degrading and the loaf turning into a puddle of goo before your eyes, never to be retrieved and destined for the bin.

What happens if you add too much sugar to sugar cookies? ›

Sugar sweetens the cookies and makes them an enticing golden brown. Adding too little sugar can affect the taste and texture of cookies. Adding too much can cause them to be brittle. Take your time creaming the sugar and butter together at the beginning.

What is the secret to a good cookie? ›

The key is to always use top-quality ingredients as they'll result in a better cookie; it really is that simple.
  • Always use butter.
  • Choose the right sugar.
  • Choose the right flour.
  • Check your flour is in date.
  • Choose the right kind of chocolate.
  • Cream the butter and sugar.
  • Beat in the eggs.
  • Fold in the flour.

Is shortening better than butter for sugar cookies? ›

Which One Should I Use in Cookies? Basically, cookies made with butter spread more and are flatter and crisper if baked long enough. However, they are more flavorful than cookies made with shortening. Cookies made with shortening bake up taller and are more tender, but aren't as flavorful.

How much sugar do you put in a sourdough starter? ›

When you use some starter, feed it the same amount you're using. For example, in a recipe calling for 1/2 cup starter, after using the starter, feed it 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup milk or water. Stir daily on the regular 10 day cycle, with the day you use it and feed it being Day 1.

How do you feed a starving sourdough starter? ›

To revive the dried sourdough starter, add 50 grams to a clean jar with 100 grams of water and 100 grams of flour. Let sit for 24 hours at room temperature. The next day transfer 25 grams to a new jar and feed with 100 grams of water and 100 grams of flour. Feed the starter once a day until it starts to double in size.

What happens if I feed my sourdough starter with bread flour? ›

The best ratio to get things going is 1:1. So for example that would be 50 grams of bread flour, 50 grams of water, and 50 grams of established starter. Bread flour sourdough starters fed 1:1 will usually rise and bubble up in 4-6 hours, then fall back down to look flat.

Can you feed discarded sourdough starter? ›

When sourdough starter becomes sourdough discard you have two options. Refeed all of the discard. If you used up most of your starter to make bread and only have a little bit left you can refeed all of your discard to reactivate the starter. Refeed some of the discard and save some of the discard.

References

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