Sourdough Discard Cornbread – A Cozy, Flavorful Side Dish
This sourdough discard cornbread is golden, tender, and just the right amount of crumbly. It’s the perfect sidekick for a big bowl of chili, soup, or stew—and a cozy way to use up that extra discard. Slightly tangy from the sourdough, lightly sweet, and easy to whip up. Trust me—you’re going to want to save this recipe. It’s a keeper.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Sourdough Discard Cornbread
This sourdough discard cornbread is one of those go-to recipes you’ll keep coming back to. It’s incredibly versatile—you can make it sweeter with extra honey or skip the sweetener altogether. Whether you’re serving it with a cozy bowl of chili or adding it to your Thanksgiving table, it fits right in. With so many ways to customize it, this cornbread has definitely earned its spot as a staple in our kitchen.
🍲 Ingredients
Sourdough Discard – This is just inactive sourdough starter that hasn’t been fed. It is equal parts flour and water that has already risen and fallen and now can be added to a multitude of recipes.
Flour – All-purpose flour which I have learned is not only a kitchen staple, but a kitchen necessity.
Baking powder + soda – This is the leavening agent and will give the cornbread its fluffy signature texture.
Corn – Using a high-quality canned corn is the best way, or you can use freshly cut corn. It adds a beautiful sweetness along with lovely texture.
Sugar – all of the sugar in this recipe can be substituted with honey.
Eggs – 2 large eggs, cold or room temperature.
Butter- I prefer unsalted butter for this recipe.
👩🍳 How to Make Sourdough Discard Cornbread
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, melt the butter and let cool.
- Whisk together sourdough discard, milk, eggs, butter, and sugar.
- Add in flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and mix until combined. Mix in the corn until all incorporated.
- Pour batter into a greased mini loaf pan (this will make 8 mini loaves, or 12 cornbread muffins). Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Melt 1 TBS of honey and 1 TBS of butter together and brush over top of the cornbread for extra flavor. Serve warm, alongside a big bowl of chili.
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- This isn’t a very sweet cornbread, but the sugar can easily be increased to your preference.
- I find any recipe that includes sourdough discard has a much better texture if the batter rests for 10-15 minutes after mixing.
🗒 Substitutions
There are certain things you can keep out of the batter, and things you can add more of. For example, you can substitute all of the sugar in this recipe for honey, and because this cornbread isn’t very sweet, you can add another 1/4 of a cup until you reach your preference. You can take out the canned corn entirely.
🗒 Best Served With
- Chili
- Any kind of soup
- Thanksgiving dinner
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store the leftover cornbread in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days
🤔 Common Questions
I would add 1/4 cup of honey to the batter before baking, along with brushing honey butter on top.
Sourdough Discard Cornbread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- ¾ cup milk
- 8 TBS butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 can of corn, drained
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, melt the butter and let cool.
- Whisk together sourdough discard, milk, eggs, butter, and sugar.
- Add in flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and mix until combined. Mix in the corn until all incorporated.
- Pour batter into a greased mini loaf pan (this will make 8 mini loaves, or 12 cornbread muffins). Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Melt 1 TBS of honey and 1 TBS of butter together and brush over top of the cornbread for extra flavor. Serve warm, alongside a big bowl of chili.
Nutrition
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This recipe was so good! I did let it sit for about 45 min before i baked it. And I included your recommendation on adding 1/4 c honey to the batter and brushing honey butter on top! So good! Went so well with a spicy chilli🌶 thank you!❤️
can you make them in muffin tins instead of mini loaf pans
Yes! You may have to cut down a bit on baking time depending on the size of your muffin tin.
Excited to try this recipe! If I made muffins with this do you think I could freeze the leftovers?
Absolutely! Freeze them in an airtight Ziplock for up to 3 months 🙂
This recipe was easy to follow and turned out great! I doubled it for a function and was able to fill a couple pans full! Love finding recipes that aren’t just bread due to not always having “bread time”!
Could you skip can of corn?
I can’t rate because I had to sub coconut milk but it made 18 plus muffins