Sourdough Discard Tortilla Recipe (2024)

Published: · Updated: by kateschat · This post may contain affiliate links · 37 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

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!

Sourdough Discard Tortilla Recipe (1)

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.

Sourdough Discard Tortilla Recipe (3)
Sourdough Discard Tortilla Recipe (4)

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

Sourdough Discard Tortilla Recipe (5)
Sourdough Discard Tortilla Recipe (6)

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

Sourdough Discard Tortilla Recipe (7)

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

Sourdough Discard Tortilla Recipe (8)

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.

Sourdough Discard Tortilla Recipe (9)

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.

Sourdough Discard Tortilla Recipe (10)

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 1/2/2 ratio for sourdough starter? ›

A 1:2:2 feeding ratio would consist of one part existing starter, two parts flour and two parts water. For example, if you have 30g of existing starter, you would feed it 60g of flour and 60g of flour. The most common feeding ratios for daily maintenance are 1:1:1 or 1:2:2.

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.

What is the best flour for sourdough starter? ›

Over the past decade-plus of baking, I've tested all manner of flour from whole grain wheat to spelt to einkorn, and while they all do work, my preferred flour to use when creating a sourdough starter is whole grain rye flour and white flour (this can be all-purpose or high-protein bread flour).

What happens if I use self-rising flour in my sourdough starter? ›

Accidentally adding Self Rising Flour, Salt, Sugar or something similar - we've all been in a hurry and sometimes people accidentally feed their starter something they shouldn't. These types of things won't kill your starter (as long as it's only one feed).

What is the ratio for discarding sourdough starter? ›

Remove and discard half of your sourdough starter from the jar. Feed what's left in the jar with equal parts flour and water by weight (1:1:1 feeding ratio). You need a digital kitchen scale for this. Because we all work with different quantities of starters, this 1:1:1 feeding ratio is best understood by example.

What are the best ratios for sourdough? ›

Typical feeding ratios are 1:2:2 or 1:3:3 (old sourdough: fresh flour: water). However, even extreme ratios like 1:50:50 would still work. In that case, the freshly fed sourdough would just require more or much more time to grow and reach its peak, as judged by the maximum volume increase in the jar (at least doubled).

How to tell if sourdough discard is 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.

When should you throw out a sourdough discard? ›

You can store sourdough discard in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It's fine to leave it on the counter for up 24 hours, however if you aren't planning to use it straight away it's always better to store it in the fridge.

Can I use day 3 sourdough discard? ›

When Can You Use Sourdough Discard? You can use the discard from your starter to bake, but it's better if you wait at least 7 days before you actually use it. In the first 5-7 days, it's better if you bin or compost your discard because the bacteria will be fighting it out and it will generally smell pretty gross.

What flour do Italians use for sourdough? ›

Grano tenero flours are generally used in Italy to make both bread and pastries.

Can I use tap water for sourdough starter? ›

Ideally you want to feed your starter with one of the following water choices: Clean Spring Water. Bottled Water (but read the source of it) Filtered Tap Water (jug filter, fridge filter or house filter)

Is unbleached flour better for sourdough starter? ›

What Flour Should I Be Feeding My Sourdough Starter With? You can feed your sourdough starter with any flour you like, as long as it provides the starches the wild yeast in your sourdough starter need to convert to Co2 to rise your dough. The flour you choose should always be unbleached flour.

How do I know if I killed my sourdough starter? ›

Keep feeding your starter, and you'll see normal activity (bubbles) return in a few days. If your starter has a bit of dark liquid on top, it's not dead! It simply means it's hungry and that it's time to feed it. Unless your starter has a pink or orange hue or is beginning to mold, you probably haven't killed it yet.

Can I leave my sourdough starter out overnight? ›

Can I leave my starter out overnight after feeding it? Yes, if you have just fed it. Since the night is rather long, feed it in a 1:4:4 ratio so that's not over fermented by the morning. If for example you use a 1:1:1 ratio, the starter would have peaked in the middle of the night, and collapse by the morning.

How to tell when sourdough starter is bad? ›

Typical signs of food spoilage and mold include pink, orange, or green colors, white fuzzy spots, or sometimes areas that are darker with white areas on top. If you see any of these signs, I would recommend throwing your starter away and creating a new one.

What is the ratio volume for sourdough starter? ›

A common ratio for feeding starter at 166% hydration with volume measurements is 1:1:1, but this is a pretty variable ratio depending upon different factors. Feed your starter at least once everyday if it is not being kept in the refrigerator.

How to calculate starter ratio? ›

It's usually given as starter:water:flour, so a 1:1:1 ratio means 1 part starter, 1 part water, and 1 part flour. 1:2:2 means 1 part starter, 2 parts water, and 2 parts flour, and so on.

What is a 1.5:5 ratio for sourdough starter? ›

A 1:5:5 ratio would be 40 grams of starter, 200 grams of water and 200 grams of flour. In the 1:1:1 mixture you start the fermentation with more bacteria and yeast in comparison to the 1:5:5 ratio. This means - your sourdough dough will ferment faster.

What is the hydration ratio for sourdough starter? ›

The typical sourdough starter is at 100% hydration, meaning it is equal parts flour and water. I use 200 grams of starter in my no knead recipe. That means I'll add 100 grams to my total flour count and 100 grams to my water. Step 2: Add up the total weight of water.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Msgr. Benton Quitzon

Last Updated:

Views: 6402

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (43 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Msgr. Benton Quitzon

Birthday: 2001-08-13

Address: 96487 Kris Cliff, Teresiafurt, WI 95201

Phone: +9418513585781

Job: Senior Designer

Hobby: Calligraphy, Rowing, Vacation, Geocaching, Web surfing, Electronics, Electronics

Introduction: My name is Msgr. Benton Quitzon, I am a comfortable, charming, thankful, happy, adventurous, handsome, precious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.