This Sourdough Discard Cornbread recipe is the most delicious cornbread I’ve ever tasted. I make it for Thanksgiving every year, and my husband’s entire family wholeheartedly agree!
This is my absolute favorite way to use up sourdough discard. Every time I feed my starter, I place the discard in a separate airtight container in my freezer. Then I can just thaw the discard, measure out what I need, and bake away!
This simple Cornbread Recipe is simple to make and makes the perfect side dish for any BBQ, cookout, or on your Thanksgiving table.
Serve with softened butter (or honey butter, if you prefer!) and enjoy the repeated, “This is the best cornbread I’ve ever had!” compliments all evening long.
And if you’re looking for more ways to use up your sourdough discard, check out my Interview with the Vampire Cookies, which are browned butter chocolate chip cookies using sourdough discard!
What Type of Cornmeal Do I Need for Soft, Fluffy, Moist Sourdough Discard Cornbread?
I prefer yellow cornmeal here. Other types of cornmeal may work, but yellow cornmeal is the most iconic for a reason. It will make flavorful, bright, pretty cornbread that tastes amazing. White cornmeal won’t be as flavorful or as pretty, and I haven’t tried using blue cornmeal. I’ve used Quaker and Bob’s Red Mill successfully here.
Help! I Don’t Have Buttermilk on Hand!
Neither do I, 99% of the time! And none of the buttermilk substitutions I’ve found can provide that same terrific flavor – and, more importantly, they don’t provide the same textural benefits, either.
Although I don’t recommend this sub for most bakes, powdered buttermilk works perfectly here. You can find it in most grocery stores with the evaporated milk and carnation milk, etc. It’s inexpensive, lives in the fridge once opened, and it lasts forever! Just be sure to follow the directions on the package, as it’s much easier to mix properly when the dry and wet (water) are added to recipes separately.
The Baking Pan
You’re probably getting tired of me saying this, but glass (and ceramic … and silicone) pans are not for baking! Be sure to use a light-colored metal baking pan here. Dark colored pans will bake too aggressively and can dry out your cornbread. Glass, ceramic, and silicone simply can’t conduct heat well enough to work here.
I recommend using a 9″ square pan, but a 9″ round pan should also work; you’ll just slice the cornbread into wedges instead. A slightly smaller or larger pan may work, but you’ll need to adjust the bake time to account for the shorter/taller cornbread.
What to Serve with Sourdough Discard Cornbread
This cornbread goes beautifully with fried chicken and sweet potato fries with hot honey! I use sourdough genius Artisan Bryan’s sourdough discard fried chicken recipe. It’s legitimately the most delicious chicken I’ve ever had! It’s a little time-consuming, and has a lot of steps, but I promise, it’s worth the work.
Can This Cornbread be Made Ahead?
Yes! This cornbread freezes beautifully, so it’s perfect to make ahead for Thanksgiving. I leave it right in its baking pan and cover it with 3-4 layers of plastic wrap and foil, to protect it from freezer burn. Freeze up to 1 month. To thaw, allow to sit at room temperature for a few hours, and reheat in a 350°F / 175°C oven for 15 minutes, covered with foil, right before serving. It will taste exactly as if you baked it fresh! The best-ever Thanksgiving side dish!
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Sourdough Focaccia – the best focaccia ever!
- Sourdough Bread – a great starter guide if you’re new to sourdough!
- Tsoureki Recipe – aka Greek Easter Bread (yeasted)
- Homemade Hawaiian Rolls – delicious dinner roll recipe (yeasted)
- Homemade Apple Pie with my Homemade Buttery Pie Crust for the best Thanksgiving dessert!
Sourdough Discard Cornbread
Ingredients
- 170 grams sourdough discard
- 237 grams (1 cup) buttermilk*
- 150 grams (1 cup) yellow cornmeal
- 130 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature, whisked to combine
- 80 grams (¼ cup + 2 ½ Tablespoons) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 113 grams (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- This first step is optional: In a dry frypan or skillet, toast the cornmeal over a medium heat, stirring intermittently, until fragrant – about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the cornmeal. Remove from heat and allow to cool. This step isn't entirely necessary, but I like the enhanced depth of flavor it adds.
- In a large bowl, mix sourdough starter and buttermilk until smooth. Add cooled cornmeal and flour. Cover and set the aside at room temperature for 1-2 hours. This hydrates the cornmeal and flour, for the best moist and fluffy texture once baked.
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C, and line a 9" / 23cm light-colored metal square baking tin with parchment paper or nonstick foil. Secure with metal binder clips, if preferred.
- Uncover your starter mixture and add the eggs, sugar, salt, and melted butter. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
- Add the baking powder and baking soda, and use a rubber spatula to combine. Avoid overmixing.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving with butter. Can be served warm or once cooled.
