Sourdough Fried Pickles are what happens when tangy, salty, and crunchy meet crispy, golden batter with a sourdough twist. They're wildly snackable, slightly outrageous, and exactly what your dip bowl's been missing.
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Using Sourdough Starter In Batter For Frying
Using sourdough discard in batter isn't just a clever way to reduce food waste - it also adds flavour and texture to your crispy favourites.
- It makes a light, crispy coating.
- Adds a subtle tang that levels up simple fried snacks.
- Sourdough discard batter sticks beautifully to whatever you're frying, giving an even golden crunch.
- Great for more than just pickles - try it with white or red onion rings (Sourdough Onion Rings recipe here), or even strips of chicken breast (it works beautifully in our Hong Sue Chicken).
Ingredients and Substitutes
Here's everything you will need for these Fried Pickles With Sourdough Batter:
- pickles (pickled gherkins): we slice large ones into rounds and smaller ones into diagonals. If you have more pickles, try our Dill Pickle Sourdough Bread!
- plain flour: also known as all-purpose flour. Whilst the batter can be made with sourdough starter only, I feel that a little of unfermented flour helps with a crispier coating.
- baking powder: makes the batter lighter and crispier.
- spices and seasonings: we used garlic powder, paprika and turmeric, but feel free to experiment.
- sourdough discard: 100% hydration. Active starter may also be used.
- cold water: may be replaced with sparkling water (soda water) or milk.
- neutral oil for frying, like canola oil or vegetable oil. Olive oil flavour is too overpowering here, and generally not suitable for frying.
Find ingredient quantities, detailed instructions and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Slice the pickles into 0.5 cm (just under ½ inch) thick rounds or diagonals.
2. Lay the slices in a single layer on a few sheets of paper towel and pat dry from the top with extra paper towels to remove excess moisture.
3. In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, paprika, and turmeric.
4. In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard and 50 ml of water or milk (add more if needed for a smooth batter consistency).
5. Add the dry mix into the discard mixture and stir until fully combined.
6. Heat about 1 cm of neutral oil in a frying pan or a wide, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
7. Dip the pickle slices into the batter, coating well.
8. Carefully place the coated dill pickle slices into the hot oil in batches.
9. Fry for about 30 seconds per side, or until golden brown and crisp.
10. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.
11. Serve immediately, sprinkled with some coarse sea salt, with your favourite dips on the side.
Dips For Sourdough Fried Pickles
Just like our Sourdough Pretzel Bites, we serve Sourdough Fried Pickles with a homemade dipping sauce like Honey Mustard Dip, Ranch Dressing, or a spicy Harissa Yogurt Dip - each one hits differently, and all are spot-on.
Fancy pickle on pickle? Try our Cottage Cheese Dill Pickle Dip!
Recipe Tips
- For a twist, use dill pickle spears instead of slices. Just make sure to drain them and remove any excess moisture very well to avoid a soggy coating.
- Swap out a tablespoon of water in the batter with a tablespoon of pickle juice for extra tang.
- Make sure your oil is hot enough before frying. If it's not sizzling, the batter will soak up too much oil and turn greasy.
- Fry in batches and don't overcrowd the pan to keep the sourdough discard batter light and crisp.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
Sourdough Fried Pickles (With Discard or Active Starter)
Ingredients
- 300 g (7.05 oz) pickles a.k.a. pickled gherkins
- 30 g (¼ cups) plain flour all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
- 70 g (¼ cups) sourdough discard 100% hydration
- 50-60 ml (¼ cups) cold sparkling or still water or milk, or beer
- neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Slice the pickles into 0.5 cm (just under ½ inch) thick rounds or diagonals.
- Lay the slices in a single layer on a few sheets of paper towel and pat dry from the top to remove excess moisture.
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, paprika, and turmeric.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard and 50 ml of water (add more if needed for a smooth batter consistency).
- Add the dry mix into the discard mixture and stir until fully combined.
- Heat about 1 cm of neutral oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Dip the pickle slices into the batter, coating well.
- Carefully place the coated pickles into the hot oil in batches.
- Fry for about 30 seconds per side, or until golden brown and crisp.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.
- Serve immediately with your favourite dips.
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