If your starter is bubbly, domed and has doubled since its last feed, this is where it earns its keep. Here are 50+ recipes using active sourdough starter, from a plain sourdough loaf with no Dutch oven to sourdough pizza dough, cinnamon rolls and laminated croissants. None need commercial yeast, they use simple ingredients, and they all have that subtle tang you only get from a starter.
Not sure what counts as active? The next section explains. New to sourdough? Start with the quick picks.
Jump to:
- Quick picks: where to start
- What Is an Active Sourdough Starter?
- Classic Sourdough Bread Recipes Using Active Sourdough Starter
- Flavoured Sourdough Bread Recipes
- Sourdough Focaccia, Ciabatta and Italian Breads
- Soft and Enriched Sourdough Loaves
- Savoury Bakes, Flatbreads and Pizza Dough
- Sweet Breads, Cinnamon Rolls and Sourdough Buns
- Sourdough Christmas Specials
- Christmas Sourdough ebook
- Flaky Buttery Sourdough Pastries
- New To Sourdough? Start Here
- FAQ: Recipes Using Active Sourdough Starter
- More Recipes Using Active Sourdough Starter
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost for you! Thank you!
Quick picks: where to start
FIRST LOAF: Sourdough Bread Without Dutch Oven needs only a cast iron skillet, and My Everyday Sourdough Bread is the Dutch oven version.
SAME DAY: Same Day Sourdough Bread takes about 9 hours 20 minutes from start to finish.
FAN FAVOURITES: Lemon & Blueberry Sourdough Bread and Apple Sourdough Focaccia.
WEEKEND PROJECT & QUITE A CHALLENGE: Sourdough Croissants or Sourdough Panettone.
What Is an Active Sourdough Starter?
An active sourdough starter is one that has been fed recently and is at or near its peak: it has at least doubled in size, it is bubbly all the way through, and the wild yeast and bacteria in it are working hard enough to raise bread without any commercial yeast. "Active" describes the state your starter is in, not a special type of starter. The same jar is active a few hours after a feed and hungry a day later.
To check, put a rubber band around the jar at the starting level right after you feed. At peak, the starter will have doubled (sometimes tripled), the top will be domed or just starting to flatten, and you'll see bubbles throughout and down the sides of the jar, not only on the surface.
It should look light, airy and a bit like mousse, and smell pleasantly tangy, a bit like probiotic yoghurt. In a warm kitchen (22 to 27°C) a 1:1:1 feed, which is equal weights of starter, flour and water, usually gets there in about 4 to 5 hours.
Sourdough discard is different. It's the portion you remove before feeding, so it isn't at peak, and every recipe below is written to be raised by active starter alone. Discard has its own home in my Sourdough Discard Recipes collection.
When you follow recipes in this list, use your starter at peak, because a starter at its strongest gives the dough the best start in the fermentation process. If yours isn't doubling before it starts deflating, my guides to how to feed sourdough starter and knowing when your starter is ready and at its peak will get you there.
Classic Sourdough Bread Recipes Using Active Sourdough Starter
Wondering what to make with active sourdough starter and no added leavening agents? Start with a classic loaf, then move on to wholegrain, wetter doughs and the baguette. If you have never baked sourdough bread, begin with the first two recipes.
My Everyday Sourdough Bread (IN A Dutch Oven)
My go-to for beginners: four ingredients, a few sets of coil folds and an overnight rest in the fridge. It bakes in a Dutch oven to a dark golden, chewy crust over a soft, airy crumb.
RECIPE: My Everyday Sourdough Bread
Sourdough Bread Without Dutch Oven
A plain white loaf (flour, water, salt and starter, nothing else) baked in a cast iron skillet with a dish of hot water for steam. The dough rests overnight in the fridge, which gives a chewy crust, a tender crumb and about 21 hours of mostly waiting.
Same Day Sourdough Bread (Without Commercial Yeast)
A boule you can start in the morning and slice the same day, in about 9 hours 20 minutes. Feed your starter the night before and expect a chewy crumb with a milder tang than the overnight loaves.
RECIPE: Same Day Sourdough Bread
High Hydration Sourdough Bread (80% Hydration Recipe)
A wetter dough for when you have a few loaves behind you and want a lighter, more open crumb under a thin, shiny crust. It is intermediate, but approachable, with coil folds and an overnight chill.
RECIPE: High Hydration Sourdough Bread
Sourdough Baguettes
A French classic with a very crusty crust and a little (a lot) of sourdough tang. It uses plenty of active starter, so make a large batch, and use a perforated baguette pan for an even crust and an easier final rise.
RECIPE: Overnight Sourdough Baguettes
100% Wholemeal Sourdough Bread
A nutty, lightly tangy loaf with a moist, tight crumb, made with wholemeal flour after a one-hour autolyse. Wholemeal soaks up a lot of water and behaves differently from white dough, so the water goes in gradually.
RECIPE: 100% Wholemeal Sourdough Bread
Sourdough Rye Bread
Whole grain rye and strong white flour make an earthy, lightly tangy loaf, with a little black treacle for bittersweet depth. It is a two-day bake in a Dutch oven, and the dough is sticky, so keep a scraper handy.
Einkorn Sourdough Bread Recipe For Beginners
Try baking with einkorn, an ancient wheat, without the stress. This beginner-friendly loaf uses just 25% einkorn flour, so it's a gentle way in.
RECIPE: Einkorn Sourdough Bread
Flavoured Sourdough Bread Recipes
Mix-ins are where sourdough bread gets fun. These loaves all use active starter, and my ebook below explains how mix-ins affect hydration and bulk fermentation. For more ideas, see Sourdough Bread Recipes With Inclusions.
LEMON and Blueberry Sourdough Bread
A wonderful sourdough bread perfect for spring and summer, or anytime you want something fruity and impressive-looking!
RECIPE: Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread
Coffee and Date Sourdough Bread
One of the fan favourites, and an unusual one: the wild yeast in the starter loves the sugars in the dates, so the dough rises beautifully during bulk fermentation. Best served with cheese and charcuterie boards.
RECIPE: Coffee and Date Sourdough Bread
Walnut and Cranberry Sourdough Bread
Our favourite sourdough bread recipe, generously studded with walnuts and cranberries. Slather it with butter for breakfast or have it with a mid-morning coffee.
Roasted Garlic and Green Olive Sourdough Bread
A properly savoury loaf for hearty stews and soups. We have also been known to eat it with a drizzle of honey (don't judge until you try it).
Lemon and Poppy Seed Sourdough Bread
A summer loaf with poppy seeds and lemon zest. Slather it with cream cheese and have it for breakfast.
Dill Pickle Sourdough Bread
Dill pickles and sourdough are both having a moment, so I put them in one loaf.
RECIPE: Dill Pickle Sourdough Bread
Matcha Swirl Sourdough Bread
A swirl of vibrant colour from matcha powder. The taste isn't strong, but it is very pretty.
RECIPE: Matcha Swirl Sourdough Bread
Mix It Up: Turn Your Sourdough into a Flavour Adventure.
Sourdough Focaccia, Ciabatta and Italian Breads
Sticky doughs, olive oil and crisp edges. If you love sourdough focaccia, there are plenty more flavours in my Sourdough Focaccia Bread Recipes & Topping Ideas.
Sourdough Focaccia With Olives
This sourdough focaccia has never failed me. The dough is sticky but needs very little shaping, and a dark pan or cast iron skillet gives a crispy exterior and a soft, airy middle. It also works as pizza dough. Fancy a double-carb twist? Try the Sourdough Focaccia With Potatoes and Rosemary.
Simple Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia With Sea Salt
A beginner-friendly overnight focaccia, soft and airy inside with crisp, olive oil-fried edges and a topping of rosemary and flaky sea salt. It uses 110 g of active starter and a roughly 23 cm square tray.
BAKLAVA Sourdough Focaccia
My guilty pleasure, combining the decadence of baklava with an airy sourdough focaccia. A sweet focaccia, and a must-try.
RECIPE: Sourdough Baklava Focaccia
Crusty Sourdough Ciabatta
Sourdough ciabatta makes a great lunchtime sandwich. The dough is sticky and wet, but you're rewarded with a chewy crust and an extra airy crumb.
RECIPE: Sourdough Ciabatta
Soft and Enriched Sourdough Loaves
These loaves have a softer crust and a tighter crumb than a crusty boule, which makes them good for sandwiches and toast. You can find more in my dedicated article on soft-crust sourdough recipes.
Soft Crust Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Our simple sandwich loaf has a soft crust and a less open crumb, so it's good for sandwiches, toast and French toast. The method is basic and takes minimal effort.
RECIPE: Soft Crust Sourdough Bread Recipe (Sourdough Sandwich Bread)
Sourdough Milk Bread (Soft Japanese Shokupan)
A cloud-like, slightly sweet loaf made with a tangzhong (a cooked flour and milk paste) and a gentle tang. The dough rests overnight in the fridge and bakes in a 2 lb loaf tin.
Sourdough Babka
Soft and enriched sourdough dough swirled with a variety of fillings, creating irresistibly beautiful and tasty dessert bread that makes delicious French Toast too. Take your pick below:
Sourdough Brioche
A soft, buttery loaf with a faint tang and hints of vanilla and lemon zest, raised by a stiff sourdough levain with no commercial yeast. Once it's a little stale it makes excellent toast or French toast.
Sourdough Bara Brith (Welsh Fruit Loaf)
A Welsh fruit loaf reworked with sourdough: dense, chewy and generously studded with dried fruit that has been soaked in strong black tea. Best lightly toasted with salted butter.
Savoury Bakes, Flatbreads and Pizza Dough
Looking to impress with something savoury? From pizza night to a summer BBQ spread, these bakes all run on active starter.
Sourdough Pizza Dough (Neapolitan Style)
Thin, airy sourdough pizza dough with a puffy rim, blistered top and crisp base, no wood-fired oven needed. You preheat a heavy frying pan or cast iron skillet and finish each pizza under a hot grill, and the dough balls freeze for up to two weeks.
RECIPE: Sourdough Pizza Dough (Neapolitan Style Crust Recipe)
Sourdough Pita Pockets
So much fun to make, because you get to watch them puff up in the oven. Fill them with Beetroot Falafel or make Salmon and Avocado Pockets.
RECIPE: Sourdough Pita Bread
Sourdough Naan
If Friday night is takeaway night, try a fakeaway instead: soft, pillowy naan dripping in garlic butter. You'll struggle to go back.
Sourdough Burger Buns
Soft, fluffy hamburger buns that make a homemade burger feel like more of an occasion, and a good use for active starter.
Chilli and Cheese Sourdough Pull-Apart Bread
A tear and share loaf for anyone who loves pizza and melting cheese, with a little chilli kick.
Sourdough Bagels
Chewy homemade bagels, and the toppings are up to you. A fun way to use your active starter.
RECIPE: Chewy Sourdough Bagels
Pesto Sourdough Rolls
Milk and butter enriched dough rolled with basil pesto and cheese. Make your own pesto if you can for the best pull-apart bread you've ever had.
RECIPE: Pesto and Cheese Sourdough Rolls
Sourdough Garlic Knots
Fluffy, soft and covered in garlic butter, and made overnight. They suit a summer BBQ spread, a Thanksgiving table or simply a pizza night.
RECIPE: Sourdough Garlic Knots
Sourdough Pretzel Bites
Everything you love about a pretzel in small bites you can't stop eating, made from simple ingredients. With a sweet tooth, try the Cinnamon Sugar Sourdough Pretzel Bites.
Sweet Breads, Cinnamon Rolls and Sourdough Buns
Cinnamon rolls, babka, buns and holiday breads, all raised with active starter. Most of them go through an overnight rest in the fridge, so you can shape and bake the next day.
Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Rolls (Overnight Recipe)
Juicy apples and warm cinnamon in an overnight roll: a cosy autumn breakfast, or a sweet snack any time.
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
The traditional version: perfectly soft and sweet, with cream cheese frosting on top. Warning: they are super messy to eat, which is half the fun.
Sourdough Sticky Buns (Maple Pecan Caramel)
Soft enriched buns baked upside down over buttery maple pecan caramel, then flipped. Rest the dough overnight in the fridge, and let the baked buns cool for 5 to 15 minutes before flipping so the caramel turns syrupy.
RECIPE: Sourdough Sticky Buns
Sourdough Cardamom Buns (Swedish Kardemummabullar)
Cardamom, not cinnamon, is the star in this sourdough take on Swedish kardemummabullar. The pillowy dough is rolled with cardamom butter, braided into knots and finished with a brown sugar glaze.
Sourdough Belgian Buns (Classic Iced British Buns)
Despite the name, Belgian buns are a British bakery classic: soft enriched dough rolled up with lemon curd and raisins, iced and topped with a glacé cherry. They are lighter than a cinnamon roll, and the gentle tang balances the sweetness.
Sourdough Lemon Rolls With Lemon Cream Cheese Icing
A zesty alternative to winter cinnamon rolls. Lemon zest is rubbed into sugar and layered with butter, then the lemon cream cheese icing goes on while the rolls are still warm.
Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
The traditional British Easter classic without any commercial yeast, spiced with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ginger, and loaded with mixed peel, sultanas and orange zest. Want a new favourite? Try the Sourdough Chocolate Hot Cross Buns or see more sourdough Easter recipes.
Sourdough Christmas Specials
Must-try sourdough recipes for Christmas: one from Germany and one from Italy!
Sourdough Stollen
A German Christmas bread raised by sourdough alone, with fruit soaked in brandy, rum or cognac and a ribbon of marzipan through the middle. Leftovers freeze well after three to four days.
RECIPE: Sourdough Stollen (Traditional German Christmas Bread)
Sourdough Panettone
The pinnacle of sourdough baking, at least for me. Stiff starter, a long bulk fermentation and sugar ratios that change everything, so it's one for when regular sourdough bread is getting boring, and it's well worth the wait.
RECIPE: Sourdough Panettone
Christmas Sourdough ebook
Celebrate the holiday season with a unique twist this year with our 24 Christmas Sourdough recipes! Discover the magic of using active sourdough starter, sourdough discard, and leftover baked sourdough bread to create a memorable and flavoursome Christmas feast.
Flaky Buttery Sourdough Pastries
Laminated pastry made with active sourdough starter is where I shine and smile the most. These recipes take two days and some practice if you're a beginner, but that first bite of a freshly baked croissant makes it all worthwhile.
Buttery Sourdough Croissants
Flaky, buttery perfection and a labour of love worth every layer. Enjoy them plain or filled, and turn any stale leftovers into almond croissants.
RECIPE: Flaky Sourdough Croissants (Overnight Croissant Recipe)
Sourdough Pain Au Chocolat
Rich chocolate wrapped in flaky, tangy laminated pastry, for a luxurious breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up.
Sourdough Ham and Cheese Croissants
For anyone without a sweet tooth: savoury croissants with gooey cheese and ham baked right in.
RECIPE: Sourdough Ham & Cheese Croissants (Overnight Recipe)
Sourdough Danish Pastries With Almond Filling
Laminated Danish pastries filled with a marzipan-like almond paste, then finished with an almond-scented glaze and toasted flaked almonds. A two-day bake that suits a weekend breakfast or an afternoon treat.
Cinnamon Sourdough Cruffins
The flakiness of a croissant meets a cinnamon roll in muffin shape: a cinnamon sugar pastry hybrid that's good for brunch.
RECIPE: Cinnamon Sourdough Cruffins
Sourdough Kouign Amann
From Brittany, with layers of buttery dough and caramelised sugar, and known as "the fattiest pastry in all of Europe". The sourdough tang balances the sweetness.
RECIPE: Sourdough Kouign Amann
Sourdough Cheese Straws
Crisp, cheesy and savoury, with a sourdough tang, for parties or snacking on the go.
RECIPE: Sourdough Cheese Straws
New To Sourdough? Start Here
If you don't have a starter yet, begin with my simple sourdough starter recipe, then learn how to feed and maintain a healthy starter. For beginners, the rule of thumb in my kitchen is that a starter is ready for its first loaf when it reliably doubles within 4 to 5 hours of a 1:1:1 feed, over several feeds in a row.
Once you've mixed the dough, when sourdough is ready to bake and bulk fermentation guide explains the dough side. Want to swap the yeast in a recipe of your own? See how to replace yeast with sourdough starter.
FAQ: Recipes Using Active Sourdough Starter
It depends on your feed ratio and how warm your kitchen is. In a kitchen around 22 to 27°C, a 1:1:1 feed usually peaks in 4 to 6 hours, a 1:2:2 feed in 6 to 8 hours and a 1:3:3 feed in 8 to 12 hours, which is why that one suits an overnight feed. A warm kitchen speeds things up, so use a bigger ratio to slow it down. A cool kitchen means a longer wait or a warmer spot for the jar.
Not straight away, because it hasn't been fed recently and so isn't active yet. Feed it first as usual and leave it somewhere warm for about 4 hours. If it hasn't at least doubled, feed it again, and a starter that has gone a long time without feeding may need several feeds before it's ready to bake with.
Not in the recipes in this list. They are raised by active starter alone, with no commercial yeast, so they need a starter at its peak to rise properly. Discard is the portion you remove before feeding, and it has its own set of bakes in my sourdough discard recipes.
If it doubled and then began to fall, it is usually still usable, though it may taste more sour and developed, so use it soon. If it started to fall before doubling, that is a warning sign it isn't strong enough yet: feed a small amount at a higher ratio, for example 10 g starter, 20 g flour and 20 g water, for a few rounds. A starter that collapsed or never doubled needs feeding again before it goes into bread.
More Recipes Using Active Sourdough Starter
Explore more active sourdough starter recipes:
Leave a Reply