Sourdough Popovers: a delicious, easy sourdough discard recipe! (2024)

Sourdough Popovers are a fun and delicious addition to almost any meal, and a fabulously easy way to use sourdough starter or discard!

Sourdough Popovers: a delicious, easy sourdough discard recipe! (1)

Sourdough Popovers

I’ve been a popovers fan for as long as I can remember. I mean, what’s not to love about those steaming gems? So light and airy, yet perfectly eggy and doughy at the same time. And they’re SO EASY to make!

When I lived in Wahpeton (ND), I liked to eat at a great little restaurant/pub called The Wilkin. It was located just across the river in Breckenridge (MN), and they served gloriously tall popovers with cinnamon honey butter to anyone who ordered one of their salads. Besides their food being some of the best in town, the popovers were THE reason you’d see so many people eating a salad with their meal.

I’ve been making classic homemade popovers (slathered with cinnamon honey butter) for years, but just recently discovered the beauty of Sourdough Popovers. They’re more substantial than regular popovers and a super beautiful way to use sourdough starter or discard!

My sourdough-bread-baking friend Amanda from Heartbeet Kitchen helped us make our first loaf of sourdough – it was AMAZING. Want your own sourdough starter? Go here – Amanda will send you some! And then be sure to poke around her site for more sourdough recipes!

Sourdough Popovers: a delicious, easy sourdough discard recipe! (2)

What is a Popover?

You might call it a roll. Or an airy muffin. Or a light and eggy steamed bread.

Popovers are the American version of Yorkshire pudding. They are made from a very thin batter consisting mostly of eggs and milk, plus some flour, and then baked in a dedicated popover pan. A muffin pan also works – just know that the popovers won’t be as tall and may be more custardy inside because they don’t have as much space to expand.

As the popovers cook, the moisture from the batter and the eggs generates a massive amount of steam. The hot steam builds up inside the popovers, inflating the batter to rise up and “pop over” the pan.

The steam also cooks the inside of the popovers, creating a soft and custardy interior. While a sourdough popover has a much more dense interior, a regular popover will most often be hollow.

Sourdough Popovers: a delicious, easy sourdough discard recipe! (3)

Ingredients for Sourdough Popovers

Many people think that popovers are difficult to make, but they’re about as simple as a recipe can get. Only their presentation is dramatic. They’re an entertainer’s dream!

And when you have sourdough starter and/or discard on hand, you can easily make sourdough popovers. This is one of the best sourdough discard recipes I know!

You’ll need only five ingredients for this recipe:

  • eggs
  • flour
  • milk
  • salt
  • sourdough starter or discard

No sourdough starter or sourdough discard? To make popovers without sourdough starter/discard, just use my regular popovers recipe!

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How to make Sourdough Popovers

The batter is very thin, similar to the consistency of heavy cream.

Popovers are very easy to make:

  • In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the eggs.
  • Whisk in milk, sourdough starter or discard, and salt.
  • Add flour and whisk until large lumps disappear.
  • Pour batter into preheated popover or muffin pan.
  • Bake at 450° F for 15 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to 375° F and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more.
Sourdough Popovers: a delicious, easy sourdough discard recipe! (5)

I highly recommend having two popover pans on hand. I have two of these popover pans and they work great.

Popovers are very light and airy, and it seems that people always want more than one. I know that I always do!!

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Looking for some cheap entertainment? Keep an eye on the popovers while they bake!

Watch them rise taller and taller as the steam inflates the batter.

I never tire of this baking process!

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For the utmost enjoyment, serve popovers immediately after removing them from the oven. They are always best when eaten hot.

Toppings to Serve with Popovers

  • Cinnamon Honey Butter – Most often, this is how I prefer to eat popovers. I whip the butter until it’s soft and fluffy. Irresistible!
  • Salted butter OR unsalted butter with a little sprinkle of salt – You just can’t go wrong with this simple delight. Goes with EVERYTHING.
  • Butter and jam – This makes a beautiful breakfast. Just ask our daughters.
  • Whipped cream and fresh fruit – This reminds me of eating a cream puff!
  • Fluffy Whipped Blueberry Butter – Such a pretty fruit butter!
  • Fluffy Whipped Pumpkin Pie Spice Butter – Lovely for fall and Thanksgiving entertaining.
  • Whipped Lemon-Vanilla Bean Butter – Good enough to eat with a spoon!

Yes. I do like my flavored butters!!

What to Serve with Popovers

Popovers are great to serve with a variety of meals. Think about offering popovers with anything you’d normally serve with buns.

This brings to mind salads, grilled or roasted meats, breakfasts, soups, and recipes with gravy. Popovers are wonderful for mopping up all the flavorful juices and sauces that would otherwise get left behind.

Here are some recipes that our family enjoys with popovers:

  • Grilled Romaine Salad with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
  • Beer Can Chicken
  • Italian Chopped Salad
  • Fresh greens dressed with this beautiful Herby Lemon Vinaigrette
  • Grilled Vegetable Salad
  • Easy Grilled Pork Chops
  • Irish Beef Stew
  • Mustard Pork Loin Roast
  • Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew
  • Grilled Turkey Tenderloin with Brown Sugar and Whole Grain Mustard
  • Sugar Grilled Beef and Asparagus Kebabs
  • Baked Eggs with Pancetta, Provolone, and Peas
  • Classic Pot Roast
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Tips for the Best Popovers

  • Mix batter only until lumps are gone. Do not overmix.
  • Preheat the popover pan for the best sourdough popover results.
  • Spray popover pans thoroughly with cooking spray right before pouring batter into the cups.
  • Use a large liquid measuring cup or a bowl with a spout to pour the batter into the pan. Since the batter is so thin, this gives a good amount of control with the filling process. A ladle also works well.
  • Start with a higher oven temperature and then turn it down after fifteen minutes. This gives the batter’s moisture a kickstart to create steam to inflate and cook the popovers.
  • Do notdisturb the baking process by opening the oven door. Peeking will release heat that’s needed to produce steam inside the popovers.
  • Serve immediately. Popovers are best when eaten hot.
  • Serve with one or more of the many delicious toppings that I talked about previously.
  • Got leftover popovers? Store them in an airtight container up to two days. Re-warm them in the oven right before serving.

Like this easy recipe? Save it to Pinterest!

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Here are a few more sourdough discard recipes you might like:

Sourdough Popovers: a delicious, easy sourdough discard recipe! (10)

Sourdough Popovers: a delicious, easy sourdough discard recipe! (11)

Sourdough Popovers

Yield: 6 servings

prep time: 10 minutes mins

cook time: 35 minutes mins

total time: 45 minutes mins

Popovers are a fun and delicious addition to almost any meal, and this recipe is a fantastic way to use sourdough starter or discard!

4.1 Stars (21 Reviews)

Print

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 c. milk at room temperature or just slightly warmed (use skim, reduced fat, or full fat – they all work!)
  • ½ c. sourdough starter or discard
  • ¾ tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 c. all-purpose flour

Instructions

  • Place popover pan or regular muffin pan on a lower to middle rack in the oven. Ensure that any rack above the pan is set high enough, so the rising popovers won’t hit it. Preheat oven and pan to 450° F while preparing the popover batter.

  • In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, just until streaks of yolks and whites disappear. If you have a bowl with a spout or a large liquid measure, that works really well for pouring the finished batter into the cups of the popover/muffin pan.

  • Add milk, sourdough starter or discard, and salt. Whisk lightly, just to combine.

  • Gently whisk in the flour until large lumps disappear, taking care to not overmix. A few small lumps are ok. The batter will be very thin, about the consistency of heavy cream.

  • Once popover pan or muffin pan has been heated, very carefully remove it from the oven and quickly spray it with nonstick spray.

  • Divide batter evenly between cups. If your bowl doesn’t have a spout, a ladle also works well. For a popover pan, fill each cup about half-way. For a muffin pan, fill each cup almost to the top. Muffin pans have smaller cups, so you will have enough batter to make 8 (smaller) popovers.

  • Place pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes at 450° F. Then reduce heat to 375° F and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until popovers are golden brown. The popovers will be more stable the longer they are baked, so I bake them as long as possible without letting them get too dark. Remove pan from oven and pierce each popover once with a sharp knife tip to release steam.

  • Serve immediately with softened butter (I recommend salted butter OR unsalted butter with a little sprinkle of salt!) or whipped Cinnamon Honey Butter. >>> Fluffy Whipped Blueberry Butter, Fluffy Whipped Pumpkin Pie Spice Butter, and Whipped Lemon-Vanilla Bean Butter are also wonderful!

Notes

Adapted from King Arthur.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 Calories: 168kcal Carbohydrates: 26g Protein: 8g Fat: 4g Saturated Fat: 1g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 96mg Sodium: 348mg Fiber: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.

Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!

© Brenda | A Farmgirl’s Dabbles

Cuisine: American

Course: Muffins, Scones & Quick Breads

Sourdough Popovers: a delicious, easy sourdough discard recipe! (12)
Sourdough Popovers: a delicious, easy sourdough discard recipe! (2024)

FAQs

How much sourdough discard to use? ›

Weigh out how much discard you want to add to the recipe (no more than 200g). Divide the weight into 2. Subtract this amount of flour and water (or other liquid) from the recipe. Add the sourdough discard in place of these amounts of flour and water.

Do you have to discard sourdough starter every time you feed it? ›

Do I have to discard my sourdough starter? It would be best if you discarded some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used “food” (flour and water) that's been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period.

What is a substitute for sourdough discard? ›

Ingredients and Substitutions

Sourdough discard: If you don't sourdough discard saved up, feel free to use active sourdough starter. If you don't have a strater, add 56 grams of flour and 56 grams of water to your dough.

What is the difference between sourdough bread and sourdough discard bread? ›

Sourdough discard is the unfed portion of your sourdough starter that you remove before you add fresh flour and water. Because of it's unfed state, it's not used to bake the delicious bread you know as sourdough, but more often than not, used in sourdough discard recipes.

Can you use 2 day old sourdough discard? ›

You should toss the sourdough discard from your starter for at least the first 7 days. In this early period, the discard will contain bad bacteria which can potentially be unsafe for you to consume. After about 7 days, your starter should have started to rise and bubble.

Can I leave sourdough discard out overnight? ›

Store your discard in a jar in the refrigerator where it will continue to ferment, albeit very slowly, whereas at room temperature, it will ferment quickly and you will soon have very ripe discard on your hands that won't be useful for much of anything. You can also store your discard in the freezer.

What happens if you forgot to discard half of your sourdough starter? ›

If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.

Is it OK to leave sourdough starter out? ›

Generally a starter can stay at room temperature without feeding for a maximum of 3 days. After that you will need to give the starter few feedings before you can use it again. This is because it will become less strong and it will need time and food to become strong again.

Does sourdough discard have to be active? ›

It can be at room temperature or come directly from the fridge. The texture is less bubbly (if bubbly at all) when compared to fluffy active starter. Sourdough discard is not active enough to make bread dough rise, and despite its name the “discard” does not have to be thrown away.

Is eating sourdough discard healthy? ›

The best part about using leftover sourdough discard in your baking and cooking? You get the added benefit of fermented grains – making it easier to digest and better absorbed by the body.

What is the liquid on top of sourdough discard? ›

This thin liquid (called “hooch”) is merely alcohol and water generated by your starter's wild yeast as it feeds. Hooch is a visible cry for help: Your starter is hungry. Once you get it back on a regular regimen of care, it should recover just fine.

What happens if you bake sourdough 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.

How do I know if my sourdough discard is good? ›

You can store mature sourdough discard in the refrigerator indefinitely. As long as there is no mold, it is good to use.

Is it okay to eat sourdough bread every day? ›

Health benefits of sourdough. The type of flour used — all-purpose, whole wheat, rye — can affect the nutritional content of sourdough bread, says Wee. But generally speaking, sourdough bread is a healthy option and can be eaten regularly as part of a nutritious, balanced diet.

What should sourdough discard look like? ›

Kept in the fridge, sourdough discard will last several weeks. Similar principles apply to sourdough discard as they do to starter; black liquid on top is totally fine, but streaks of pink or orange mean that it's likely contaminated and should be tossed.

How do you know when you can use sourdough discard? ›

At room temperature (70 F), sourdough discard should last about 1-2 days. Beyond that, it won't go bad necessarily, it will just become more acidic as time goes on (especially in warm weather). Not ideal for sweet recipes. In the fridge, it will keep for about a week or so, and in the freezer it will last indefinitely.

What to do with sourdough discard day 1? ›

Use it immediately for baking: If you are going to bake something right away (same day), you can keep the discard at room temperature until you're ready to bake. Cover it with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out until you're ready to use it. Check out a few of my favorite sourdough discard recipes here.

Does sourdough discard have to be active to use? ›

One note: Don't start using your discard until your starter is really up and running. In other words, if you've just started your starter and it's not yet established, then you shouldn't save that discard. Wait until you have a healthy, active sourdough starter, then keep any discard from routine feedings.

How long can you keep sourdough discard before it goes bad? ›

Sourdough discard only lasts a day or two at room temperature. As such, it is best to keep your discard in the fridge, where it will last for up to one week. Of course, you can only rely on it lasting that long if you store it correctly.

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