Sourdough Discard Granola

Sourdough discard is the secret ingredient to creating chunky clusters in this tangy, lower sugar granola!

If you keep an active sourdough starter, you probably have your fair share of discard hanging around. If not, you should, because all that flour is not to be wasted! Discard can be made into all kinds of delicious treats - from English muffins to cinnamon rolls to crackers. But one thing that many people probably don't think about to make with discard is nutritious, delicious granola.

What is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough starter discard is the excess starter that you remove from the jar (and no longer need) when feeding your starter. In order to maintain a small size and an efficient feeding routine, you remove about half before adding more flour and water to the jar. You could pour that discard down the drain, which ends up being a lot of wasted flour. OR you can collect it in its own jar and store it in the refrigerator until you have enough to use in a recipe such as this one.

Why This Granola Works

Most granola recipes rely on a combination of a liquid sweetener and oil to hold it together in clusters and give it crunch. Here, sourdough discard acts as the binder, holding all the oats, rice cereal and nuts together so that you can use less sweetener (in this case honey) and oil. The result os a tangy, lightly sweetened, nutty, cluster-y granola that's much lower in sugar than most and perfect for breakfast or snacks. Using crispy brown rice cereal in addition to oats creates the perfect texture that is crunchy but not tough.

How To Make Sourdough Discard Granola

1. Whisk together the sourdough discard, oil, honey, and vanilla.
2. Stir in the oats, crispy rice cereal, nuts, seeds and spices.
3. Press into a thin, tightly packed layer on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes at 350°F WITHOUT stirring.
4. Remove the granola and let it cool completely before breaking into clusters and stirring in any dried fruit.

Tips For Making The Best Granola

• The key to big, crunchy clusters is packing the oat mixture tightly onto your baking sheet in a single layer so that you can’t see the sheet underneath it. Then you’re going to stick it in the oven and bake it WITHOUT stirring. I repeat DO NOT STIR. Once the granola is finished baking, take it out and let it cool completely before breaking it up.
• If you want to add any dried fruit, make sure to do so after it bakes, or else it will get very hard.
• The longer your discard has been sitting in the fridge, the tangier your granola will be.

Recipe Variations

• Experiment with any nuts, seeds, or spices that you want. This recipe is just a starting point for any combination you can think of!
• If you prefer sweeter granola, increase the honey to 2-3 tbsp. You can also use maple syrup if you'd rather.
• I like using brown rice cereal for a little extra nutrition, but regular crispy rice cereal works too.

How To Store Homemade Granola

Store granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

If you have lots of sourdough discard to use, try these other Sourdough Discard Recipes!

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