Are you ready to bake the best sugar cookies with a unique sourdough twist? These Cut-Out Sourdough Sugar Cookies are not only delicious but also a great way to use your sourdough starter discard. Let's dive into this step-by-step recipe that promises the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess in every bite.
These are perfect for when you need a cookie that is a certain shape to fit a theme. Saint Patrick's Day, Christmas, or bachelorette party cookies are fun to make and this recipe ensures that your shape is sharp and the cookies are easy to decorate!
(In case you need cookies for Valentine's Day, I have a separate recipe for a Valentine's Day cookie!
Since we love cookies in our house, check out my other cookie recipes. Sourdough oatmeal raisin cookies are my favorite, if you need a place to start!
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Ingredients
- unsalted butter (softened): make sure to use room-temperature butter, otherwise it will not mix well with the other ingredients!
- granulated cane sugar: adds the classic sweetness. You can use a little bit more or less, be don't deviate too much, or the structure of the dough will change (for the worse).
- large egg (room temperature): for binding. If you really don't (or can't) use an egg, substitute it for 2 tablespoons of discard. It will work almost as well!
- vanilla extract: for that classic cookie flavor. Almond extract works well too!
- sourdough starter discard: brings a unique tang and adds fermented grains to your cookies!
- all-purpose flour
- salt: To enhance flavors. Try to find real salt without unnecessary additives.
- optional: 1 egg white and some colorful additions for decorating the cookies.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Sourdough Cut-Out Cookies
Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream the softened butter and cane sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add wet ingredients (the egg and vanilla extract) to the creamed mixture. Blend until just combined. Add sourdough discard and mix again.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt (dry ingredients).
Combine everything until just mixed, ensuring not to overwork the dough.
Chill the Dough: Form the dough into a ball and wrap it in a piece of plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Roll and Cut: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness with a rolling pin. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes and transfer them to a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes or until they are just golden brown.
Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate: Once cooled, decorate with royal icing, buttercream frosting, or enjoy them plain. Scroll down if you want to know what my favorite way to decorate them is!
Hint: sugar cookie dough can rise a bit if we knead it too much! So really make sure you just bring the ingredients together and that's it!
Substitutions & Variations
- spice it up: Spices like cinnamon or nutmeg add warmth and pair really well with sugar cookies!
- egg substitutes: use 2 tablespoons of sourdough discard if you don't want to use eggs. Its binding powers are not 100% like that of an egg, but they are close!
- Cookie Cutters: Don't hesitate to use different shapes with your favorite cookie cutters. Use cookie cutters that match the holiday you are baking these cookies around!
How to Decorate Cut-Out Sourdough Cookies?
For those just starting out with cookie decorating, I recommend a simple yet delightful egg white icing. It's straightforward and creates a lovely finish on your cookies. Here's how you can make it:
- Ingredients for Egg White Icing:
- 1 egg white
- 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar
- Making the Icing:
- In a small bowl, whip the egg white on high speed until it starts to get frothy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar while continuing to mix at high speed.
- Keep mixing until you achieve a light icing that forms stiff peaks.
- Applying the Icing:
- Once your cookies are baked and completely cooled, use a toothpick to apply this icing.
- Gently spread the icing over each cookie.
This egg white icing is not only a great way for beginners to start decorating cookies, but it also adds a delicate sweetness that complements the sourdough flavor beautifully.
FAQ
I did not try this with this particular recipe, but I have had experiences where The dough puffed up a bit if I used an active starter - even some very stiff cookie doughs! So if you want your cookies completely flat, I would just play it safe and use an inactive starter (discard).
Absolutely not! It's hard to describe the taste of discard in cookies and I'm sure you're tired of hearing the word "tang". The most accurate way to describe the taste is that it's just a bit more intense. Like the flour has a much stronger taste. But definitely not sour!
I dare say you can. This dough is very forgiving and comes out easy to roll, cut out different shapes, and bake without those shapes losing the edges. Making these is a great way to use some of the more delicately shaped cookie cutters.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
Looking for other sourdough discard recipes? Try these:
📖Printable Recipe
📖 Recipe
Perfect Cut-Out Sourdough Discard Sugar Cookies
Jump to VideoEquipment
- 1 stand mixer OR hand mixer
- 1 measuring cups and spoons OR kitchen scale
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 Plastic wrap
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 waxed wrap
- 1 cookie cutters
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 baking mat OR parchment paper
- 1 Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 110 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
- 130 grams granulated white sugar
- 1 egg large
- 5 grams vanilla extract
- 65 grams sourdough starter discard
- 280 grams all-purpose flour
- 2.5 grams sea salt
- 4 grams baking powder
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream the softened butter and cane sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add wet ingredients (the egg and vanilla extract) to the creamed mixture. Blend until just combined. Add sourdough discard and mix again.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt (dry ingredients).
- Combine everything until just mixed, ensuring not to overwork the dough.
- Chill the Dough: Form the dough into a ball and wrap it in a piece of plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Roll and Cut: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness with a rolling pin. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes and transfer them to a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes or until they are just golden brown.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate: Once cooled, decorate with royal icing, buttercream frosting, or enjoy them plain. Scroll down if you want to know what my favorite way to decorate them is!
Video
Notes
- sugar cookie dough can rise a bit if we knead it too much! So really make sure you just bring the ingredients together and that's it!
- egg white icing is not only a great way for beginners to start decorating cookies, but it also adds a delicate sweetness that complements the sourdough flavor beautifully.
Nutrition
How To Store Soft Sourdough Sugar Cookies
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few days.
Refrigerating the Dough: You can keep the sourdough sugar cookie dough in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure it's tightly wrapped in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
Freezing the Dough: For longer storage, the dough can be frozen. First, shape it into a flat disc or a log, wrap it well in plastic wrap, and then place it in a freezer-safe bag. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Baking from Frozen: When you're ready to bake, there's no need to thaw the dough completely. Let it sit at room temperature just until it's soft enough to roll out. This may take about 10-15 minutes. Then proceed with rolling, cutting, and baking as usual, adding a couple of extra minutes to the baking time if necessary.
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