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🍞 Sourdough

Sourdough chocolate chip cookies

A very persuasive reason not to waste discard

⏱️ Time estimate: about 30 minutes, plus optional chill time

These easy one-bowl cookies use unfed sourdough starter or discard for a subtle tang behind lots of butter and chocolate, with bake time controlling chewy versus fluffier texture.

Sourdough chocolate chip cookies on a cooling rack

Ingredients

  • 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup sourdough starter, unfed or discard
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups large chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Mix the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, stir together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined.
  2. Add the wet ingredients. Stir in the egg, then the sourdough starter and vanilla.
  3. Finish the dough. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda and mix just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for 15 minutes or longer if you like.
  4. Bake. Heat the oven to 350°F. Scoop 2 to 3 tablespoons of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  5. Choose your texture. Bake 6 to 8 minutes for a chewier cookie or 8 to 10 minutes for a puffier, more cake-like cookie.
  6. Cool a bit. Let the cookies set on the pan for a few minutes before moving them.

Two minutes makes a real difference here, so this is a choose-your-own-cookie-texture situation.