Sourdough Sugar Cookies

These Sourdough Sugar Cookies have a soft tender middle and crisp edges. Plus they are a delicious way to use up sourdough discard.

I have been experimenting with ways to add sourdough discard to a variety of cookie recipes. Four of my other favorites are these Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies, these Brown Butter Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies, these Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies, and these Sourdough Snickerdoodles.

Most people make sugar cookies around the Christmas holidays but I think they should be eaten all year round. Just switch up your cookie cutters, hearts for Valentine's Day, bunnies and eggs for Easter, and turkeys for Thanksgiving.

Do you love sugar cookies? Try these Chocolate-Iced Amaretto Sugar Cookies or these Panera Lemon Drop Copycat Cookies.

Recipe Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make these soft and chewy Sourdough Sugar Cookies.

Sugar: Use white granulated sugar to keep sugar cookies color as light as possible.

Butter: Room temperature butter is easier to cream together with the sugar. I use unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter you will need to omit the salt in the recipe. There is about ¼ teaspoon of salt per stick of salted butter.

Egg Yolks: Egg yolks are used to add fat and richness to the cookies. The egg whites are eliminated to account for the extra moisture from the sourdough discard. Save the egg whites to make this Easy Swiss Meringue.

Tip: Egg whites and egg yolks are easier to separate while they are still cold. Separate the eggs, save the whites for another recipe, and then allow the yolks to come to room temperature.

Sourdough Discard: Don't worry your cookies won't be sour. There is plenty of sugar to eliminate the sourdough flavor. This recipe uses 100% hydration starter. You can use either fed and active starter or inactive sourdough discard.

Pro Sourdough Tip: Keep a glass jar in your refrigerator to store your sourdough discard. Continue adding to it until you have enough to make your chosen sourdough discard recipe.

All-Purpose Flour: Since we want tender cookies use all-purpose flour it has just enough protein to give the cookies structure without being too tough. For accuracy, the best way to measure the flour is by using a digital kitchen scale.

Tip: If you don't have a digital scale, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with the back of a butter knife. Try not to compress the flour into the measuring cup.

Salt: I add at least a pinch of salt to all of my recipes. Salt complements and intensifies the other flavors. For all of my recipes, I use Morton Kosher Salt which packs more densely than Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you are using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt you will want to double the amount of salt you add.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

Vanilla and Almond Extracts: Vanilla and almond extracts add additional flavor to the cookies. To change the flavor of the cookies try substituting lemon or orange extract.

No Cookie Cutters: After mixing the cookie dough, roll it into a log and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours.

When you are ready to bake cookies, unwrap the dough, slice it into ¼ inch slices and bake on a cookie sheet at 350°F (180°C) for 11 to 12 minutes.

Step by Step Directions

Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy. This should take about 2 minutes. (Image 1)

Step 2: Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix on medium speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. (Image 2)

Step 3: Add the sourdough starter discard and mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. (Image 3)

Step 4: Add the dry ingredients, flour baking powder, and salt. Mix just combined being careful to not over mix. (Image 4)

Step 5: Wrap the sourdough cookie dough in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least two hours. (Image 5)

Step 6: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 7: Remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface using a floured rolling pin, roll each piece out until it is ¼ inch thick.

Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place them on a prepared baking sheet. Gather up the scraps and roll them out again to cut out more cookies. (Image 6)

Tip: Use a light-colored cookie sheet. Dark cookie sheets absorb too much heat and can cause your cookies to overbake. Check out this post from Handle the Heat to see a comparison of cookies baked on different types of cookie sheets.

Step 8: Refrigerate the cutout unbaked cookies for 15 minutes to help them keep their shape as they bake. (Image 7)

Step 9: Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. You want to remove the cookies from the oven before they start to brown. (Image 8)

Quick Tip: Don't have time to ice and decorate cookies? Sprinkle sanding sugar on top of the dough before baking.

Step 10: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. (Image 9)

Step 11: Decorate using your favorite icing and decorations. I really like this cream cheese icing on these sourdough sugar cookies.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make-Ahead: You can mix up the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Chilling cookie dough keeps it from spreading too much as it bakes by hydrating the flour and solidifying the butter.

Chilling the dough is especially important when you bake cookies made with melted butter like these Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Storing: Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Recipe FAQs

More Cookie Recipes

📖 Recipe

Sourdough Sugar Cookies

Author: Erica Schramek

These Sourdough Sugar Cookies are tender and soft and keep their shape. Plus they are a great way to use up sourdough discard.

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Cook Mode

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Additional Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 37 minutes mins

Course Cookie Recipes

Cuisine American

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 121 kcal

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Equipment

• ▢
  kitchen scale
• ▢
  stand mixer
• ▢
  rubber spatula
• ▢
  cookie sheet
• ▢
  Wire Cooling Rack

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
• ▢ ¾ cup granulated white sugar
• ▢ 1 egg yolk room temperature
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• ▢ ½ cup sourdough discard room temperature
• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the ¾ cup unsalted butter and ¾ cup granulated white sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. This should take about 2 minutes.
• Add the 1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon almond extract and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Add the ½ cup sourdough discard and mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Add the 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Mix just combined being careful to not overmix.
• Wrap the cookie dough in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least two hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface using a floured rolling pin, roll each piece out until it is ¼ inch thick. Any thinner and the cookies will be crispy instead of soft.
• Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gather up the scraps and roll them out again to cut out more cookies.
• Refrigerate the cutout cookies for 15 minutes to help them keep their shape as they bake.
• Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. You want to remove the cookies from the oven before they start to brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
• Decorate using your favorite icing and decorations.

Notes

Measuring Ingredients: Using a digital kitchen scale is the most accurate way to measure your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale you can measure the ingredients by volume but be careful when measuring the flour. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with the back of a butter knife. Try not to compress the flour into the measuring cup. Too much flour creates dense cookies.

Salt: For all of my recipes, I use Morton Kosher Salt which packs more densely than Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you are using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt you will want to double the amount of salt you add.

Butter: If you only have salted butter you will need to omit the salt in the recipe. There is about ¼ teaspoon of salt per stick of salted butter.

No Cookie Cutters: After mixing the cookie dough, roll it into a log and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours.

When you are ready to bake cookies, unwrap the dough, slice it into ¼ inch slices and bake on a cookie sheet at 350°F (180°C) for 11 to 12 minutes.

Quick Decoration: Sprinkle sanding sugar on top of the dough before baking.

Cooling: Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Let the cookies cool completely before decorating them. If you try to ice them when they are still warm the icing will melt. 

Storage: Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 121kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 59mgPotassium: 14mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 188IUCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg

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