Peanut Butter Cookies Sourdough Recipe

Peanut Butter Cookies with Sourdough are a delicious twist on one of America’s favorite cookies. It is easy to make and provides a great way to use up sourdough discard which gives a delicious depth of flavor that livens up the soft cookies, and balances out the sweet peanut butter.

These scratch made cookies are made with high quality ingredients that yield fluffy, perfectly baked cookies every time. This recipe is one of our favorites and it’s become a staple treat in our home. We know you will love it too!

Sourdough discard dessert recipes are very popular as sourdough adds an intensity of flavor and a touch of tanginess that benefits sweet recipes.

Why put Sourdough Discard in cookies?

Using sourdough starter discard to bake may seem like an unnecessary addition, but it’s actually a very beneficial way to use up your extra sourdough discard. Sourdough discard will help bring more rise and life to your baked goods because of the presence of live yeast that it contain. Many recipes, like pancake, will be fluffier and fuller.

A sourdough discard also brings a scrumptious depth of flavor and slight tanginess that balances out sweet baked goods.

Should the starter be fed or unfed for discard cookies?

When baking with sourdough discard, the recipe you are using will determine if you need the starter to be fed or unfed. Some recipes require a more active discard that isn’t lively enough to bake bread with, but freshly fed and lively enough to give the recipe some structure.

These cookies have the advantage of using starter fed or unfed, so you can choose when you want to use the starter discard. The final result may lead to a stronger flavor or a more mild flavor depending where your discard is.

Are Sourdough Cookies better for you?

Sourdough can be digested easier than plain white wheat flour. Sourdough is nutrient rich and can ease digestion and absorption of certain nutrients. The Lactic Acid that is present in sourdough helps aid in the breakdown of bacteria. Here is a great article on health pros and cons of sourdough.

So while sourdough itself is easier to digest, lower in gluten and contains important probiotics; cookies themselves can hardly be considered healthy. Using a sourdough discard can help lower the amount of white flour needed in a recipe, though it won’t usually replace all of it.

Is Levain the same as Sourdough?

Levain is a subset of sourdough. Levain is a French term meaning leaven or yeast. It refers to the active culture of yeasts used in baking, such as bread dough, sourdough starter, and beers. Yeast cultures are made up of live organisms that start fermenting dough, causing it to rise. A leavened loaf of bread contains yeast cells; they help make bread rise.

What can I do with Discarded Sourdough Starter?

Sourdough discard is the leftover starter that remains after feeding the starter. Discard is inevitable when it comes to sourdough baking. Here are a few of our favorite options to use up sourdough discard rather than discarding it.

1. Sourdough Waffles
2. Sourdough Pancakes
3. Sourdough Banana Bread
4. Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
5. Sourdough Molasses Cookies
6. Sourdough Pretzels
7. Sourdough Bagels
8. Sourdough English Muffins
9. Sourdough Pie Crust
10. Sourdough Muffins

Can you Freeze Sourdough Cookie dough?

Sourdough cookie dough can be frozen. Sourdough freezes really well and can be baked from from a frozen state. Freezing sourdough cookie dough can be accomplished in a few simple steps.

• Portion out dough
• Roll dough into cookie sized balls
• Place dough on parchment paper on a cookie sheet
• Place in freezer and flash freeze for 1-2 hours until frozen solid
• Remove dough balls from the freezer
• Place dough balls in airtight freezer container or bag
• Ensure all air is out of the container
• Label date on container
• Place in freezer and freeze up to 3 months.
• Bake according to baking instructions straight from the freezer

Looking for more sourdough recipe inspiration? Check out all of our Sourdough Breads and Sourdough Discard Recipes here.

Sourdough White Chocolate Cookies are decadent and sure to be a favorite. Our Soft Sourdough Molasses cookies are a flavorful sourdough discard cookie recipe that bring traditional molasses cookies into a new generation. Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Sourdough Discard have a heartier, satisfying texture with that same delicious, deep flavor.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies With Sourdough Recipe

You can use sourdough starter in almost any stage, but keep in mind if your starter is very weak it may affect the flavor of these cookies. They will still be scrumptious, just maybe not as vibrant and strong.

NOTES:

1. Fully active starter will puff the cookies up more. If your using starter that’s been unfed in your fridge several weeks don’t expect much puffing up. But you will certainly have a strong tangy flavor in your cookies. So if you want more flavor use an older unfed starter.
2. If you want to incorporate chocolate chips, they pair well with a tangy starter.
3. Creamy peanut butter will give you a smooth, pleasant texture. You can use chunky peanut butter if you prefer, but be sure it’s a peanut butter with some added sweetener. An all natural peanut butter will likely yield bland cookies that will need extra sugar.
4. Use granulated sugar for the dipping of the dough balls and criss cross pattern to give them that iconic peanut butter cookie look.

Tips for evenly baked cookies:

Cookie dough bakes best when it is evenly sized and placed evenly apart on your baking sheet. I recommend these steps to control the size and separation of your cookies.

1. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper, or use silicone matts. We really like the ones with the cookie spacing marked on them. Cookies bake evenly and they are snap to use.
2. Use the correct sized cookie scoop. Please use a cookie dough scoop to ensure uniform amounts of dough for every cookie every time.

What can I add to my Peanut Butter Cookies?

Add your favorite baking chips to give these cookies even more. We love white chocolate chips, traditional chocolate chips, even butterscotch chips. Peanut butter cookies can definitely hold their own, but they are also a great cookie to build on.

Please let us know how you make this recipe. Comment in the comment section and rate this recipe. How did it go for you? What did you do with it?

Yield: This cookie recipe makes about 50 cookies unless you add baking chips. If you do, add another dozen cookies to the count. If you don’t need that many you can divide the recipe in half.

Stored in an airtight jar these cookies will stay fresh several days to up to a week.

Can I freeze Peanut Butter Cookies?

Cookies usually freeze and store very well when properly packaged. They make great treats that can be enjoyed shortly after bringing them out of the freezer and allowing them to thaw for a short while. Here’s how to freeze your Peanut Butter Cookies

1. Allow you cookies to fully cool and gently place them into a heavy duty freezer ziplock bag.
2. Remove all of the air from the bag.
3. Label the bag with the recipe name and date.
4. Freeze for up to two months.

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