Valentine's Day Sourdough Sugar Cookies

Valentine’s Day Sourdough Sugar Cookies: A Sweet & Tangy Treat to Share

Nothing says "I love you" quite like homemade cookies, and these Valentine’s Day Sourdough Sugar Cookies are the perfect way to show your affection! Not only are they buttery and soft with the perfect balance of sweetness, but they also have a subtle tang from sourdough starter discard, giving them a unique depth of flavor that makes them irresistible.

Whether you’re baking for a loved one, your kids, or just treating yourself, these cookies are sure to become a Valentine’s tradition. Plus, they’re a great way to use up extra sourdough starter discard—because why waste when you can create something so delicious?

If you haven't started the sourdough journey, consider this your sign to start. 


Sourdough Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

  • 1 cup butter, softened 

  • 1 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1/3 cup sourdough starter discard

  • 2 egg yolks

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Frosting:

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

  • 2-4 tablespoons whole milk

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

For the Cookies:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

  2. Add the sourdough discard, egg yolks and vanilla and mix until well combined. 

  3. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Don't overmix!

  4. Wrap wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.

  5. Preheat oven to 350 F 

  6. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper to ¼-inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut into your desired shapes. Obviously for Valentine's Day we used a heart cutter!

  7. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 8-10 minutes, until baked through and puffed up. DO NOT overbake! Keep in mind they should not brown.

  8. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.

  9. Continue cutting and baking cookies until all the dough is used up. You can smoosh together the scraps and re-roll as many times as needed—just be careful not to add too much flour, or it will dry out the dough on subsequent re-rolls. If your dough becomes too warm to work with easily, you can wrap it and pop it in the fridge again.

  10. Once cookies are cooled completely, frost and decorate!


Tips for Storing & Maintaining Your Sourdough Starter

If you love baking with sourdough, keeping your starter happy is key! Here are some tips to maintain and store it:

✔ Feed Regularly – If stored at room temperature, feed it daily with equal parts flour and water. If refrigerated, feed at least once a week.

✔ Store in the Fridge for Less Maintenance – If you don’t bake every day, keeping your starter in the fridge slows down fermentation, reducing the need for frequent feedings. It can last up to a month or 2 in the fridge without being fed. 

✔ Use Discard Creatively – Don’t throw away that extra discard! Use it in pancakes, waffles, crackers, and, of course, these delicious cookies.

✔ Revive an Inactive Starter – If your starter looks sluggish, feed it a few times at room temperature to wake it up before baking.

✔ Label Your Jar – Mark the last feeding date on the jar to keep track of its freshness.

 

Find our Dehydrated Sourdough Starter Here

Back to blog

Leave a comment