Yes – you can make sourdough cookies that even the kids will enjoy. (They don't taste too sour – honest.) The ones I make generally include chocolate, but you can make them as oatmeal raisin cookies, spice cookies, peanut butter cookies or whatever flavor you like.
This recipe is adapted from the GNOWFGLINS Sourdough from A to Z e-book, my sourdough bible. I can't recommend this book strongly enough. I share a couple of variations of the cookies here, the e-book includes several others such as peanut butter chocolate chip and molasses ginger. The book also includes how to start your own sourdough starter, dozens of recipes, gluten free sourdough and so much more. Tortillas, cakes, breads, muffins, cinnamon tolls, crackers, pizza, pasta (yes – sourdough pasta), donuts, biscuits, scones – you name it, they probably have a sourdough version in this book.
You'll want to prep this at night to bake the next morning, or prep first thing in the morning to bake later in the day, to allow the sourdough to work it's magic fermenting power on the flour.
Basic Sourdough Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 to 1-1/3 cups whole wheat flour (more or less)
- 2/3 cup organic cane sugar, rapidura or sucanat
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- chocolate chunks, dried fruit, or crispy nuts (optional)
Directions
In a medium sized bowl (I like to use my 8 cup pyrex measuring cup), mix together sourdough starter and butter. (I use salted butter, the original recipe called for unsalted – your choice.) You can use sourdough starter that is more or less active because of the additional leavening agents.
Add one cup of flour. Mix well. Continue adding flour a little at a time, mixing well after each addition, until you get a very stiff dough. Cover and allow to sour at room temperature for 8 or more hours. Remember, the longer it sits, the more sour it will get.
The photos below show the basic dough before and after souring. It gets a little puffy, but doesn't raise like bread.
Cookie dough before souring (top), after souring (bottom)
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and get your pans ready. These will be a little sticky, so you should either grease or use parchment paper.
Oatmeal soured dough, wet mix, dried cherries
Mix egg, sugar, vanilla, sea salt and baking powder in a small bowl. (Hold the baking soda for a bit.) Pour this mixture over the top of your soured dough. Blend well (I use my hands). When dough is well mixed, add chocolate, fruit, etc, blend thoroughly. Lastly, sprinkle the baking soda over the top and mix well.
Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly brown and tops are soft set. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container with wax paper between layers. Makes around 2-3 dozen cookies, depending on the size.
A double batch of oatmeal chocolate cherry cookies
Cherry-chocolate-oatmeal or Oatmeal-Raisin Sourdough Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup wheat wheat flour (more if needed to make a stiff dough)
- 2/3 cup organic cane sugar, rapidura or sucanat
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup dried cherries or raisins
- 1/2 cup chocolate chunks or crispy nuts (optional)
Directions
Proceed as above, but add in oats along with the flour before souring.
The boys plow through these just like regular cookies. I usually make a double batch to make sure we have enough. The cookies turn out moist and tender, although if you make a thinner dough they will spread more and be a little crispier hen they first come out of the oven. You could pop them in the dehydrator for a bit if you must have a crisp cookie. 🙂
I purchased my sourdough starter from Cultures for Health. (I have the Alaska starter.) You may also catch/grow your own starter, but I've heard mixed results from friends who have tried it. Either way, using sourdough is a great way to get more nutrition out of your baked goods.
If you've enjoyed this post, don't forget to share. 🙂
P.S. – Don't forget to check out Wardeh's book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fermenting Foods.
Mrs. Green Toes Grows says
Oh I will have to try that! I made a sourdough choclate cake the other day that was fantastic and a couple weeks ago, sourdough donuts! I simply LOVE sourdough 🙂
CommonSenseIdea says
I took some of these to the local pole workers yesterday, and the ladies were all oohing and aahing. Most of the plate of cookies disappeared before I was done voting. 🙂
Heathr :) :) :) says
These look really good 😉 🙂 Sourdough is good for all sorts of things 🙂 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂 🙂 🙂
CommonSenseIdea says
Thanks for stopping by, Heather. 🙂
Annie says
I baked some of these last night – the oatmeal version with chocolate chunks, but sans raisins. Initially, I didn’t think I liked them, but later decided I was just too full from supper to enjoy them. Tried one this morning with coffee and it was wonderful!!
FYI – I made one pan with my small cookie scoop and one with my medium scoop. Smaller is the better idea. The weight of the medium cookies causes them to break and crumble when you try to pick them up.
CommonSenseIdea says
I usually use an old cookies scooper that belonged to my husband’s grandmother that is around the size of teaspoon. thanks for sharing your experience. I agree – they make great coffee cookies.
Sourdough Surprises says
Hello! We just came across your recipe for sourdough cookies and thought we would extend an invitation to join our monthly baking group. Sourdough Surprises is a group that focuses on fun and unique ways to use our sourdough starter and this month we are featuring cookies! We would love to have you stop by and link your recipe up! 🙂
Catherine Gordon Crabtree says
These are sooo good!!! I made with oatmeal, raisens and chocolate chipsI’ve been trying to use more gelatin to for the last sheet of them I dumped a bunch in and mixed it up.. They haven’t cooled completely but they seem to taste just as good as the others.
Also I used fresh ground and sifted einkorn so it took a little extra flour to get a stiff dough.
Laurie Neverman says
Glad you liked them, Catherine. Sneaking in the gelatin is a good idea. 🙂
Catherine Gordon Crabtree says
These are still my favorite cookie recipe! I really need to buy wardies book. How to you adjust the recipe to make these peanut butter or spice cookies? Thanks!
Laurie Neverman says
When I asked Wardee’s permission to share the cookie recipe, I promised that I wouldn’t share all her recipe secrets from the book, since she doesn’t have these recipes printed online anywhere. You can experiment and use your imagination, or the e-book includes oatmeal raisin, peanut butter chocolate chip and molasses ginger variations.
Catherine Gordon Crabtree says
Ok thanks!
Melissa says
Mine went very flat and crumbly. What did I do wrong?
Melissa says
I use light spelt and a bit of rye flour in my sourdough starter. I’m new to sourdough baking and thought these cookies looked so good! My dough seemed quite firm when I first mixed it to ferment but after it sat overnight and I added the rest of the ingredients it was really soft….any help would be great! Thanks!
Laurie Neverman says
I haven’t baked with spelt yet, so I’m not quite sure how it behaves, but that may be the difference. Spelt and rye are both lower in gluten, which helps hold the cookies together. When I have it ready to ferment, it’s a very stiff dough – about play dough consistency.
Jane says
These were really delightful. I added some cinnamon to the first recipe and was planning on rolling the dough into balls and coating them with cinnamon sugar. The dough was way too wet for that so I just scooped them into mounds and dusted them with the cinnamon sugar instead.
I was surprised how tasty these were, and I will definitely be making them again. They were just the right amount of sweet without being overpowering.
Laurie Neverman says
Glad that you enjoyed the recipe.
Nayyereh says
Can I eliminate baking soda and baking powder?
Laurie Neverman says
Baking soda and baking powder help the cookies to rise.
Ruth says
I wanted to say the smiley face is sooo cute! So I am looking into sourdough much more because it is actually good for your body and I know a few people who have gluten issues. I have heard many people who are gluten intolerant can actually consume sourdough products with little issue. Do you think they could possibly eat these cookies? I am wanting to bring some of these to church so this one lady who is gluten intolerant can try.
Laurie Neverman says
If it’s just a gluten sensitivity, then sourdough may be okay. If it’s a true gluten allergy (celiac), then even sourdough is a no-go.