The Best Sourdough Discard Tortillas

If you’ve got sourdough discard piling up in the fridge and taco night is coming up, these homemade sourdough discard tortillas are the perfect way to use it up! We make these soft, chewy, delicious tortillas almost weekly, and honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to store-bought tortillas!

They’re made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Flour, olive oil, butter, salt, and of course, your trusty sourdough starter discard. I love using homemade tortillas for tacos, wraps, and flatbread pizzas, but my girls are happy to eat them plain or spread with peanut butter. 

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You can make the dough in a large mixing bowl with a spoon, a dough whisk, or even toss it into the bowl of a stand mixer and let the dough hook do the work. No tortilla press required, just a good old rolling pin. These are soft and flexible, with beautiful brown spots from the hot skillet and a taste that totally beats anything you will find in a plastic bag.

If you’ve never made homemade flour tortillas, trust me, this is a fantastic way to start!

Tips for the Best Sourdough Discard Tortillas

Here are some tips to help you get the best result every time:

• Use fresh discard if possible. Older discard can make your tortillas taste more sour than you’d like.
• You can also use an active sourdough starter. Just be aware that your dough might be a bit stickier with the extra rise power.
• My starter is 100% hydration. If your discard is thinner or you use more water in your starter, you may need to add more all-purpose flour, just 1 tablespoon at a time. Avoid overdoing it, or your dough might turn dry or crumbly.
• After mixing, let the tortilla dough rest for 30 minutes. This helps relax the gluten so you can roll each piece of dough into a nice round without too much resistance.
• Divide the dough into equal pieces using a kitchen scale if you want evenly sized tortillas.
• Roll on a lightly floured surface or a pastry mat to prevent sticking. A rolling pin works great, you don’t need fancy equipment.
• A cast iron skillet or dry skillet works best for cooking. Heat it over medium heat – high heat before adding your first tortilla. A hot pan gives you those perfect brown spots!
• Cook each side for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until you see bubbles and golden edges. Be careful not to overcook. They will dry out!
• Place cooked tortillas under a damp towel or tea towel while the rest cook to keep them soft and pliable.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container, ziplock bag, or wrapped in plastic wrap. They reheat beautifully in a cast iron pan or microwave.
• These also freeze well! Just stack with parchment paper in between each tortilla and store in a zip-top freezer bag for later use.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Tortillas

Step 1: Mix the dough

Add your all-purpose flour, warm water, melted butter, olive oil, salt, and sourdough discard to the bowl of a stand mixer. I use the dough hook attachment and let it mix on low for about 5 minutes. Just until everything comes together into a stiff dough ball.

Don’t have a mixer? No worries! You can totally make this by hand in a large mixing bowl using a dough whisk or sturdy spoon. It’ll take a few extra minutes, but it works just fine.

Step 2: Let the dough rest

Leave the dough right in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This dough rest time is key! It helps the gluten relax so the dough is easier to roll out later.

Step 3: Divide and shape

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (or a pastry mat, if you have one) and use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut it into 10 equal pieces. I usually eyeball it, but if you want super consistent sizes, grab your kitchen scale.

Roll each piece into a little dough ball. No need to make them perfect, we’re going for tasty, not fancy!

Step 4: Roll out the tortillas

Preheat a large cast iron skillet, or hot pan over medium heat (or a little higher if your pan tends to run cool). You want it piping hot before you start cooking. If you want to cook multiple at a time, gather a couple skillets.

While the pan is heating, on a lightly floured work surface roll each piece of dough out with a rolling pin until it’s thin, almost see-through. They don’t have to be perfectly round! These are homemade sourdough discard tortillas, not factory-made ones, and they’ll taste amazing no matter the shape.

Tip: If your dough keeps springing back as you roll it, cover it with a damp towel and give it 5 – 10 more minutes to rest. The gluten just needs to rest a little longer.

Step 5: Cook the tortillas

Place your first tortilla on the hot skillet and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute on the first side. You’ll see bubbles start to form and maybe even some puffing.

Flip and cook the other side for another 30 seconds to a minute, until you get those lovely brown spots and your homemade sourdough tortillas are lightly golden brown.

Step 6: Keep warm and serve

Stack the cooked tortillas under a tea towel or kitchen towel as you go. The steam helps keep them soft and pliable, perfect for tacos, wraps, or straight-up snacking.

Once they’re all done, serve them warm or stash them in an airtight container or ziplock bag for later. We always have a few leftover, and they’re just as good the next day.

How to Store Sourdough Discard Tortillas

If you have leftovers (lucky you!), these homemade sourdough tortillas store beautifully. Let the cooked tortillas cool completely, then stack them and place in a ziplock bag or airtight container. They’ll stay soft for a few days at room temperature, or up to a week in the fridge.

For longer storage, freeze them with a piece of parchment between each one. That way, you can pull out just what you need! Reheat in a cast iron pan or toss in the microwave for a few seconds, and they’ll be just as soft and flexible as when you made them.

Making your own tortillas is a great way to cut down on food waste, especially if you’ve got sourdough discard hanging around. I honestly think these are some of the best tortillas you can make at home and way better than anything wrapped in plastic from the store.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @catchthecrumbsourdough on Instagram to show it off!