How to Make Sourdough Popovers (Easy Discard Recipe)
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There’s just something magical about a fresh batch of popovers — golden, airy, and impossibly light, yet somehow rich and comforting at the same time. These Sourdough Popovers puff up beautifully in the oven, with crisp, buttery edges and tender, custardy centers that make every bite irresistible.
They’ve quickly become one of my favorite “lazy morning” breakfasts: split them open, add a pat of butter, a swipe of jam, and you’re in heaven in under 30 minutes. And while they shine at breakfast, they’re just as perfect alongside cozy soups and stews, or used to soak up every last drop of gravy on Thanksgiving. Simple, versatile, and absolutely delightful — you’re going to love them.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Uses Up Your Discard So You Won’t Toss It
If you’re like me and have a jar of sourdough discard sitting in your fridge, this sourdough popover recipe is really the best way to use it. The discard gives these a little tangy flavor that makes them taste better than regular popovers. And you won’t feel bad about throwing it away because you won’t toss it. If you love sourdough recipes that puff up like this, try my sourdough Dutch baby pancake next.
One Bowl and You’re Done
You just whisk everything together in one bowl and pour it into the pan. No mixer needed and no complicated prep steps. The whole thing takes maybe 5 minutes to mix, and then the oven does all the work. You’ll end up with a batch of tall, fluffy sourdough popovers that you and your loved ones will devour in no time.
They Puff Up Like Crazy
Watching these popovers rise in the oven is really satisfying. They go from a thin batter to these tall, puffy popovers with crispy edges. My kids always get excited when I make these easy sourdough discard popovers because they look so cool coming out of the oven.
Works for Breakfast or Dinner
I make these for weekend brunch with butter and jam, but they’re also really good alongside pot roast or soup for dinner. Since they’re hollow inside, you can tear them open and soak up gravy or fill them with scrambled eggs. The batter of this easy recipe is similar to my sourdough crepes, except it’s baked instead of cooked on the stovetop.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Milk: In order for the popover to puff up while baking, it’s important to use room-temperature ingredients. If you’re short on time, pour the milk into a glass measuring cup and heat it up slightly in the microwave. I used whole milk for this recipe, but you can substitute it with your favorite non-dairy options as well, such as almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour for this recipe. Sifting it in helps avoid lumps and keeps the batter smooth.
- Sourdough Discard: The status of your starter matters. You want to use sourdough starter discard that’s pretty fresh, within a day or two is best. It needs to be room temperature, so remember to pull it from the fridge the night before. If you forget, stir it into the warm milk and whisk until smooth, then heat in the microwave until warm. You can also use an active starter, the same amount in grams.
- Eggs: Room temp eggs create the steam that makes these popovers shoot up in the oven. If yours are cold, place them in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes.
- Salt: A bit for flavor. It brings out the slight tang from the discard and keeps everything balanced.
- Melted Butter: Brush this into the hot popover tin right before adding the batter. It keeps them from sticking and gives you those crispy, golden edges. You can also use cooking spray if that’s easier.
How to Make Sourdough Popovers
- Place a popover tin in the oven and preheat to 450°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the room temperature eggs, milk, and sourdough discard until smooth and foamy.
- Sift in the flour and salt, then whisk until just combined. A few small lumps are okay. The sourdough popover batter should be very thin and almost watery.
Baking Tip
For proper rise, all ingredients must be at room temperature. To warm ingredients quickly, whisk cool discard into the milk and microwave until warm. Place eggs in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes.
- Carefully remove the hot popover tin from the preheated oven and brush each well generously with melted butter or spray with cooking spray.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 6 wells of the popover pan, filling each about ¾ full.
- Without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 10-15 minutes. If the tops brown too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
- 8. Remove the popovers from the oven and serve immediately. Enjoy!
How to Store:
Popovers taste best fresh from the oven while they’re still crispy outside and tender inside, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag at room temperature for up to 2 days.
To reheat them, just pop them in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes. Don’t use the microwave because it makes them soggy. They won’t be quite as puffy as when you first made them, but they’ll still be tasty for breakfast or with your next meal.
FAQs
You can, but they won’t puff up as much. Popover pans are deeper and give the batter more room to climb, so you get those tall, impressive popovers. With a muffin tin, they’ll still taste good but they’ll look more like muffins than popovers.
There’s probably still too much steam stuck inside. Try poking a little hole in the top of each one with a knife right when you take them out. That lets the steam out so they don’t deflate on you.
Yes! Cold ingredients won’t create steam fast enough, and the steam is what makes them puff up. But don’t worry, you can warm up your milk and sourdough discard in the microwave real quick, and just stick your eggs in some hot water for a few minutes.
It’s not a great idea. If the thin batter rests too long, you won’t get as good of a rise. Since it only takes about 5 minutes to whisk together, you’re better off making it fresh right before baking.
Sourdough Popovers Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 240 grams milk, warm 1 cup
- 100 grams sourdough discard, room temperature 1/3 cup
- 140 grams all-purpose flour 1 cup
- 3 grams salt 1/2 teaspoon
- melted butter for brushing the pan
Instructions
- Place a popover tin in the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.You can also use a muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the room temperature eggs, milk and sourdough discard until smooth and foamy.For the popover to puff it, it is crucial that all of the ingredients are room temperature. See notes below for some tips on how to do this quickly!240 grams milk, warm, 3 eggs, 100 grams sourdough discard, room temperature
- Sift in the flour and salt, then whisk until just combined. A few small lumps is okay. The batter will be very thin, almost watery. This is normal.140 grams all-purpose flour, 3 grams salt
- Carefully remove the popover tin from the oven and brush each well with melted butter or spray with cooking spray.
- Divide the batter between the 6 wells. They will be about ¾ full.If using a muffin tin, fill 6 of the wells all the way full.
- Carefully and quickly return the popover tin back into the hot oven and bake for 20 minutes. No peeking! Opening the oven door at any time during this first part of bake time will release the steam and cause the popovers to deflate prematurely.
- Without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degree F and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes. If the tops of the popovers are browning too quickly, it is okay to place a piece of aluminum foil on top and continue to bake.
- Remove the Sourdough Popovers from the oven. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Baking Tips
For the popovers to puff up, it is crucial that all of the ingredients are room temperature. If you are using discard straight from the fridge, pour the cool discard and milk into a liquid measuring cup and give it a whisk until smooth. Heat in the microwave until warm. To heat the eggs quickly, place them in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes.Ingredients & Substitutions
- Milk: In order for the popover to puff up while baking, it’s important to use room-temperature ingredients. If you’re short on time, pour the milk into a glass measuring cup and heat it up slightly in the microwave. I used whole milk for this recipe, but you can substitute it with your favorite non-dairy options as well, such as almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour for this recipe. Sifting it in helps avoid lumps and keeps the batter smooth.
- Sourdough Discard: The status of your starter matters. You want to use sourdough starter discard that’s pretty fresh, within a day or two is best. It needs to be room temperature, so remember to pull it from the fridge the night before. If you forget, stir it into the warm milk and whisk until smooth, then heat in the microwave until warm. You can also use an active starter, the same amount in grams.
- Eggs: Room temp eggs create the steam that makes these popovers shoot up in the oven. If yours are cold, place them in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes.
- Salt: A bit for flavor. It brings out the slight tang from the discard and keeps everything balanced.
- Melted Butter: Brush this into the hot popover tin right before adding the batter. It keeps them from sticking and gives you those crispy, golden edges. You can also use cooking spray if that’s easier.
Such a simple and delicious recipe! My kiddos love it with maple syrup, but my go-to is butter and strawberry jam.
These are heavenly! Actually, every one of your recipes are fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much — that absolutely makes my day! I’m so glad you loved the popovers, and it means the world to hear you’re enjoying my recipes. Thanks for baking along with me!