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Ciambella Italian Breakfast Bread (with Sourdough Discard)

Maria (Angie) B.

One of the questions about making sourdough bread, is what to do with the starter that you do not use— also known as “discard.” Discard is the portion of the starter that is removed and discarded before you feed the remaining starter that will be used in the dough. The difference really is that it is not as active as a fully fed starter. Depending on how often you make bread, you can accumulate sourdough discard quite quickly, and then the question remains— What do I do with all the discard?

Not to worry because there are countless bloggers who have become quite savvy at developing recipes using discard. And the one I am sharing today is one of them. Developed my Maurizio Leo from The Perfect Loaf, this recipe made me a fan of discard recipes.

Ciambella is a classic Italian breakfast cake that is it simple and easy to make, yet so delicious! It is light and fluffy. And while it is normally very tender, I love the beautiful crumb it has when you use discard. And you know me and lemons— I am obsessed with them. Some people love adding a glaze, but I prefer it with a light dusting of confectioner’s sugar. Try this the next time you want to mix it up for a weekend breakfast. It makes for a nice light change.

Ciambella (with Sourdough Discard)

** Adapted from Maurizio Leo for The Perfect Loaf

Ingredients

  • 177g neutral-flavored oil (I use arbequina olive oil because it has a fruity mild flavor that goes great with the lemon), plus more for greasing

  • 423g all-purpose flour

  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder

  • ½ tsp fine sea salt

  • Zest of 2 large lemon

  • 232g granulated sugar (I like to use superfine sugar)

  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature

  • 211g whole milk

  • 3 tbsp lemon juice (you can substitute 2 tbsp with limoncello)

  • 1 tbsp lemon zest

  • 100g ripe sourdough starter (100% hydration) discard

  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

  • Powdered sugar, for topping (optional)

 Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch ring mold or bundt cake pan with neutral oil.

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest.

  • In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns slightly bubbly, 2 minutes. Add the oil, milk, limoncello, sourdough starter, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously until everything is combined and the mixture becomes frothy. Add the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined (avoid overmixing). Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place the pan on a sheet pan.

  • Bake until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Use an offset spatula or knife to gently release the edges of the cake from the pan, turn the cake out onto a wire rack, and let cool. Once completely cool, dust the top with powdered sugar (if desired). The cake will keep well for several days on the kitchen counter, covered.

I really hope you enjoy this breakfast (truly, anytime of the day) “bread.” Enjoy!

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