Sourdough Discard Cut Out Sugar Cookies by Littlespoonfarm

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sourdough discard, room temperature
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated.
3. Add the sourdough discard and mix until combined, ensuring all ingredients are at room temperature for easy blending.
4. Add the flour and salt to the bowl and mix on low until just incorporated — do not over mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and fold until the dough just comes together.
5. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Place each piece between two sheets of wax paper and roll out to an even 1/4-inch thickness using a guided rolling pin.
6. Stack the rolled dough sheets on a baking sheet and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to 48 hours for extra fermentation.
7. Preheat oven to 350°F. Working with one sheet of dough at a time, peel off the bottom wax paper to release, flip back onto the paper, then peel off the top sheet.
8. Cut out shapes and arrange 8–10 cookies per baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat, leaving space between each. If dough softens too much, return the tray to the fridge to firm up before baking.
9. Bake for 11–12 minutes until the bottoms and edges are just barely turning golden brown. Do not over bake.
10. Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Decorate only once fully cooled.