Sourdough Vanilla Wafer Cookies

These sourdough vanilla wafer cookies are crisp, buttery, and infused with warm vanilla flavor, making them perfect for snacking or layering in desserts. The sourdough discard adds a hint of tang that deepens the flavor and gives a nostalgic twist to a classic favorite.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Sourdough Discard

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Fermentation Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings Cookies

Calories 97kcal

Author Kate Freebairn

Equipment

Stand Mixer
Cookie Scoop (1 tablespoon)
Baking Trays (2 Large Trays)

Ingredients

120 g Butter (salted, softened at room temp)
285 g Sugar (white sugar)
5 g Vanilla Paste (or extract)
1 Egg (mine was 60g)
120 g Sourdough Starter (or sourdough discard)
260 g All Purpose Flour
2 g Baking Powder
4 g Baking Soda
4 g Salt
50 g Granulated Sugar (for topping)

Instructions

Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and use the whisk attachment to cream together until light and fluffy.
Next add the vanilla paste and egg and continue to whisk until the egg is fully combined with the butter and sugar.
Now add the sourdough starter and continue to whisk. The mixture might look a little curdled at this point and that's ok.
I swap over to the paddle attachment for the next steps as it makes it easier. If you have been using a hand mixer, I recommend just using a spatula for the next part.
Add the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the bowl and mix until well combined. Try not to over mix the batter here, but you don't want to see any dry flour either.
At this stage, you want to cover the dough and place into the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, but up to 48 hours. This gives the dough time to ferment and firm up - otherwise, you won't be able to form it into balls.
When you're ready to bake the sourdough vanilla cookies, preheat your oven to 170C (340F). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Use a cookie scoop to make balls of dough (mine are 25g in these photos). Roll the cookie dough balls into a small bowl of granulated sugar, before placing them onto your prepared baking sheets, remembering to leave plenty of space as the cookies will spread.
Bake the sourdough vanilla wafers for around 15 minutes or until the edges are just golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet.

Notes

Fermentation - I've tested this recipe a lot and I believe it works best when fermented for at least 24 hours. It holds its shape best when baked cold from the fridge, so mix it, ferment it, shape it into balls and then bake it while the dough is still cold.

Nutrition