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    Home » Whole Food Recipes » Breakfast Ideas

    June 9, 2020 | By Jami

    Sticky Bun Sourdough Coffee Cake

    Jump to Recipe
    sticky bun sourdough coffee cake-way to use discard
    discard sticky bun sourdough coffee cake piece
    moist-tender sticky bun sourdough coffee cake
    easy sticky bun sourdough coffee cake
    sourdough caramel pecan coffee cake
    simple caramel nut sourdough coffee cake

    Here's a delicious - and easy - way to use up your discard when feeding your sourdough starter - make a moist sticky bun sourdough coffee cake with a caramel pecan topping for breakfast, snacking, or dessert!

    sticky bun sourdough coffee cake piece

    It doesn't take long after creating a sourdough starter to realize you can only make so much bread. Even if it's a delicious sourdough artisan bread or chewy rolls with a fun topping.

    If you want to keep the starter on the counter for awhile to strengthen it or you're waking up a starter that's been stored in the fridge, you will have what's called "discard." This is often not strong enough to make bread, or is a smaller amount, or you've already got a freezer full of bread.

    That's where recipes like this sourdough coffee cake (and also these delicious crackers, english muffins, and waffles) come in handy. Because if it's one thing we don't want, it's to actually throw away the discard, no matter the name - we've worked hard for it, right?

    eating sticky bun sourdough coffee cake

    What exactly is sourdough discard?

    I wish it were called something else because while you do have to remove at least half or more of your starter before feeding again to keep the yeast active and growing strong, the discard just means the portion you remove - hopefully to use in something. (Note: This is different than when you're making your starter from scratch - during that week you do need to dispose of the starter you remove, as it's not finished enough to eat until the end of the process.)

    If you're keeping your starter at room temperature for awhile and feeding once or twice a day, you will have to remove all but 1/2 cup or so before feeding again, which will leave you with a cup or more (depending on how much you've fed) of discard.

    And even if you're reawakening a refrigerated starter, you may need to feed 2-4 times before using in bread, creating a cup or two of discard. That's when you want to have a recipe like this!

    Sticky Bun Sourdough Coffee Cake

    Sourdough starter discard for coffee cake

    Ingredients

    For this recipe you can use your sourdough starter in pretty much any state: just fed, fed the day before - or some you removed and put in the fridge for a day until you had time to deal with it.

    Yep, that's a thing if you keep your starter out for a week or two and are feeding daily - you can get overrun with it and not have time or the desire for long-fermenting bread recipes. Ask me how I know, lol.

    In addition to sourdough starter you'll need:

    • butter
    • brown sugar
    • honey
    • pecans (or walnuts)
    • egg
    • whole wheat pastry flour (unbleached all purpose will work as well)
    • sugar
    • salt and baking soda
    sticky bun sourdough coffee cake caramel layer

    Directions

    The simple caramel nut topping is made by melting butter and sugar together with a bit of honey and spreading that in a buttered dish before topping with chopped nuts.

    What size pan and type of pan do I use?

    So, I really had to experiment with this to get the right amount of topping that wouldn't overflow onto the bottom of the oven (yep, I took one for the team and needed to clean my oven!).

    Here are three types of pans you can use with the pros & cons of each:

    • Deep dish pie plate. This is my preferred pan, as it's round to fit on a platter and deep enough not to overflow. However, the sides are sloped for pies and it will need to be cut in triangles, so if you don't want that, try one of the following.
    • 8x8 square baking pan. This pan will give you the square sides, ability to cut into squares, and is also deep enough to keep most of the topping in. It's harder to find a platter big enough to turn it out onto and so is more difficult to flip (square peg into a round hole kind of thing?)
    • 9-inch cake pan. It's round again so able to fit on a plate, but this would be my last resort, as you will probably get more of topping overflow.

    I still hedge my bets with all of them by placing a large cookie sheet on the lowest rack under the cake to catch any drips.

    spreading batter on caramel layer

    Okay, after your caramel layer is in the pan of your choice, you simply mix up the batter add it to the pan.

    My tip here is this: spoon the batter evenly over the caramel layer and then use a spatula to spread evenly. That way you won't be fighting the butter-sugar mixture as much as you spread.

    You can see above that the baking soda is already working, so you'll want to work as quickly as you can to get it in the oven.

    flipping sticky bun sourdough coffee cake

    As for baking, do a toothpick test to make sure the center is done, then place the baked cake onto a cooling rack for a few minutes to settle before doing the flip.

    Flipping sticky bun anything always makes me a bit nervous, but this turns out easily! Just be sure to have a pair of good hot pads and a plate big enough to hold the cake and overflow of caramel.

    After flipping, use a spatula to scrape any caramel and nuts that remained in the pan back onto the cake. We don't want to miss any of that goodness.

    serving sticky bun sourdough coffee cake

    This cake is really best the day it's made, like most caramel-pecan upside down cakes and buns. But I have found that it freezes well. I cut it into pieces and freeze between pieces of parchment paper.

    When you'd like to serve it again, let it defrost in the fridge overnight and then sit on the counter the next day until you'd like to serve it for breakfast, brunch or tea.

    We've also found that for a single piece, a 20 second hit in the microwave is pretty ideal.

    piece of sticky bun sourdough coffee cake

    Of course that is if there's anything left after serving this yummy sticky bun sourdough coffee cake!

    serving sticky bun sourdough coffee cake
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    4.42 from 43 votes

    Easy Sticky Bun Sourdough Coffee Cake

    A moist and tender cake with a caramel pecan topping that's a great way to use up sourdough discard. It's good for breakfast, snacks, and even dessert!
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time35 mins
    Total Time50 mins
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Yield: 12 servings
    Author: Jami Boys

    Ingredients

    Caramel Pecan Topping:

    • 1/2 cup butter
    • 3/4 cup brown sugar
    • 1/4 cup honey
    • 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

    Cake:

    • 1 cup sourdough starter
    • 1/3 cup melted butter or oil
    • 1 egg
    • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached all purpose flour
    • 2/3 cup sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda

    Instructions

    Make Caramel Pecan Topping:

    • Butter a 9-inch deep dish pie plate, 9x9 inch square pan, or 9-inch cake pan* and heat oven to 350 degrees.
    • In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, and honey just until the butter is melted (do not let boil). Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with nuts. Set pan aside while making cake batter.

    Make Cake:

    • Add starter, melted butter or oil, and egg to a large mixing bowl and stir well. Add remaining ingredients, stirring just until combined.
    • Spoon dollops of batter over the caramel nut topping in the pan and then use a spatula to smooth it evenly.
    • Bake coffee cake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs and topping is bubbling on sides. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes.
    • Loosen edges of cake with a knife and invert a large platter over the cake. Using hot pads, grasp edges of cake pan and flip over. Remove pan and spoon any topping in pan back onto cake.
    • Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.**

    Notes

    *See article about pan differences, but placing a cookie sheet on a lower rack to catch any drips is a good idea.
    **This is best on the day it's made. To store longer, freeze individual pieces (let thaw or microwave for 20 seconds to eat).

    Nutrition

    Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 414IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @anoregoncottage or tag #anoregoncottage!
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    sticky bun sourdough coffee cake

    More Sourdough Recipes to Try

    holding artisan sourdough roll
    Artisan Sourdough Rolls (with Everything Bagel Topping)
    Delicious artisan sourdough rolls with a crusty exterior and chewy interior that are great as dinner rolls, slider rolls, or split and toasted for breakfast.
    Click For Recipe
    Sourdough Artisan Bread
    Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe
    An easy artisan sourdough bread that is mixed up in the morning and baked in an enamel pot for a perfect crust and chewy interior.
    Click For Recipe
    Fluffy Sourdough Waffles with strawberries and whipped cream
    Amazing Sourdough Waffles Recipe
    Light and fluffy whole grain sourdough waffles are easy to make and blow away regular waffles with their flavor. It's a great way to use up your starter, too.
    Click For Recipe
    Cheesy Sourdough Batter Bread sliced
    Cheesy Sourdough Batter Bread
    Sourdough batter bread is a super easy way to use your sourdough starter - and adding cheese to it makes it ten times better!
    Click For Recipe

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    About Jami

    Since 2009 Jami Boys has been helping readers live a simple homemade life through whole food recipes, doable gardening, and easy DIY projects on An Oregon Cottage. From baking bread, to creating a floor from paper, to growing and preserving food, Jami shares the easiest ways to get things done. She's been featured in Cottages and Bungalows, Old House Journal, and First for Women magazines as well as numerous sites like Good Housekeeping, Huffington Post, and Apartment Therapy.

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    Hi, I'm Jami and I'm so glad you're here! My goal is to help you live a simple homemade life on your terms: cooking delicious real food, painless gardening, and making easy things that are totally worth your time. 

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