The countdown to Christmas has begun, which means for most bakers out there, you’ll be furiously planning your festive menu in the hopes of blowing the socks off your family at Christmas lunch.
To help bring a little sourdough flavour to your festive menu this Christmas, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite sourdough christmas recipes that will wipe the floor clean with your aunty's famous cob loaf.
From traditional gingerbread cookies to fruit mince pies to Aussie lamingtons, I’ve carefully curated the perfect menu of Christmas recipes to make this holiday season one to remember – and to put you in a carb coma for about a week.
1. Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies
No Christmas would be complete without gingerbread cookies, so it would be criminal for me not to include them at the top of my list!
This simple sourdough gingerbread cookie recipe uses 120 grams of your precious sourdough starter, which you can use after feeding or simply use sourdough discard.
It also includes all of the usual ingredients, such as butter, sugar, egg, molasses, vanilla, baking soda, salt and spices and makes around 50 cookies, so they are perfect if you’re cooking for a big family. You can decorate them however you like, but you can’t go wrong with some buttercream icing.
2. Sourdough Stollen
For those of you who may not know, Stollen, also known as Christstollen or Weihnachtsstollen, is a traditional German Christmas bread. It’s a fruit bread typically containing nuts, spices, and dried or candied fruit, coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar and marzipan.
This sourdough stollen recipe uses all of the same ingredients as its traditional counterpart, except it uses one cup of sourdough starter, instead of commercial yeast. Although this does mean that the bread will take longer to rise, the results are well worth the wait.
3. Sourdough Christmas Pudding
Fun fact: did you know that Christmas pudding was traditionally referred to as “plum pudding” despite not containing plums? This is because the term “plum” was often used to refer to raisins in the 18th Century.
While this sourdough Christmas pudding recipe does not contain plums, it is packed full of flavour. For this recipe you’ll need about four tablespoons of sourdough starter, as well as all the usual suspects, such as raisins, dried fruit, nuts, spices, flour and eggs. Serve with some custard or hard sauce and bon appetit!
4. Sourdough Sugar Cookies
Sugar cookies are a Christmas classic simply because they are delicious. This sourdough sugar cookie recipe is suitable for bakers of all experience levels and only includes eight ingredients: sugar, eggs, unsalted butter, flour, salt, baking soda, vanilla and finally, half a cup of sourdough starter.
This delicious recipe should yield approximately 48 sugar cookies and should take less than an hour to bake. Perfect for when you’re short on time this Christmas.
5. Sourdough Crackers with Olive Oil and Herbs
Anyone who has been to a Christmas Day feast knows that you guests will be grazing all day, which is why these sourdough crackers are a great option for your pre-Christmas-lunch nibbles.
For this easy recipe you’ll need about 200 grams of mature sourdough starter, three types of flour, dried herbs, olive oil and salt. Sprinkle some sea salt (like Salt Bae) onto the crackers when you’re ready to serve and that’s all there is to it.
6. Sourdough cinnamon buns
Cinnamon buns are a much-loved treat in America which originated in Sweden and Denmark. The sweet, sticky and moreish sweets consist of a rolled sheet of dough, which is then sprinkled with a cinnamon and sugar mixture and then either baked or deep fried.
The main ingredients in these sourdough cinnamon buns are flour, cinnamon, sugar, and butter, as well as 200 grams of active sourdough starter. Once baked, drizzle the buns with a mixture of soft cheese, sugar and vanilla for a one-way ride to flavourtown.
7. Sourdough Jammy Dodgers
Jammy Dodgers are a classic British Jammie Dodgers made from shortcake with a raspberry or strawberry flavoured jam filling, which have been around since the ‘60s.
These sourdough jammy dodgers are the perfect accompaniment to any Christmas feast, as they are guaranteed to get you some kudos – especially from any British relatives. The no-fuss recipe is simple, with only a handful of ingredients and 250 grams of sourdough starter, and is also vegan.
8. Sourdough Bread Stuffing
For anyone looking to take their Christmas turkey game to the next level, this sourdough bread stuffing recipe will blow your Uncle Mike’s toupee right off!
Serving between six to eight people, this recipe contains about one pound (or, 450 grams) of sourdough bread which you will need to cut or tear into small cubes before mixing with your celery, onion, mushrooms and herbs. You won’t need to sacrifice any sourdough starter for this one, but you will need to source a freshly-baked sourdough loaf, or bake one yourself.
9. Easy Sourdough Panettone Recipe
There are so many delicious Christmas treats that come from all over the world. One that comes from Italy, but has fans from all over is the panettone. A rich and buttery bread, filled with dried fruits and candied citrus peel, panettone is a must-have on your Christmas menu.
Often panettone can take three days to make, but this sourdough panettone recipe will take bakers less than a day. You’ll need to add about 50 grams of sourdough starter to a mixture of flour, water, eggs, milk, sugar and dried fruit. What you’ll get is sweet bread with little nuggets of deliciousness throughout.
10. Christmas ham and cheese bread
This Christmas ham and cheese bread recipe by celebrity chef Matt Moran puts a modern twist on a festive classic: the Christmas ham. This pull-apart cheesy bread belongs on any festive dinner table and requires a fresh sourdough bread loaf and 200 grams of Christmas ham.
You’ll also need to add gruyere cheese, creme fraiche, sage leaves, dijon mustard, and chives to complete the recipe. It should only take about 15 to 20 minutes to cook, so it’s perfect for popping in the oven last-minute.
11. Zucchini and Bacon Sourdough Cob Loaf
No Aussie Christmas, or any celebration for that matter, would be complete without a cob loaf. This creamy zucchini and bacon sourdough cob loaf is jam packed full of flavour and greens, so you don;t have to worry about getting your 5 a day at Christmas.
For this simple recipe, you’ll need a fresh sourdough loaf, which you will scoop out to add in your delicious cheesy mixture of cheddar, cream cheese, chives, zucchini, spinach, onion, bacon and sourdough cream. Nothing will go to waste, as you’ll then use all of the scooped out bread for dipping.
12. Sourdough Lamingtons
Last but not least, this tasty sourdough lamingtons recipe is the perfect dessert for a casual Christmas lunch and makes great use of your sourdough starter discard. For this simple recipe you’ll need a cup of sourdough starter, as well as all the classic ingredients – coconut, eggs, baking powder, flour, milk, vanilla, cacao powder and more.
With a cooking time of 30 minutes, you guests won’t have to wait long to dig into these sweet treats. Plus, you can store them in the fridge for safe-keeping when you’re done.
Now you’re in the Christmas spirit, make sure to take some of that energy to the kitchen and whip up some of these sourdough recipes for yourself. With only a few days to go until Saint Nick arrives, we’ve also compiled a list of some of the best gifts for bakers this Christmas, which you can check out for yourself and send to a loved one as a not-so-subtle hint.
Be sure to follow You Knead Sourdough on Facebook and Instagram, or tag us at @youkneadsourdough so I can marvel at your sourdough creations this Christmas.