Lievito Madre Discard Bread Recipe

05/23/2025

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This lievito madre discard bread is naturally leavened with no added commercial yeast. It has a soft, chewy interior, a crisp golden crust, and a mild sourdough flavor. Just a few quick kneads and an overnight rest, then it’s ready to shape, rise and bake the next day!

Lievito madre discard bread with a slice cut.

If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve been baking all kinds of favorites with my lievito madre sourdough starter like this rustic Italian bread with lievito madre and lievito madre focaccia.

Each time I refresh the starter, I end up with extra discard, and lately I’ve been putting it to good use. I’ve made lievito madre discard scones and lievito madre chocolate chip cookies, and now I’m excited to share this lievito madre discard bread. It’s naturally leavened, full of flavor, and perfect for slicing up for toast or sandwiches.

Why I Love This Recipe

Flavorful Italian bread: This pasta madre discard loaf has a soft, chewy crumb and crisp crust with a mild tang from the lievito madre. Rustic Italian flavor without being too sour.
Simple overnight method: The dough comes together easily with just a few folds, then rests overnight. No complicated steps, just mix, rest, and bake the next day.

Ingredient Notes

All-purpose flour: Gives the bread a soft and tender crumb while still holding its structure.
Honey: Adds just a touch of sweetness to help balance the tang and support fermentation.
Lukewarm water: Helps activate the natural yeast in the lievito madre discard for a better rise.
Lievito madre discard: Make sure it’s no more than 3 to 4 days old and has been stored in the fridge. Older discard can lead to a stronger sour flavor and weaker rise.
Salt: Enhances the flavor of the discard bread made with lievito madre starter.

Refreshing Your Lievito Madre for Discard Recipes

Before using your lievito madre discard in this bread, make sure your starter has been refreshed within the last 3 to 4 days so the discard is still fresh and active enough to use.

To refresh, remove the lievito madre from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Peel off any dry top layer, then take the amount you plan to discard. This is what you’ll use in the recipe. After discarding, feed the remaining starter as usual to keep it healthy and active.

How to Make Lievito Madre Discard Bread

In a stand mixer, combine the flour, honey, water, and lievito madre discard and knead until smooth. Add the salt and knead a little longer until the dough is slightly tacky but not too wet. Add a touch more flour if needed then cover and let rest.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and give it two folds, turning it as you go. Repeat this fold-and-rest process, resting between each round.

Then shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise overnight.

The dough in the bowl before and after rising.

The next day, gently shape the dough into a loaf or round and place it in a prepared pan or Dutch oven. Let it rise again until doubled.

Folding the dough, shaping and in the dutch oven before rising.

Before baking, lightly dust the top with flour and score the surface to help the bread expand in the oven.

Bake with steam, lowering the oven temperature as it bakes. Once golden and fully baked, remove the loaf and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Tips for the Best Lievito Madre Discard Bread

Use fresh discard: For the best results in this naturally leavened lievito madre discard bread, make sure your discard is no more than 3 to 4 days old. Fresher discard gives better flavor and rise.
Kneading builds strength: Since this sourdough bread recipe doesn’t use any commercial yeast, proper kneading is important to develop the gluten needed for structure, rise and a light, airy texture.
Don’t skip the folds: Folding the dough between rests helps build strength and improve texture without heavy kneading.
Shape with gentle tension: As you fold the dough like an envelope and form it into a loaf or ball, try to seal the edges well and create a smooth, lightly stretched surface. This gentle tension helps the loaf hold its shape and rise more evenly in the oven.
Score before baking: Scoring helps the bread expand evenly in the oven and gives it that classic artisan look.
Bake with steam and reduce the heat gradually: A hot oven creates oven spring and a crisp crust. Lowering the temperature in stages helps the inside bake through without burning the outside.
Check for doneness: The loaf is done when golden and sounds hollow when tapped, or when the internal temperature is between 190°F and 210°F.

Baker’s Timeline

Evening (Day 1)

6:00 p.m.: Refresh your lievito madre if needed. Use a discard that’s no more than 3–4 days old.
7:00 p.m.: Mix the dough, knead, and begin the folding process (with 30-minute rests between sets).
9:00 p.m.: After the final fold, shape the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise overnight in a warm, draft-free spot (8–12 hours).

Morning (Day 2)

7:00 a.m.: Gently shape the dough and place it in a prepared pan or Dutch oven.
7:15: a.m.: Cover and let rise again for 3–4 hours, until doubled in size.
10:30 a.m.: Preheat the oven to 465°F (240°C) and bring water to a boil for steam.
10:45 a.m.: Lightly flour and score the dough. Bake with steam, adjusting the oven temperature as it bakes.
11:30 a.m.: Lievito madre discard read is done baking. Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Storage

Once the bread is completely cooled, store it in a paper bag or wrapped in a clean kitchen towel at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, slice and freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 1 month. Toast slices straight from the freezer or let them thaw at room temperature.

FAQs

What is lievito madre?

Lievito madre is a traditional Italian sourdough starter made with flour, water, and often a small amount of honey to help start fermentation. It has a firm texture and creates a milder, less tangy flavor compared to a regular sourdough starter, making it ideal for slow-leavened breads and pastries.

Can I use active lievito madre instead of discard?

This recipe is designed for using discard, but you could use active lievito madre if that’s what you have on hand. Just keep in mind the rise time may vary slightly depending on how strong your starter is.

Can I add active dry yeast to speed up the process?

While this hasn’t been tested, you could try adding a small amount of yeast (about 1/4 teaspoon) to help speed up fermentation. Just note that it will no longer be a naturally leavened bread, and the texture and flavor may differ slightly.

More Lievito Madre Recipes

No need to throw out your extra discard just use it to make this delicious Lievito Madre discard bread! Buon appetito!

300 g all purpose flour
1 teaspoon honey
200 ml luke warm water
120 g lievito madre discard (not more then 3-4 days old)
1 teaspoon salt

Sift the flour into the stand mixing bowl, add the honey, water and lievito madre, knead for 10 minutes, add the salt and continue kneading for another 5 minutes, it will be slightly tacky, if too wet then add more flour. Cover the dough with a tea towel and let rest 30 minutes.
Move the dough to a lightly floured flat surface and fold two times, turning 180 degrees, do this three times, 30 minutes apart.
Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oil bowl, turning the dough to cover lightly in oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, place in a warm draft free area and let rise 8-12 hours or until doubled in bulk.
Move the dough to a lightly floured flat surface, gently flatten with the palm of your hand then fold like an envelope, and form into a loaf or ball sealing the edges. Place the loaf in a greased or parchment paper lined pan or dutch oven, cover and let rise in a warm draft free area for 3-4 hours until doubled.
Pre-heat oven to 450F/235C. Place an empty pan on the bottom of the oven. Boil 1-1½ cups of water in a small pot.
Once the bread has risen, lightly dust with flour and score. Pour the boiling water into the empty pan, place the dough (in the pan or dutch oven) onto the middle rack in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, lower the heat to 425F/220C bake for 10 minutes the lower the heat again to 350F/180C and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes or until done. The internal temperature will be 190-210F/88-99C. Immediately move the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!