Best Christmas Sourdough Recipes to Gift (2024)

Looking for the perfect Christmas sourdough recipes to gift? Look no further!

I've put together a list of Christmas sourdough recipes to gift to teachers, family, friends and neighbours.

There are so many delicious things you can make using your sourdough starter - that also make the loveliest Christmas gifts.

Whether you make sourdough crackers and gift them in tall glass jars or bake batches of sourdough granola lovingly placed in cellophane bags - or even these sourdough biscotti studded with cranberries and pistachios, one thing is for sure, your family and friends are going to love it!

I've even included some tips for adding even more Christmas cheer to your sourdough below.

You'll also find my guide to gift wrapping sourdough bread here.

Quick Guide to Edible Sourdough Christmas Gifts

If you're in a rush, here is the list of recipes included in this Christmas Gift Guide:

  • Sourdough Sugar Cookies
  • Gourmet Sourdough Crackers
  • Sourdough Granola (with Christmas & Gingerbread Variations)
  • Sourdough Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
  • Sourdough Fruit Mince Cookies
  • Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies
  • Sourdough Gingerbread Loaf
  • Sourdough Biscotti
  • Sourdough Pfeffernusse Cookies
  • Sourdough Cranberry + Pistachio Lavosh (Christmas Crackers)
  • Homemade Sourdough Croutons
  • Sourdough Doggie Treats
  • Sourdough Gingerbread Rolls (like cinnamon rolls only better)
  • Cinnamon Sugar Sourdough Crackers
  • Rosemary + Parmesan Sourdough Crackers
  • Sourdough Grissini
  • Sourdough Bread Wreath
  • Sourdough Stollen

Sourdough Sugar Cookies

These simple sourdough sugar cookies can be decorated with lovely festive designs and gifted to family and friends. You can make them as simple or elaborate as you like!

Sourdough Sugar Coookies

Easy recipe for sourdough sugar cookies that can be iced or decorated. Use up your sourdough discard to create these special sourdough sugar cookies that are perfect for holiday gifting.

Check out this recipe

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Gourmet Sourdough Crackers

These delicious gourmet sourdough crackers are brimming with dried fruit, nuts and seeds. They can be made well in advance and look beautiful placed into cellophane bags or glass jars.

They are a gift to take to the host of a Christmas gathering.

Sourdough Fruit and Seed Crackers

Gourmet sourdough crackers brimming with delicious dried fruit, nuts and seeds. These beautiful sourdough fruit and seed crackers will take pride of place on any cheese board or platter.

Check out this recipe

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Christmas Sourdough Granola Jars

Why not bake some sourdough granola with a Christmas twist? Granola is a such a lovely gift to both give and receive.

I've added a special Christmas Granola recipe that you can make for family and friends. There's even a gingerbread granola recipe too!

You could choose to package the granola into single serve self sealing cellophane bags or even pop the whole batch into a large glass canning jar.

With some festive ribbon, these make the most gorgeous sourdough gifts.

They can be made ahead too, reducing your stress levels around this time of year! This would be a great edible Christmas gift for neighbours or your child's teacher.

Sourdough Granola

This easy recipe for sourdough granola can easily be tailored to suit your taste preferences and ingredients you have on hand.

Check out this recipe

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Sourdough Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

These sourdough gingerbread crinkle cookies just scream Christmas! With their crackly exteriors and soft, velvety middles, they look like they're dusted in snowflakes! Wrap them up and gift them to the special people in your life.

Sourdough Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

Sourdough gingerbread crinkle cookies are a delectable fusion of tangy sourdough starter and warm, spicy gingerbread. These cookies boast a delightful crackled surface, offering a soft and chewy indulgence with every bite.

Check out this recipe

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Sourdough Fruit Mince Cookies

Sourdough Fruit Mince Thumbprint Cookies

Sweet sourdough cookies with a fruit mince centre - perfect to fill the cookie jar with or gift at Christmas time.

Check out this recipe

Best Christmas Sourdough Recipes to Gift (10)

Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies

These sourdough gingerbread cookies are just perfect for gifting at Christmas. You can make them well ahead of time and they are just gorgeous when decorated.

You'll find loads of decorating ideas in the post too!

Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies

These lovely gingerbread cookies are made with sourdough discard and can be decorated or left plain. They are perfect for Christmas gifting and are great to make with the kids.

Check out this recipe

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Best Sourdough Gingerbread Loaf

This gorgeous sourdough gingerbread loaf is a type of "quick bread" which is probably more like a cake than a bread ... but whatever you decide to call it, it is absolutely delicious! Moist and flavorful, it makes a lovely gift when wrapped in cellophane. When gifting this one, I wrap the uniced loaf in cellophane and gift the frosting in a glass jar so they can frost it when they're ready to eat!

Sourdough Gingerbread Loaf Cake

This delicious spiced gingerbread cake can be baked in a loaf pan or sheet pan. Top it with the sweet vanilla cream cheese frosting for the ultimate gingerbread experience!

Check out this recipe

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Sourdough Biscotti

Sourdough biscotti are perhaps the best edible sourdough Christmas gifts because they last for a long time after making due to their low moisture content.

Make these well ahead of time - perfect for gifting to work colleagues or your child's teacher.

You can include your favorite dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips and spices to make them uniquely yours! For Christmas, adding cinnamon, cranberries, candied orange peel and pistachios would look and taste amazing!

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Sourdough Biscotti Recipe

Simple sourdough biscotti using sourdough discard to create crunchy, Italian coffee biscuits.

Check out this recipe

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Sourdough Pfeffernusse Cookies

With a long shelf life and delightfully warming spices, these fermented sourdough pfeffernusse cookies make the perfect gift! You can make them ahead of time and they'll get better with age!

Sourdough Pfeffernusse Cookies

Elevate your holiday baking with these delightful Sourdough Pfeffernusse Cookies, where the rich, tangy notes of sourdough starter meld seamlessly with the aromatic blend of spices. These bite-sized gems promise a perfect balance of sweetness and warmth in every festive bite.

Check out this recipe

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Sourdough Christmas Crackers

These are the ultimate sourdough Christmas crackers with red cranberries and green pistachios.

They look oh so pretty and taste even better, dusted with cinnamon sugar.

Pop them in a clear bag or jar so all their prettiness can be appreciated!

Cranberry + Pistachio Sourdough Lavosh Crackers

Cranberry + Pistachio Sourdough Lavosh Crackers can be made more sweet or savory depending on what you're serving them with. The make a gorgeous gift for friends and family too.

Check out this recipe

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Homemade Sourdough Croutons

A simple, yet thoughtful gift - a jar full of crunchy homemade sourdough croutons to dress salads or simply eat as a snack. You can make a lot of these really easily and they can be made ahead of time too!

Homemade Sourdough Croutons

These simple sourdough croutons are so easy to make and even easier to enjoy in soups and salads. Great way to use up stale sourdough bread.

Check out this recipe

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Sourdough Doggie Treats

Sourdough doggie treats are the perfect Christmas gift for the special pooches in your life.

If you have friends or family who treasure their pooches, I'm sure they would love to receive a little baggie of these at Christmas time.

They will appreciate the time you've taken to bake them with love.

Sourdough Dog Treats

These nutrient rich sourdough doggie treats will have your precious pooch begging for more! They also make a lovely gift for friends with fur babies.

Check out this recipe

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Sourdough Gingerbread Rolls

If you're looking for something a little different, these sourdough gingerbread rolls might be just the ticket. I love to bake them in vintage enamel dishes - when you gift them, the dish becomes part of the gift!

These can be made ahead of time and frozen (just add the frosting and glaze right before you gift them!

Sourdough Gingerbread Rolls

These are better than cinnamon rolls! The spicy warmth of ginger and nutmeg come together with molasses to create sourdough gingerbread rolls that will have you eating the whole tray!

Check out this recipe

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Sourdough Cinnamon Sugar Crackers

Nothings says Christmas like cinnamon! These sourdough crackers are flavored with cinnamon sugar.

They pair perfectly with Christmas hot chocolate! You could gift them in little cellophane baggies accompanied by a hot chocolate mix and some marshmallows.

They even look cute popped in a Christmas mug and wrapped in cellophane.

Sweet Sourdough Crackers with Cinnamon Sugar

Sweet Sourdough Crackers with Cinnamon Sugar are a unique way to use your discard - delicious with a cup of tea or even better served with vanilla ice cream!

Check out this recipe

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Parmsesan + Rosemary Sourdough Crackers

Who doesn't love crackers. Well these parmesan and rosemary crackers are somewhat addicting! They really are one of the most popular recipes on this site for a reason!

Perfect for neighbours, teachers and friends!

Why not gift these in tall glass jars tied with sprigs of rosemary for extra Christmas cheer.

We save coffee jars throughout the year to gift these in at Christmas.

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Sourdough Discard Crackers with Rosemary + Parmesan Cheese

These simple sourdough crackers use a lot of discard - and taste amazing! They are the perfect accompaniment to a cheese platter or a quick snack on the go.

Check out this recipe

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Sourdough Grissini

You could easily gift a batch of sourdough grissini for Christmas.

They look amazing on a festive charcuterie board and make a great host gift too!

You could make these sourdough bread sticks a little more Christmassy by adding some festive herbs and spices.

Sourdough Bread Sticks [Sourdough Grissini]

Sourdough Grissini are so simple to make but oh so tasty! They are perfect to accompany your favorite dip or as an elegant addition to your next charcuterie plate.

Check out this recipe

Best Christmas Sourdough Recipes to Gift (30)

Christmas Bread Wreath

This Sourdough Parmesan Bread with Rosemary makes the most festive wreath.

You could gift this bread wreath to adorn a Christmas table or even as the centre of a Christmas charcuterie board filled with a baked soft cheese. YUM!

Why not add a jar of whipped herb butter or homemade cultured butter to accompany this lovely loaf of sourdough bread.

Sourdough Parmesan Bread with Rosemary

This parmesan sourdough bread flavored with rosemary is a simple, flavorful bread that can be served for a multitude of occasions. Easily swap the rosemary for herbs you have on hand.

Check out this recipe

Best Christmas Sourdough Recipes to Gift (31)

Sourdough Stollen (German Christmas Bread)

This sourdough stollen (traditional Christmas bread) is filled with dried fruits, nuts and marzipan. It makes a lovely Christmas gift because it has a fairly long shelf life for a home baked gift.

Sourdough Stollen Recipe

Indulge in the festive spirit with this sourdough Christmas stollen, a cherished German Christmas bread. Packed with rum soaked fruit, butter and marzipan, this rich Christmas bread is a must bake this festive season.

Check out this recipe

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Best Tips for Choosing Christmas Sourdough Recipes to Gift

To take the stress out of the season, it's a great idea to choose sourdough gifts that you can make ahead of time.

Recipes that can be baked, wrapped and will last a few weeks at least so that you have time to gift them and the recipient doesn't have to consume them straight away.

The best sourdough recipes for baking ahead of time would be:

  • Sourdough Granola
  • Sourdough Crackers
  • Sourdough Biscotti
  • Sourdough Croutons
  • Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies

If you do want to gift sourdough bread, it's a good idea to plan out the baking timeline before hand to ensure that you have the freshest bread possible.

You could even freeze sourdough gifts to ensure that you're not running around at the last minute.

Get the kids involved in baking, packaging and decorating! It's a lovely way to spend time together as a family during the festive season.

Make Your Sourdough Christmas Gifts Extra Special

Here are some ideas to make your sourdough Christmas gifts extra special and unique:

  • Package crackers and grissini in tall glass jars, tied with jute twine and kraft paper gift tags.
  • Everything looks more Christmassy with a candy cane tied to it!
  • For smaller gifts, cellophane bags are cost effective and can be made to look festive with twine, herbs, leaves and ribbon. These cello bags are self sealing.
  • You could even dehydrate some orange slices and use those to decorate the bags. If you don't have time to DIY, these ones are lovely.
  • Twist grissini into hearts to make them extra special this Christmas.
  • Use recycled jars to gift crackers (you could save them throughout the year).
  • Consider adding a variety a sourdough christmas gifts into a lovely treat basket. This can be a lovely idea if you're gifting a family or couple.
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Give The Gift of Sourdough Starter This Christmas!

Why not share the ultimate gift of sourdough - a little parcel of dried sourdough starter so your friends and family can starter their own sourdough journey!

Christmas is the perfect time to dehydrate some of your sourdough starter and package it up for gifting.

I would give around 30g of dried sourdough starter per package.

You could choose to place the dried sourdough starter into clean jars or even vacuum seal it.

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Add a note with instructions on how to rehydrate the starter (you could even create a QR code that you attach to the package that links here).

Further Reading

If you've enjoyed this guide to Christmas Sourdough Recipes to gift, you might also enjoy these ideas:

  • Inspiration for gift wrapping sourdough bread

  • Softest Sourdough Dinner Rolls - perfect for Christmas Day!
Best Christmas Sourdough Recipes to Gift (37)
Best Christmas Sourdough Recipes to Gift (2024)

FAQs

How do you give sourdough as a gift? ›

You can use parchment or even wax paper if you like to see the loaf through the paper! Wrap it the same way no matter which one you're using 👍🏼 add some lavender or rosemary under the string for a special touch. Bread is the best when gifted!!

How to gift someone sourdough starter? ›

You can either split your starter into a new jar for your friend and feed both as normal ( about 100g of starter and 100g each of water and flour) or spilt some off and give them the discard to feed up. Generally, you don't need more than about 50g of starter to pass on to really get a new starter going.

What is the secret to good sourdough bread? ›

Top 10 Tips & Tricks for Making Sourdough
  • Use your sourdough starter at its peak. ...
  • Moisten the surface of the dough before baking for more rise. ...
  • Handle with care: be gentle with your dough. ...
  • Use sifted flour to make your sourdough less dense. ...
  • Soak your flour beforehand for a lighter loaf. ...
  • Just add water for softer sourdough.

How do you maintain a gifted sourdough starter? ›

Leaving it out on the counter, it will need to be fed equal parts water and flour every 12-24 hours. Warmer homes or frequent baking will require more frequent feeding (around every 12 hours), while colder homes every 24 hours. Storing your sourdough starter in the fridge will require feeding around once a week.

How to package homemade bread for a gift? ›

Instructions
  1. Step 1: Wrap in Plastic Wrap. Now I'm typically not a fan of smothering a loaf in cling wrap. ...
  2. Step 2: Wrap in Parchment Paper. Next, place your loaf on a sheet of parchment paper. ...
  3. Step 3: Tie With Twine.

Can you ask a bakery for sourdough starter? ›

If you have a local bakery, you could also ask them to sell you a bit. Plenty of sellers on Etsy offer sourdough starter, too.

Why do you throw away sourdough starter? ›

If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.

What do people keep their sourdough starter in? ›

I've found glass canning-style jars to work very well for sourdough. A glass jar doesn't absorb smells or flavors like other containers do, glass allows unhindered viewing of your starter, and it stores easily, offering a variety of shapes, sizes, lids and covers.

What is the best flour for sourdough starter? ›

The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is 50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and bread flour. Why do you need to use these two types of flour?

How do I make my sourdough starter more flavorful? ›

HOW TO MAKE A MORE SOUR SOURDOUGH
  1. Maintain your starter at a lower hydration level. This means using a higher ratio of flour to water. ...
  2. Use whole-grain flours, which the acid-producing bacteria love.
  3. Keep the hooch or brown liquid layer that forms on a hungry sourdough starter instead of pouring it off.
Jun 23, 2022

What is the healthiest flour for sourdough bread? ›

Compared to whole wheat flour, rye flour is said to be the most nutrient- and amylase-dense option for a sourdough starter. Overall, it has a lower gluten protein content than wheat flour, which means it produces slack, sticky, and dense doughs.

Do you have to discard sourdough starter every time you feed it? ›

It would be best if you discarded some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used “food” (flour and water) that's been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period.

How long can sourdough starter stay in the fridge without feeding? ›

A starter stored in the fridge can be fed once a week. If you plan to use it often, you can store it for up to two months without feeding. When you want to use the starter again, remove it from the fridge for a few hours, then feed it every 12 hours for 36 hours before you make bread with it.

How many years can a sourdough starter last? ›

Your sourdough starter is the foundation of baking sourdough bread. Through proper maintenance and a little attention, it can last indefinitely and provide you with countless healthy and delicious loaves of bread.

How to transport fresh sourdough bread? ›

Once it's completely cool, wrap the bread in a paper or cloth bag and then place it in a plastic bag. The paper or cloth layer is to absorb any condensation if there are temperature changes in transit, and the plastic bag is to protect the bread from any exposure to water in transit or if delivered in the rain.

How to keep sourdough bread fresh? ›

So, with this in mind, I always recommend storing your freshly-baked sourdough loaf in a cotton bread bag or simply wrap it in a cotton tea towel to allow the bread to 'breathe'. Then, leave your bread in a cool place, so it can maintain normal moisture levels without encouraging bacteria and mould to grow.

Is homemade bread a good gift? ›

Any bread recipe that you are already comfortable baking would make a wonderful gift! Here are some recipe suggestions from my blog if you'd like more ideas: Cranberry Walnut Sourdough Bread. Sourdough Soft Pretzels (salted or coated with cinnamon sugar)

Why do you discard sourdough starter when you feed it? ›

If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.

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