6 sourdough discard recipes (2024)

FAQs

What to do with a lot of sourdough discard? ›

The sourdough discard recipes that use the most sourdough discard are sourdough discard waffles, muffins, crackers, pie crust and pizza dough.

Weigh out how much discard you want to add to the recipe (no more than 200g). Divide the weight into 2. Subtract this amount of flour and water (or other liquid) from the recipe. Add the sourdough discard in place of these amounts of flour and water.

Can sourdough discard be used as starter? While sourdough discard can't replace an active starter in a recipe that relies on a robust leavening agent, it can be revitalized and used to create a new starter.

The more starter you use, the faster your dough will ferment - resulting in a less sour loaf. Of course the amount of starter is actually a ratio in relation to the flour - so 50g of starter to 500g of flour will ferment at a much slower rate than 200g of starter to 500g of flour.

Sourdough discard only lasts a day or two at room temperature. As such, it is best to keep your discard in the fridge, where it will last for up to one week. Of course, you can only rely on it lasting that long if you store it correctly.

Sourdough discard recipes not only reduce waste but also offer health benefits, making them a wonderful addition to a balanced diet. The fermentation process of the sourdough starter increases the availability of certain nutrients and can help improve digestion.

You don't have to waste flour on a daily basis if you want to maintain a sourdough starter. By adjusting how much you feed your starter and by choosing discard recipes, you don't have to discard your sourdough starter daily.

I recommend keeping sourdough discard for up to one week. After that point, there is a higher risk of bad bacteria or mold growing. How often should I feed my sourdough starter? I recommend feeding your starter at least once per week.

Starter that's kept at room temperature is more active than refrigerated starter, and thus needs to be fed more often. Room-temperature starter should be fed every 12 hours (twice a day) using the standard maintenance feeding procedure: discard all but 113g, and feed that 113g starter with 113g each water and flour.

You can store mature sourdough discard in the refrigerator indefinitely. As long as there is no mold, it is good to use. It may develop a grayish liquid on top called “hooch” which can be poured off before use or stirred in. If you stir it in, the flavor will become more sour.

How soon can you start using sourdough discard? ›

You can use 1-2 week old discard in “discard recipes”… think cookies, brownies, muffins, non-yeast breads, tortillas (pretty much anything that doesn't require active starter (aka wild yeast). I have TONS in my digital cookbook if you need some good recipes.

Yes you can use sourdough discard straight from the fridge, you don't need to let it come to room temperature if you don't want to. What is this? If you are using it straight from the fridge it may be a little stiff or thick, so you'll need to ensure you mix it really well.

Yes it's cheaper to make your own sourdough at home, as oppose to buying it from a bakery. What is this? When you consider that sourdough is literally just flour, water and salt (including the sourdough culture), then depending on the type of flour you use, you could bake a loaf for as little as $1.

Adding yeast to a sourdough can result in a lighter, more tender crumb and a crisper crust than the same loaf without it. Now I like the texture of a crusty, chewy sourdough loaf most of the time, but there are instances where I find this effect especially useful.

Typical feeding ratios are 1:2:2 or 1:3:3 (old sourdough: fresh flour: water). However, even extreme ratios like 1:50:50 would still work. In that case, the freshly fed sourdough would just require more or much more time to grow and reach its peak, as judged by the maximum volume increase in the jar (at least doubled).

Freezing sourdough discard has some benefits that are different than freezing sourdough starter. Sometimes you want to have some discard on hand that has a mild flavor to add to your baked goods. Being able to freeze discard a day or two after it's been fed means that your discard will have a light tang.

If you want to throw it away, it's best not to do so in its liquid state, as it can start to smell. Instead, pour it onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper and either bake it or let it air dry until it's brittle before throwing it away.

So why use sourdough discard on your plants? The sourdough starter is teaming with good bacteria, yeast and microbes which your will enrich your soil and make your indoor and outdoor plants thrive. It is a living and thriving culture of bacteria and yeast. It's alive just like your plants and soil!

One approach is to save up all this discard in one container in the fridge in what I like to call a sourdough starter cache. Then, use all this at once in a starter discard recipe or my sourdough waffles, pancakes, or banana bread at the end of the week.