Sourdough bread is this amazing crusty fermented starter artisan bread that can be made at home. In order to make sourdough bread you need a sourdough starter. And with sourdough starter comes sourdough discard (a good thing). Discover 21 amazing sourdough recipes including bread, waffles, crackers and so much more.
What Is Sourdough Discard?
Sourdough discard is the amount of sourdough starter you need to remove or “discard” everyday or weekly depending on the age and storage of your sourdough starter. You discard this amount to add more flour and water to feed your sourdough starter and allow it to grow and ferment. Sourdough discard can be disposed of or it can be used in some pretty delicious recipes.
Unfed Sourdough Recipes
When a sourdough discard recipe asks you to use unfed sourdough. It is referring to the sourdough discard you remove before adding more flour and water to your sourdough bread starter. Most discard recipes will use unfed sourdough. Which is perfect because you can discard your amount (save it), feed your starter and bake with the discard. So there is no waste. Just yummy baked goods.
Sourdough Starter
A sourdough starter is the basis of your sourdough bread or sourdough baking. It is a simple mixture of filtered water and flour that ferments creating yeast and the “sour” flavor that sourdough is named for. You can find more information on sourdough starters in our sourdough bread beginners guide.
What To Make With Sourdough Starter
The amazing thing about sourdough starter is you can use it in more than just baking bread. You can add sourdough starter to cinnamon buns, crackers, bagels, pizza dough and so much more.
Sourdough Bread Recipes
If your main goal with your sourdough starter is to make sourdough bread then you need to checkout our sourdough bread beginners guide which includes 12 easy to make sourdough bread recipes including a gluten free recipe.
Sourdough Discard
In an effort to help you spread the sourdough love and embrace homemade we have compiled a wide collection of sourdough discard recipes that are sure to fit your needs.
We are including some gluten free sourdough discard recipes in our discard recipes collection because honestly this is what we make at home and we feel it should be included for those that are gluten sensitive. Just because you can’t have something doesn’t mean there aren’t amazing alternatives for you to try.
While writing this article I was thinking about all the ways you could make an additional income from homemade sourdough. Which is perfect for bakers, makers and stay at home moms. First off sourdough starters can be sold. And your sourdough discard can be created into its own starter and fed. You can also sell all your yummy sourdough discard baking at your local farmers market or by word of mouth or specialty order. Homemade items sell well and food is better when shared.
Sourdough & Other Recipes:
Sourdough Bread A Beginner’s Guide
7 Amazing Beginner Bread Recipes
7 Beginner Homemade Jam Recipes
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What to do with sourdough discard? Don't throw it away! Instead, use it to make delicious and nutritious treats like pancakes, waffles, muffins, and bread. Sourdough discard is a great source of natural yeast and flavor, and can add a unique tangy taste to your baked goods.
Technically, sourdough discard has the same benefits as sourdough starter, since they are both wild yeast ferments. In terms of beneficial lactic acid bacteria, natural yeasts acetic acid and colonies of microbes, they are both full of them.
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.
Sourdough discard works well in many baked goods that don't require lively yeast—flat foods like crackers, tortillas and pancakes. Or you can use it to flavor recipes that rely on leavening from other sources, such as active dry yeast, baking soda and baking powder.
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.
I left my sourdough discard out at room temperature for a few days. Is it okay? As long as your kitchen isn't too warm (I'd say 78°F or higher) your starter/discard will be fine stored at room temperature for at least a few days without feeding. The flavor will get more acidic the longer it sits.
At room temperature (70 F), sourdough discard should last about 1-2 days. Beyond that, it won't go bad necessarily, it will just become more acidic as time goes on (especially in warm weather). Not ideal for sweet recipes. In the fridge, it will keep for about a week or so, and in the freezer it will last indefinitely.
While some people claim to have healed their gut problems by eating probiotic rich sourdough starter, it's not really advisable. Raw sourdough starter contains uncooked flour which can harbor harmful bacteria among other things. You can read more about why you shouldn't eat raw flour here.
I don't recommend using starter discard from the fridge to make sourdough bread. Why? The discard could be sitting in the fridge for several days, up to 2 weeks, which is far too long without feeding in an environment that's too cold.
fuzzy mold that you might normally see on food. or something else. But it can also look like odd colors, particularly like an orange or a pink. So if you see, like, orange or pink streaking in your sourdough discard, that's bad bacteria, and you don't want to eat that, so it's time to throw that one away.
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.
One of the amazing benefits of sourdough discard is that you can use it to create new starters, which are known as levains. These off-shoots from the mother starter can be used to experiment with different types of flour or given as a gift – there's nothing quite like sharing an entire ecosystem with your loved ones.
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.
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.
You can feed unused sourdough starter (sourdough discard) to your chickens. It's a great way to introduce fermented foods into their diet and a better alternative than yoghurt (chickens aren't good with dairy).
One of the amazing benefits of sourdough discard is that you can use it to create new starters, which are known as levains. These off-shoots from the mother starter can be used to experiment with different types of flour or given as a gift – there's nothing quite like sharing an entire ecosystem with your loved ones.
Can you add sourdough discards together in the same jar? Yes you can add sourdough discards from different days together in the same jar. You just need to make sure you stir it well and you don't leave it sitting in the fridge for too long. Sourdough discard should be used within two weeks.
Teaming with good bacteria and microbes your soil and plants will love, your fermented sourdough starter could be the best homemade fertiliser you've ever used! You can use sourdough discard in your garden in the following ways: Use diluted sourdough discard as a liquid nutrient boost.
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.
Introduction: My name is Nathanael Baumbach, I am a fantastic, nice, victorious, brave, healthy, cute, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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