21 Sourdough Starter Discard Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can you do with discarded sourdough starter? ›

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).

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.

Remember, you can't use the discard from your homemade sourdough starter for the first 7 days. You can use sourdough discard in all kinds of sourdough discard recipes, including these no wait sourdough recipes, overnight sourdough discard recipes and sourdough discard recipes that use up a lot of discard.

Active starter and discard both come from the same sourdough starter. However, they are in different phases. Active starter has been fed flour and water within the last 12 hours or so and is growing until it hits its peak. Once it begins to fall it is considered discard.

How long can sourdough discard be stored? Best practice is to use the discard within 3-4 weeks, but if left longer it is okay. It just becomes more broken down and sour over time.

The World's 'Oldest' Sourdough Starter Was Made With 4,500-Year-Old Yeast. There's no bread quite like sourdough. In addition to being tasty as a sandwich bread, delicious as sourdough croutons, and even great just toasted with butter, sourdough's production process is decidedly unlike other breads.

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.

How to store sourdough discard. If you are going to use the discard immediately (within the same day), you can keep the discard at room temperature. This can either be in an airtight container, or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. It will then be ready to go when you start your recipe.

How to increase a starter. If your recipe calls for more than 227g (about 1 cup) of starter, feed it without discarding until you've reached the amount you need (plus 113g to keep and feed again).

While it will smell different to a fed, active starter, it won't smell unpleasant. The discard should be fine in the fridge, however if it is displaying signs of mold or any pink or orange tinges then it has gone bad and needs to be tossed.

Can I use month old sourdough discard? ›

Stored in the freezer, sourdough discard will theoretically keep indefinitely. I've left it in the freezer for as long as six months, untouched (i.e., I don't add or remove discard). Before using it, let it thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, never in the microwave. The microwave will cook/kill it.

Are There Health Benefits in Discard? Yes, there are actually several health benefits to using sourdough discard in your cooking and baking. Sourdough discard is rich in probiotics, which can help promote a healthy gut microbiome and improve digestion.

You can always use this discard by directly mixing it into a dough for baking. Your discard, as long as it's in good shape, will leaven any bread dough just as well. The discard is just like a levain you would make for a recipe. The only difference is it's the same makeup as your starter.

Tenderizer: The acidity in sourdough discard weakens gluten development and reacts with chemical leaveners which results in soft and fluffy baked goods. Fermentation: Adding sourdough to baked goods also imparts the magic of fermentation.

We have a whole collection of Sourdough Discard Recipes that you can bake with your sourdough discard; in these recipes, discard adds flavor but doesn't do much in the leavening department. Some of our favorite sourdough discard recipes include: Classic Sourdough Waffles or Pancakes.

Storing: Crumble Into Dry Flour

This is by far my preferred method for long-term sourdough starter storage. Place a large dollop of your ripe sourdough starter in the bottom of a large bowl. Cover the starter with lots of flour—you can use the same flour used for feedings or 100% white flour.

Store it for future baking: You can store sourdough discard in an airtight container in the refrigerator for future baking with sourdough discard recipes. When you're ready to use it, let the discard come to room temperature before using it to bake. I will keep sourdough discard in the fridge for about one week.

Is sourdough discard healthy? YES! Sourdough discard is very healthy. It's full of good bacteria that are great for your gut health. When grains have been fermented, the glycemic index of the flour reduces as well, which makes it easier on your blood sugar.