10 Easy Sourdough Discard Breakfast Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What to do with a small amount of sourdough discard? ›

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.

Do I have to discard my sourdough starter? 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.

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.

Only a small portion of the sourdough starter is reserved and fed during each feeding, the rest is referred to as discard, since typically it is thrown away. In efforts to reduce waste, discard is often collected from multiple feedings and stored in the fridge until enough is allotted to be used for discard recipes.

You should toss the sourdough discard from your starter for at least the first 7 days. In this early period, the discard will contain bad bacteria which can potentially be unsafe for you to consume. After about 7 days, your starter should have started to rise and bubble.

The flavor will get more acidic the longer it sits. Too long at room temperature without feeding and you risk your sourdough discard starting to grow mold (usually fuzzy) or bad bacteria (red, orange or pink streaks). If that happens, you need to throw it out.

Where should I store my jar of sourdough discard? Store your discard in a jar in the refrigerator where it will continue to ferment, albeit very slowly, whereas at room temperature, it will ferment quickly and you will soon have very ripe discard on your hands that won't be useful for much of anything.

Reviving a dormant sourdough starter is a simple process. Begin by discarding all but 1/2 cup of the old starter. Then, feed the remaining starter with fresh flour and water. The feeding ratio should ideally be 1:1:1 (starter:flour:water).

This thin liquid (called “hooch”) is merely alcohol and water generated by your starter's wild yeast as it feeds. Hooch is a visible cry for help: Your starter is hungry. Once you get it back on a regular regimen of care, it should recover just fine.

Does sourdough discard have to be active? ›

No. Active sourdough starter has an active yeast culture, whereas sourdough discard is inactive. If you're baking with sourdough discard, you will need to use a leavening agent (likely, yeast) to ensure the dough rises predictably.

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.

Crackers are such a wonderful way to empty your sourdough discard jar. Most cracker recipes will use at least 200g of sourdough discard and can be made well in advance. I love making different types of sourdough crackers to suit different charcuterie boards and cheese platters - or just as a delicious snack!

You can put your sourdough discard either in the trash. or the compost, or you can use it in recipes. Don't put it down the drain.

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.

You can store sourdough discard in a separate container, then bake with it when you want — for instance, maybe you fed your starter on Tuesday, leaving you with discard that you want to use to bake pancakes on Saturday.