Don’t discard your discard! How I use mine up, below.
After years of excuses (‘I have enough mouths to feed without sourdough starter!’), I finally hopped on the sourdough train. And with a sourdough aficionado on speed-dial answering all my questions and cheering me on (thanks Nechama!), I’ve even gotten the hang of it. Mostly.
The reason I started baking? I wanted to bring my own loaves to the table on Friday nights. The unexpected perk? Sourdough starter. The extra mouth I was so not looking forward to feeding is feeding me right back.
So although I started making these to get rid of extra starter, now I feed my starter extra to make sure I always have enough for these recipes!
These all have a distinct ‘sour’ sourdough taste. **Note: these recipes are intended to be made with unfed, unactivated sourdough starter, a.k.a. sourdough discard.
Sourdough Pizza Dough:
Ok, this is not a recipe. Don’t tell. Pour starter directly into your Betty Crocker, spread with spatula. Close the Betty, wait about 3 minutes. Once the starter has ‘set,’ cover with sauce and sprinkle cheese. Healthy pizza night: done!
Sourdough Pancakes:
Also not a recipe. Coat your Betty or a hot skillet with butter and heat. Scoop a large spoonful of starter and sprinkle with salt. Cook for 4 minutes on first side, flip and cook for another three minutes. You can eat the ‘pancakes’ with avocado and sunny-side-ups for a savory option, or with peanut butter and maple syrup for a sweet one. It’s the perfect neutral base to pair with anything you have in the fridge.
Sourdough Crackers:
Sourdough Discard Crackers
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sourdough discard
- 2 tbsp butter (Earth Balance works for dairy-free)
- ¼ tsp salt, plus more for sprinkling
- 2 tsp dried herbs (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt butter and let cool.
- Mix discard, butter, salt, and herbs (if using) thoroughly.
- Spread the mixture in a thin, even layer on baking sheet, and sprinkle the top with salt.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and cut into cracker-sized squares.
- Bake for an additional 40 minutes, or until the crackers are golden brown.
Scared of sourdough?
Give it a try!
Read our Sourdough Guides for Beginners – Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
What bracha are these recipes?
I’m perplexed by this as well. When I make sourdough discard pizza, I make hamotzi because I bake it on parchment paper. When I’ve made sourdough pancakes with oil in a frying pan, I make mezonos. I don’t know if I’m right though. I’ve stopped making the pancakes because they’re just not very good. My favorite use of discard is crackers.
I love these ideas! I fry mine and add some scallions and zaatar to one side. I let it get crispy on both sides and dip it in rice vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce. So yummy!
What Bracha are sourdough crackers?
Mezonos! What else? Like shmura matzoh from the matzoh bakery..eaten on the go..as a snack..(ask anyone who works in the bakeries..!)