10 Easy Sourdough Discard Breakfast Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to discard sourdough starter every time you feed it? ›

Do I have to discard my sourdough starter? It would be best to discard 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 sustained your starter during the last fermentation period.

Sourdough discard is rich in probiotics, which can help promote a healthy gut microbiome and improve digestion. It's also a good source of fiber, which can help regulate blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, and promote feelings of fullness.

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.

Whenever I feed my starter, I don't throw out the discard. I store the discard in the fridge until I have enough to bake with. When baking with unfed/discard starter, I don't need to worry about the starter being at its "peak." I can use it right out of the container without feeding it. Even if it's been in the fridge.

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 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).

When you are ready to bake, remove the discard from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. I recommend keeping sourdough discard for up to one week.

However, the cool temperatures of the fridge slows down the fermentation process immensely. Therefore, you can store discard indefinitely, but I suggest using discard within 1-2 weeks. Over time, the discard will become more sour-tasting as it continues to ferment and develop lactic acid.

Sourdough bread can last for several days without molding, however even though it's not molded, the bread would not be considered fresh after 24 hours. It is edible for around 3 days. Between days 3 to 5 it would need to be toasted or warmed before consuming.

Freezing sourdough discard is a clever way to avoid waste and save it for future recipes.

Do you throw away sourdough discard? ›

The starter you remove doesn't have enough life it in—bacteria and yeast—to leaven a loaf of bread. But just as waste isn't waste until you waste it, discard isn't discard until you discard it, which you don't need to do.

You can combine many days' worth of discard in a single jar, adding to it every time you feed your starter until you're ready to bake with your discard. If you're planning to use that day, discard starter can be kept out at room temperature. Otherwise, store it in the fridge until you're ready to use.

You can store sourdough discard in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. However, I recommend using it within the first week of storage. Over time, the discard becomes extremely acidic and lends a very sour and unpleasant flavor to baked goods or recipes where applied.

Typical signs of food spoilage and mold include pink, orange, or green colors, white fuzzy spots, or sometimes areas that are darker with white areas on top. If you see any of these signs, I would recommend throwing your starter away and creating a new one.

You should always have a lid on your sourdough discard jar. Ideally sourdough discard should be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.

If you bake couple of times a week or once a week, best to move the starter in the fridge. You would then remove it from the fridge for feeding ahead of preparing the dough. Can I leave my starter out overnight after feeding it? Yes, if you have just fed it.

It's usually pretty obvious when your starter has gone bad. You will either see mold or discoloration (generally pink or orange). If you see either of these things, you will need to toss your starter. The smell is usually a big give away.

You can store sourdough discard in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It's fine to leave it on the counter for up 24 hours, however if you aren't planning to use it straight away it's always better to store it in the fridge. You can continue to add sourdough starter from different days to the same jar.

You measure the sourdough starter by weight, not volume, so stirring it or not makes absolutely no difference. What does "fed" sourdough starter mean? Fed sourdough starter refers to a starter that has been fed flour and water (preferably by weight).