Fred Makes More Than Bread
What’s the first thing you think of when you hear sourdough?
You’re probably picturing a thick slice of crusty bread with giant holes.
The reality is that having a sourdough starter is one of the most versatile things that you can have in your kitchen. Whether it’s active starter or discard, there is a way to incorporate sourdough into almost every thinkable recipe.
Since I’ve started sourdough, Fred and I have tried one “non loaf” recipe a week.
Using Active Starter
Using starter as a natural leavening agent can replace the need for store bough yeast. The downside to using starter rather than instant yeast is that it takes about four times longer to make, but it’s gut healthy, so I like to do this when I have the time. My favorite recipe of all time using active starter are banana cinnamon rolls. I made the mistake of making them once and sharing with friends and family, and now I get a “can you make the banana cinnamon rolls?” text every couple of weeks.
Fred’s Top 10 Active Starter Recipes:
- Bagels
- Pasta
- Pizza Dough
- Sandwich Bread
- Pretzels
- Plain Cinnamon Rolls
- Strawberry Rolls
- Focaccia
- Coffee Cake Muffins
- Dinner Rolls
Using Discard
Recipes that use sourdough discard don’t use it to make the recipe rise, but for a more complex flavor and soft textures. Especially if you are feeding your starter every day (assuming you don’t throw away discard), your discard jar that’s sitting in the fridge can get very full in a matter of days. Using discard in recipes is a great way to use that up.
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Fred’s Top 10 Discard Recipes:
- Lemon Bars
- Tortillas
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Lemon Cake
- Crackers
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Savory Muffins
- Banana Bread (adding chocolate chips is a must)
- Buffalo Cauliflower
What should Fred and I try to make with sourdough next?
