Shortly after our stay-at-home order went into effect, I ordered a sourdough starter. Yes, I know it is possible to start one from scratch, but I caved to convenience.
That is not to say that that frugality has completely gone out the window. I can’t bring myself to throw out the discards. Having flour be so precious is part of it, but most of it is because it is such a waste. I’ve been trying multiple recipes for using up this excess, and I wanted to share my favorites with you.
I did give one day’s worth of discards to our neighbor. I left it on her porch and we talked (more than 6 feet away) through her screen to share information on the care and feeding of her new pet.
I’d never had sourdough pancakes before. How have I lived without them for so long? I used this recipe by Don’t Waste the Crumbs, and I loved them. The recipe talks about the sour dough making these pancakes savoury. I didn’t find that to be the case. What made them a bit on the savory side was the fact that there is no sugar in the recipe. Next time I make them, I will add a couple tablespoons of sugar to the batter.
Note: I did not fully read through the recipe before starting it. There is a 30-minute waiting period after the batter is mixed to allow the sourdough goodness to grow. As a result our brinner was later than planned.
My absolute favorite thing to make with the discards is crackers. You don’t even need any additional flour! Discard, fat, seasoning, mix well, spread thin, bake.
How perfect is that? Plus you can mix everything up in a measuring cup – hardly anything to clean at the end! Little Spoon Farm’s recipe was the second one I tried, and I stopped looking after that. Why mess with perfection? The crackers turn out so crispy and delicious. I did switch up the seasoning since I don’t like herbs de Provence. I use 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, and that is just about perfect.
I’d love to hear what others are doing with their discards. Recipes, please!
Grown Up, Now What? 