Sourdough discard recipes

[Myshitisreal]

My starter is just coming up to speed. I've been inspired by this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/food_and_recipes/3864392-Calling-sourdough-starter-experts to start a sourdough discard recipe thread.

So what do you use yours for??? Post links and pictures if you like. Also might be worth mentioning if you're starter has graduated or isn't fully live.

I think most people throw it out but waste not want not. I'll post my recipes in just a moment. I'd love someone to start a sourdough graduant thread 😂 I'm almost there

I've so many questions. I'm only learning by the way. What recipe did you follow. What do you mean by a layer on top, like a skin? I would guess that means to much air was getting at it. Was it covered while proving??? Did you follow all the timings on the recipe. Were there are techniques you weren't sure of? Did your starter pass the float test each time before using???? On my first prove its covered with a teatowel and wrapped in a Blanket (little sis told me to do this 😂). The second overnight price in the fridge, it's covered by the bottoms of the floury teatowel. After the second prove, did it spring back after prodding???? Did you use the same recipe each time. If the cloth gets stuck, apparently wetting the other side of it helps it release. I've heard rice flour is better although I don't have any but am gonna look into making some. Also maje sure you're not using a towelly towel with fluffy bits. I've used the same teatowel each time and will keep reusing. I read it kind of seasons the teatowel over time 🤓

Also were you weighing ingredients by scale or using cups????

@Myshitisreal I love that someone else is as obsessed as me about this! My DH thinks I'm nuts!

Starter passed the float test both times. Weigh all ingredients with a digital scale. The first time I used the Clever Carrot recipe and the 2nd KAF, though they're pretty similar recipes. But yeah, was like a skin on top. Too much air makes sense, but not sure how to stop that? It's in a glass bowl with a tea towel over it?

Thinking back on it, the first proof I did leave longer both times because neither seemed long enough to have done anything. Definitely took longer to double than the recipe stated.

I saw lots of people say they do the second proof in the fridge overnight, but both the recipes said the second proof is only for like 2hrs. It's really baffling me that there can be so many different timings for the same thing!

😂 😂 😂 Yes my husband thinks I'm nuts too but was chuffed eating his sourdough toast today 😍. I am obsessed!!! Were all learning together. My second prove is 12 to 18 hours but that second loaf I left is maybe 20 hrs but meaning to and it was great. I find the same confusing, so many Methods and techniques, how can they all vary so much? I like to understand rather than blindly follow instructions. Gonna look at the recipe now for clever carrot

Oh my typos 🤦‍♂️. Yes they are both very short times, maybe try a recipe with longer proving or see if you can find a good video so you can view the techniques etc. Reddit has a sourdough sub which you could spend all day reading

I recently made crumpets with my discard. I usually make pancakes so this was a first for me. They tasted lovely, even though they could look prettier.

I was actually surprised how quick and easy they were to make. The discard isn't fed, you use bicarb to make it bubble.

There is nothing wrong with using cling film to cover - it is all I have used and I have never had any issues with getting a skin or problems rising. Is there any reason why you are avoiding cling film?

If you are wary of plastic waste, they have reusable cling film which looks like a hotel shower cap - this is what I use.

@Mominatrix I try to avoid cling film...though might try that next time, to see if that was the issue

I was trying this recipe
www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/naturally-leavened-sourdough-bread-recipe

Think I might try the no knead recipe and see if I have any better luck
www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/no-knead-sourdough-bread-recipe

I made a loaf yesterday (well started it Saturdaymorning and baked it Sunday morning) using this recipe and method in their no knead sourdough recipe www.sourdoughbread.co.uk/soft-white-sourdough/ it has a very slow prove but works very well. I use some silicon suction lids so I don't use clingfilm and I also use a shower cap which works very well on my round banneton

Picture didn't attach.

@knowhowufeel2 have you a specific recipe please?

@thecatisboss that looks fab, eat it as nice in the middle? Looks really good.

@Myshitisreal had it toasted today and it is really good though the recipe I linked to I forgot to say I add extra flour to as it seems to have a little too much water.

I was speaking with my brother that has gone to cooking school and he told me you can also freeze your discard and then just defrost and use in pancakes, etc. So, another option if you can’t use the discard fast enough.

That's interesting @wrenna as I was reading about freezing (and drying out)
starter to preserve tonight. Never thought about the discard, great call! Thank you.

Yay, first loaf that is comparable to one I’d happily pay for!

That's looks great, share your recipe in case it helps someone else??? How does it taste

Some great looking loaves. TO those having issues, I always refer to Vanessa Kimble because she really does have foolproof recipes for sourdough. this is her basic sourdough loaf for beginners which really is low-effort and produces highly consistent results.

I used a bit of a combination of recipes this time

420g strong white flour
80g rye
375g water

Mixed and left to autolyse for 45 mins

Then I added 10g sea salt and 75g starter, mix in by hand. Left in covered bowl in kitchen for 4-5hrs with 3 stretch and folds in between. Final stretch and fold and form loaf, place in covered banneton and in fridge overnight.

Remove from fridge. Preheat oven (240 fan) with casserole and lid inside. Remove loaf from banneton, slash top and bake in casserole with lid on, 25 mins. Lid off, reduce temp to 210 for 20 mins more.

Sourdough pizza tonight. Delicious
Used the KAF recipe

The pizza looks delicious. I chuckled as I'd just sat down from poking my own pizza dough using this recipe
www.francomanca.co.uk/stories/sourdough-recipe/

Was your dough nice and crisp. Did you cook it on greaseproof on a baking tray? That website uses cast iron which I don't have but I've a copper store frying pan . I have a small pizza stone but I don't know if its any good plus there's two of us so I'd prefer to cook them the same way. My husband is veggie so it's not like if his was terrible I could share mine (as I've some cooked bacon in the fridge begging too go on pizza 🤤). I bought grated mozerella instead of fresh and I'm regretting that now 😂

I've also got this proving overnight www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2017/02/09/multigrain-sourdough-sandwich-bread

I made it third wholemeal 2 thirds white.. Very nervous about it, it's a very high hydration recipe 😬😵

I made that cinnamon crumble cake up thread and it was amazing.

I managed to get some yeast so today's bread was made using that...I feel such a traitor, but that starter is terribly needy! ...like a spoiled puppy! I did a walnut loaf from my kitchen aid book, but half and half walnuts and toasted almonds. Made six mini loaves and a nice round one in a tin.

I scaled it right back yesterday, I had THREE on the go, piled up on the table, or on top of the cooker or in the cooker, or on the shelf...everytime I needed to do somethign i seemed to be moving these pots and jars about.

Anyways it's in the fridge now, so if someone could just advise on procedure from here I'd be grateful...

I took it down to 100g, and fed it 50g flour and water and set it in the fridge, so it'll be fine in there now for about a week?
Then when I want to make bread, I lift it out, feed it again and make a start on the actual loaf the next morning? Does that sound right?

....my loaf recipe is 500g flour, 300g starter, salt, honey, cup of warm water,

so I was thinking a feed of 75g flour and water will give me 350g starter, 300 for the recipe, leaving 50g to keep and feed and fridge again, that makes sense to me, but if anyone can see a flaw I'd be grateful for comments!

Just not sure if that amount would overwhelm it?

toasted hazelnuts, not almonds....I have almonds on the brain as I have very wonderful memories of a bakers local to the school I went to and when we got to the heady heights of the LowerSixth we were allowed out at lunchtime and Sgt Buns sold amazing Belgian Buns with a marzipan centre

I have been googling for recipes but they all seem to have lemon curd in, which I do not recall at all!

Do you know you can make lemon cursing a slow cooker???

Wow sounds like you had quite the busy day 😂 really glad you liked the Cinnamon crumb cake. Must admit I've been thinking about it since we finished it 😂. Did you make any modifications???

Yes that's right on the starter. I think of putting it in the fridge like pressing the pause button. I put mine in the fridge a couple of hours after feeding so it was getting active but wasn't quite there. When I lifted it out a few days later I left it at room temperature a few hours (while i procrastinated about what sandwich bread recipe to try) and bizarrely enough it came back to peak itself 😂. After doing it a couple of times you will learn how long your starter takes to come back up after feeding. I've read it can go a week or two in the fridge but I'm just gonna keep an eye out for hooch and feed it then I think. I've found if I want to speed up the peak time, I fill a mug/bowl with kettle boiled water and put in the microwave. I express cook it for 2/3 minutes until the water bubbles. I push the water to the back, put my starter in and quickly close the door. This has worked a couple of times and also helped push my levain along today. My kitchen is quite cold.