9 Recipes Using Sourdough Starter (2024)

FAQs

What else can I use sourdough starter for? ›

Do I have to discard my sourdough starter? It would be best if you discarded 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 been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period.

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. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, depending on what you want to bake with it.

Blackley's sourdough starter, created from 4,500 year-old yeast, is considered the oldest sourdough starter, per Oldest. Other starters like the Saint Honoratus Wheat also are quite old. A bakery called Chrissi's Farmhouse Bakery uses it and said, “This noble starter dates back 900 years.

Storing Your Sourdough Starter In The Refrigerator

Take out a new, clean jar with a lid. To the jar add the 20g ripe starter and 100g flour (whatever flour you usually use for feedings). Then, add 80g room temperature water and stir until all dry bits are hydrated. Place a lid on top, and secure.

stir your starter in between feedings - try stirring it twice in between feedings and really give it a chance to get oxygen into the mix. This will help to activate your starter without too much effort.

15. What if I miss feeding my sourdough starter? If you miss one of your starter feedings, it'll be just fine.

For most bakers, the answer is a clear no. Maurizio Leo, author of the award-winning bread cookbook The Perfect Loaf, still uses the first starter he ever made; it's now 12 years old. And while he's sentimental about that starter, he says its age doesn't really impact his bread.

A mature sourdough starter can last for several weeks kept in a refrigerator without being fed. If your sourdough starter has been in the fridge for a while and you want to give it a refresh, follow the steps below. Discard all but 25 grams and add 100 grams of filtered water and 100 grams of flour.

How does sourdough starter not get moldy? ›

Sourdough Starter Mold Prevention

Feeding your starter regularly cultivates a healthy colony of wild yeast and good bacteria, which maintain an average pH of 3.5-5, a level that inhibits the growth of mold spores and other pathogenic bacteria, such as botulism and E. coli.

Rancid or Putrid Smell – If your starter has a rancid, putrid, or even rotten odour, then it is likely to have spoiled or have been contaminated. This could be due to the growth of harmful bacteria or mould. In this case, it is best to discard the starter and start fresh.

After I use my starter for a bread recipe, I do one of two things: If there is a fair amount of starter left (a half cup or 100 g), I simply stir it up, cover it, and stash it in the fridge.

Unlike baking yeast, which provides a quick rise, a sourdough starter requires a longer fermentation process, resulting in a more complex and tangy taste. Additionally, sourdough starters enhance the nutritional value of bread by breaking down gluten and making it easier to digest.

A mature sourdough starter can last for several weeks kept in a refrigerator without being fed. If your sourdough starter has been in the fridge for a while and you want to give it a refresh, follow the steps below. Discard all but 25 grams and add 100 grams of filtered water and 100 grams of flour.

The discard is not active enough to make sourdough bread rise but it does have many other uses and baking powder can be added if required. Savoury options include English breakfast muffins, pretzels, caramelised onion biscuits, and sourdough pizza dough.