Excess Sourdough Starter Recipes

Sourdough starter needs to be fed to keep it alive. That means some the existing starter will have to be replaced. Instructions generally tell you to discard it or find another use for it. Instead of throwing discard put, there are a lot of recipes that will use discard.

Discard is not strong enough to add loft to baked goods, so anything you put it in will have additional leavening, usually yeast, baking soda or baking powder, if it’s needed. Recipes that use yeast often retain the yeast and add sourdough starter for flavor. Some recipes, such as biscuits and muffins, that use baking powder and/or baking soda substitute some of the discarded sourdough starter for the buttermilk in the recipe to create tart flavor and a soft crumb.

Even a weak starter adds incredible flavor to all sorts of baked goods. An unfed discard, in other words, a mature starter, will add more tangy flavor to the recipe than an active, fed starter.

Here are some of the ways you can use up that extra sourdough starter:

Sourdough Pizza Crust: Adding your discard sourdough starter to pizza dough will add a slight tang and richness that will have your grateful eaters inhaling slice after slice.

1 cup sourdough starter, unfed (straight from the fridge)
1/2 cup warm tap water
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

See Pizza Dough yeast recipe (New York Style) instructions for raising the dough and baking
And Sourdough Pizza Crust (uses active starter)

Pretzels: Soft, vendor-style pretzels are easy to make, and make a unique and unexpected afternoon snack. See King Arthur's web site for recipe

Sourdough Pancakes and Waffles: Classic Sourdough Pancakes or Waffles (uses discard starter)

Sourdough Biscuits: see King Arthur's web site for recipe

Sourdough English Muffins: Sourdough English Muffins (unfed discard, adds yeast)

Sourdough Discard Donuts - These are yeast raised glazed donuts that use sourdough discard for flavor. https://goodiegodmother.com/sourdough-discard-donuts-recipe/

Sourdough Crackers: Sourdough Cracker Recipe (unfed discard)