sourdough starter – Internet loafing

There are many things you can do with sourdough discards that don’t involve chucking it. after all its just flour and water. this ranges from dumpling, pop overs/ Yorkshire pudding, sauce thickening, bechemele sauce, batter to deep fry, scallion pancakes to pie crust. King Arthur bakery website has a long list and so does chowhound.

One easiest and quickest way to get rid of sourdough discard is sourdough crackers. There are many version of this but the easiest and quickest way is the 1st versions which is just sourdough starter and olive oil.

The second one is more floury/ biscuit version with a slight rise that has small pockets. It is not quite as tangy as the pure sourdough+ olive oil crackers. Handy tool to cute into square is a rolling pastry/pasta cutters which make really light work of the whole process. For flavouring you can just sprinkle any dried herbs or seeds or spices or grated hard cheese. I have just been using marjoram as I have been using them to eat gorgonzola. Store them in an airtight container and they should last for about a month.

sourdough and olive oil –

300 grams sourdough starter
30 grams olive oil
10 grams salt

spread on baking parchment and bake at 160c for 45 min. once cooked take out of the oven and snap off into pieces.

After 12 days of carful feeding of flour and water, the starter has stopped smelling like vomit in a urine soaked abandoned alley (yay!) and slightly of a more sweet yeasty bready smell.

I used whole flour so it has slightly different consistency than just using white flour. Different methodes can be used such as instead of just using flour and water, starter can be started with milk and yogurt or sugary juice (maybe next time…).

To test out the starter I decided to use a basic classic sourdough recipe.

I did not measure the water instead I slowly added water to the sour and starter until it was doughy constancy. Roughly 250grams of starter and 280grams of flour. I also decided to use up my self raising white flour which should be interesting… I kneaded the dough and left it 20 minute to rest before kneading it again.

I also just use a generous pinch of salt on the second knead. (I always found it impossible to measure on the scale such small amounts of grams for salt, NB. 10grams is about 2tsp)

After 18 hours of rest (I have a cold kitchen). It seemed reasonably proffed i.e. the dough bounced back partially when i pocked it.

scored and floured a bit.

and in the oven it goes at 220C for 30min followed by 200C for 15min. And tadaahhh!

The crust though is nice and hard. but you cant win them all, the side split a little. Could be from not adding steam, not forming a skin before leaving to proof or underproffing.

The insides not a s bubbly as i would like but it is bouncy.