soupnancy

Sourdough discard experiments

As anyone who makes sourdough knows, unless you’re baking bread every other day, you end up having more starter (mother/levain) than you know what to do with, hence ‘sourdough discard’.. 

Lots of people experimented with baking and sourdough during the pandemic, and while some caught the bug and carried on, I reckon most didn’t. Too much bother!

The thing is that making sourdough, ie. Bread with natural leavener, is both simple and tricky. Beyond a lucky result here and there, you do need some practice for consistent results. It requires more than a few attempts to really get the hang of it and understand the basics, as well as what works in your own kitchen. For example, which pot gets the hottest, what counterspace is best for proofing, what fermentation timeline fits into your schedule. Then it’s just about paying attention. So like Kombucha, once you’re up and going, it’s not all that complicated, but you do have to plan a little and be on top of it. To some people, that means ‘complicated’, or a pain, but once you’re used to it, it really isn’t.

I’m not as obsessed as to hire a ‘sourdough’ hotel, (haha it is a thing!) but with a small business, its not like I go anywhere for very long. And plus, over the years I have learnt that it is more forgiving than one might think. A neglected starter can often be brought back to life with a few feedings.

Not to mention that slowing down and being present is just what one needs sometimes. I saw something about ‘What Sourdough has taught me about life’ or something along those lines, that I quite like, but I diverge..  You can continue reading that below.

It was slow season at the restaurant this winter, so my current starter Anticosti had been in dormancy more than active for a few months. I have had Anticosti for 7 or 8 years. He was originally cultivated from the wild on Anticosti island by my fermentation teacher who gifted us each a mason jar. (It’s a ‘he’, like my Dad’s car was a ‘she’). Before Anticosti, I had Leonard for at least 5 yrs, but one winter he was looking pretty sketchy in the cold room, so I ditched him. I didn’t know then not to not be afraid of some dark liquid on the top..

I don’t want to lose this one, so I’m paying heed, with an occasional feed to bring him back to life. And it is not in my genes or upbringing to discard much. So, it was a good time to play around with the discard.

I’ve been making wafer crackers with it for years, which are a big hit at the restaurant, using up more than enough discard, meaning sometimes during the season, I have even have to create discard’ haha..

I saw a few recipes for all kinds of things going around on the internet, so why not move beyond crackers?

I guess you could use any recipe keeping the baking ratios in mind. Like with bread, using around 15-20% starter and adjusting the flour/liquid slightly depending on the particular type of recipe..

I made a nan type flatbread which was pretty good (just needed to be tinkered with a bit), but François loved them, as well as some English muffins which were pretty delish as is, check. See recipes below. **

Both froze well, to be reheated in the toaster on demand..

For a quick snack in the kitchen when too busy to put much time into feeding myself during a shift, I have on occasion poured some discard into a hot cast iron pan, seasoned and finished with butter, kind of like bannock or simple flatbread. Denser than a properly finished dough, so for me not the guests - but can hit the spot!

I feel like I’ve got the traditional loaves pretty much down; however when I’ve made pizza dough with my starter, I have not always been crazy about the results. Mostly because the dough tends to be too soft/sticky making it hard to get on and off the peel when using a pizza oven. And it doesn’t always have the give/chew I like as in a Napolitana thin crust. I have a standard pizza dough that I’ve been making most of my cooking life that I like just fine for the peel/proper pizza oven, so I hadn’t tried a sourdough one in a while.

You see, I’m always torn between innovation and stubbornly trying to get to the bottom of a new technique to make it work, and sticking to my old ways as in ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.. Up to a point though– for example I am not interested in sous-vide cooking an egg for hours when I can have perfect results in 10 min. But perfecting sourdough pizza, maybe.

When I scaled back on the liquid slightly and let it ferment longer, I was more successful. If baking on a sheet pan, or in a hot cast iron pan, then it works just fine. Not perfect, but pretty good. À suivre/To be continued..

Delicious discard crackers

Mix 1Tbsp of melted butter /cup of discard with seasonings of choice (ex. garlic, basil, rosemary) and a pinch of salt. Spread out thinly on parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 325F for 50min-1h, rotating halfway through. Break apart into crackers once cool.

Recipes tested from (Tasty Trails):

Naan

8 un

1c discard

1.5c flour

1/2c yogurt

1 tsp      baking powder

1/2tsp   baking soda

1/2tsp salt

1 Tbsp oil

butter +

Mix dough and knead 7-8min. Rise 2h+ and portion into balls; rest a little (or refrigerate for later) and flatten into ovals. Cook 1-2 min per side in a medium hot cast iron pan, brushing butter onto the finished sides.

English Muffins

12

1c discard

2c flour

1Tbsp sugar

1tsp salt

1tsp baking soda

3/4c warm milk (100F)

2Tbsp butter

Cornmeal for dusting.

Mix all ingredients except baking soda and rest 30min.

Sprinkle baking soda over top and mix in.

Roll out and cut into ¾ in thick rounds. Dust and rise 1hr+. Cook 68-8min per side on griddle. Split afterwards.

My not so bad afterall sourdough pizza dough

(2 -4 pizzas)

500g flour

325g water

100g starter

10g each salt and olive oil

Mix dough and rest 30min. Knead or fold every 30min for 2h+. Refrigerate overnight and portion into 2-4 balls. Let rest 30min-1hr until ready to roll out and top/cook. Or portion and freeze in balls.

Making Sourdough

If you have discard on hand, I assume you already know how to make sourdough, but if you don’t, and want to embark on the adventure, there is tons of info out there on the web.

What I do:  A 1:2:3 ratio of starter: water: flour with 2.5% salt (using unbleached all-purpose flour with a little wholewheat mixed in) So with 1kg starter, 2L of water and 3kg of flour, 75g salt. (When it comes to bread, percentages are with respect to the flour).

Mix and rest 30min. Fold or knead for 30s every 30min for 2h, keeping covered with a light towel or plastic. Refrigerate 1 day well wrapped. Fold and rest 30min. Portion, roll into shapes, and proof until oven-ready (lightly covered with a towel).  I bake my bread in loaves using all the Crueset and cast-iron pots (preheated) I have with a lid in my oven at maximum heat. 20min with the cover on, then another 10-20min with the cover off. And if the bottom crust starts to brown too much, I remove them onto a sheet pan for the last ten minutes.

With the rest of my dough, I make baguettes and spray water into a hot oven before and during the first 10min to create the steam/spring before the crust forms. And then another ten or so minutes..

A one loaf recipe from scratch makeshift-starter https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/sourdough-boule?

There is this Facebook page for Sourdough beginners, among others, but it's not like I can stand behind any of them.. 

10 Lessons Sourdough Taught Me About Life:

1. Patience is powerful. Sourdough doesn’t rush. Growth takes time, and good things often rise slowly.

2. You can’t control everything. The wild yeast in sourdough is unpredictable. Like life, you can guide it—but never fully control it.

3. Presence matters. Tuning into the dough—how it feels, smells, behaves—teaches you to notice subtle shifts. The same is true for people.

4. Rest is essential. Just like dough needs time to rest and rise, we do too. Growth happens in the stillness.

5. Consistency beats intensity. A fed starter thrives with regular attention. Small, consistent care nurtures strength over time.

6. Embrace imperfection. No two loaves are the same. Life (and bread) isn’t about perfection—it’s about character and flavor.

7. Transformation takes work. Flour and water become something entirely new through a mix of effort, heat, and time. So do we.

8. Everything is connected. Sourdough is alive because of a living ecosystem. Our health, relationships, and choices are all interconnected too.

9. Trust your hands. Recipes help, but at some point, you have to trust your instincts. Feel your way forward.

10. Let go at the right time. There’s a moment when you’ve done all you can. You have to let the loaf go into the oven—and trust it will become what it’s meant to be.

Credit : Cristina Blackwell