Discard is a popular term in the world of sourdough, but is it necessary?
This guide will walk you through what sourdough discard is and if it is actually necessary in your sourdough routine.
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What is a Sourdough Starter
A sourdough starter is fermented flour and water that’s packed with beneficial yeast and bacteria used to leaven bread and other baked goods. It is also what gives the signature tangy sourdough flavor.
Dont have a starter yet? Check out my fail-proof sourdough starter recipe.
What is Sourdough Discard?
In its simplest terms, sourdough discard is the unfed starter that is removed when you feed your starter. In order to maintain a sourdough starter, you must feed it with fresh flour and water to keep the culture of beneficial yeast and bacteria happy.
Do i need to discard?
When you are creating your sourdough starter, you do need to discard a portion of the starter. Think about it like this, if on day one you feed it ½ a cup of flour, to keep the beneficial yeast and bacteria happy, the next day you’d need to feed it a least another ½ cup. Now you have a cup of flour, the next day you have to feed it at least a cup, and so on.
If you continue to feed the starter at this rate, you will have an unmanageable amount of starter that needs to be fed an equal amount to be satisfied. This is far more wasteful than discarding a small portion each time you feed it.
Do I Still Need to Discard Once My Starter is Established?
What i am about to say may stir controversy, but once your starter is established, there is no reason to discard. What about the hydration of the starter, the ratios, and all of the other complicated sourdough rules? I dont bother with any of this and can still make delicious loaves.
How Do I Avoid Needing to Discard?
It’s simple, once your starter is established, only feed it the amount that is needed for the recipe. For example, if a recipe calls for 100 grams of starter, feed your starter 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water. Use the entire jar in the recipe. Then either feed the scrapings 10 grams of flour and water, or stick the jar right in the fridge. When you are ready to bake, the scrapings left in the jar will take over the flour and water you fed it.
Want to learn exactly how i feed my starter? Check out my How to Feed a Sourdough Starter post.
What to Do With the Discard?
If you want to maintain a certain hydration or have the option to make discard recipes, here are a few ideas on how to use up sourdough discard.
Compost it
Composting can be a great way to reduce any food waste you have. Sourdough discard can help balance out the carbon-heavy materials, such as leaves, in your compost pile.
Sell it
There is a large market of people who want to skip the process of making a sourdough starter and would prefer to buy it. You can dehydrate your starter and sell it at farmers’ markets or online.
Want to know how to dry your sourdough starter? Check out my How to Dehydrate Sourdough Starter Post
Animal feed
If you have animals such as chickens or pigs, they would be more than happy to take the sourdough discard off off your hands.
Discard recipes
This is what most people think of doing with their sourdough discard.
Common Myths About Sourdough Discard
Discard won’t rise, so it’s useless.
Although sourdough discard’s yeast activity is lower than fed starter, i frequently use it to bake bread. It is also a great option in recipes that dont require the discard to act as the main leavening agent, such as pancakes. Sourdough discard will yield less rise than fed starter, but it is not completely useless.
If it smells sour or like alcohol, it’s bad.
The sour and boozy smell of the discard is a normal part of the fermentation process. Only throw out the discard if there is mold activity or it is too sour for your taste preference.
You have to throw it out every time.
There is no reason to throw out any portion of your starter; the discard can be used in a variety of recipes, even recipes that call for fed starter.
Tips
- Store discard in the fridge: Keep the sourdough discard in the fridge until you are ready to use it. Note that the discard will still sour in the fridge; be careful if you are going to use discard older than a week in sweet recipes.
- Freeze or dehydrate it: As mentioned, sourdough discard left in the fridge will continue to ripen for long-term preservation consider freezing or dehydrating the discard.
- Active starter can be used in its place: If you’re like me and have decided to avoid discarding, you can use active starter in the discard’s place.
- Use it in place of flour and water. If you’re adding discard to recipes, remember that it’s already hydrated, so reduce the liquid in your recipe accordingly.
FAQ
1. Can I use discard that’s been sitting in the fridge for a week?
Yes, but make sure to smell it to gauge how sour it is, especially if you are making a sweet recipe.
2. Is discard the same as sourdough starter?
Not exactly, discard is the portion of the starter that is unfed and doesn’t have a lot of yeast activity. It is typically more acidic and sour than active starter.
3. What if my discard smells really sour?
A tangy and sour smell is normal, but it may be too strong for recipes. If so, you can compost it or throw it away.
Hopefully, this post demystified sourdough discard and showed you that there is no reason to waste ingredients and that discard can be used in a variety of recipes, or may not be necessary at all.
