The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

What to do with excess starter?

Anonymous baker's picture
Anonymous baker (not verified)

What to do with excess starter?

Apart from the obvious misinformation about having to feed it every single day [refrigeration, anyone?] here is a cute video with a great idea on how to use it up. 

Never Ever Throw Away Your Sourdough Starter!










Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

Make me want to purposefully build 'excess' starter. 

Thanks Hester.

hreik's picture
hreik

Totally true!

AndyPanda's picture
AndyPanda

I watched the video for the scallion and sesame seed sourdough pancake - looks terrific. But I've tried it twice now and I get a gummy center. Not sure if I need hotter skillet or cooler skillet. The scallions and seeds are caramelizing nicely but the center is just gummy dough.

And the video doesn't add any salt so the flavor seems a bit bland (the dipping sauce helps a lot). Seems like salt should be added to the batter.

Any suggestions?

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

He feeds his starter everyday and uses the discard for the recipe. His starter is probably always bubbly and active hence the lighter centre. Now I'm guessing here that you don't feed yours everyday and just have discard. Or you might have stirred it down or something. He pours his active starter straight into the pan not losing all those bubbles.  

The flavour comes from the toppings and dipping sauce. The tang from the starter. Adding salt and combining will only lose the gas bubbles.  

SeattleStarter's picture
SeattleStarter

I just keep a container in the fridge for extra which is then used for recipes that require it, as above. Here's a good one. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/sourdough-pizza-crust-recipe

But I actually don't end up with "extra" very often anymore.

I keep a seed starter in the fridge with 150 grams. When I'm going to bake bread, it comes out and 100 goes to start the levain, and I only make as much levain as I need for the bake. 50 is used at a 1:1:1 ratio to replenish the seed starter (which, once it's well underway, goes back in the fridge). Not that you asked.

Stuart Borken's picture
Stuart Borken

Your prose are a pleasure to read and your photographs are food for the soul.  I love your dog.

 

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

Who'd'a thunk it? I'm also not sure of his claim that it is good for you, considering you're killing all the bacteria and yeast by frying it, but at least the glycemic impact should be low and the digestibility high.

I don't have extra very often either. I bake lots and often, and just make fresh levain when I need it. However, I do have a good recipe somewhere for sourdough crackers that use unfed starter and which are very good. I'll have to dig it out again.

BreadBae's picture
BreadBae

Used my leftovers recently in popovers, crumpets, and pancakes.

Fatmat's picture
Fatmat

I smear it over my naked body and hug strangers