Oh, you young folks and your fancy words, “sourdough discard desserts”! Back in my day, we just called it “useless bread starter” and we threw it to the chickens. But I hear it’s all the rage now, makin’ sweets with that stuff. Alright, I’ll tell ya what I’ve gathered.
Sourdough Discard? What’s That?
Well, that “sourdough discard” is just the stuff you gotta scoop out of your bread starter before you feed it. You know, that bubbly, sour-smelling glop you keep in a jar to make sourdough bread? Yeah, that’s it. When you make bread, you gotta take some out, or it’ll overflow and make a mess. That’s the discard.
Now, my grandma, she’d just toss it. Said it weren’t no good for nothin’. But these days, people are findin’ all sorts of uses for it. I guess it is kind of wasteful to just throw it away, especially when you can make somethin’ tasty with it.
Sweet Treats from Sour Stuff
It sounds crazy, I know, makin’ somethin’ sweet with somethin’ that smells so sour. But they say that sourness actually makes the sweets taste better. It’s like when you put salt in your cookies. Sounds wrong, but it’s right! This “sourdough discard” has acid, you see. And acid, they say, balances the sugar. Makes it less cloying, more interesting. Fancy words for “it tastes good, not just sweet.”
And it’s not just about the taste. That discard, it also makes your cakes and cookies softer. I don’t know the science behind it, somethin’ about gluten and what-not. All I know is what I hear, and what I hear is that it makes for a mighty fine crumb.
What Can You Make with Sourdough Discard?
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Sourdough Discard Coffee Cake: Now, this is somethin’ I can get behind. Coffee cake is always good, and if a little bit of that discard can make it even better, why not? They say it makes the cake extra moist and gives it a special little something something flavor. I had a piece the other day, it really did make it good.
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Sourdough Discard Cookies: Yep, cookies! You can use the discard in place of some of the flour and butter in your regular cookie recipe. It makes them chewy, they say. And you can put anything you like in them – chocolate chips, nuts, raisins.
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Sourdough Discard Brownies: Oh boy, brownies! These are rich and fudgy, and that sourdough discard gives them a little somethin’ extra. It is a special tang, I guess. I wouldn’t know about that.
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Sourdough Discard Pancakes: Now these are easy peasy! Just add some discard to your regular pancake batter, and it’ll give them a nice lift and a bit of flavor. You can have them for breakfast, just like that!
Sourdough Discard is Easy to Use
It ain’t hard to use this stuff. You just gotta remember it’s kinda like a liquid, so you gotta adjust your recipe a bit. If you’re addin’ discard, you might need less of somethin’ else, like milk or water. It is not hard to figure out.
And don’t worry about it bein’ too sour. Once you bake it, that sourness mellows out. It just leaves behind a nice little somethin’ somethin’. It’s just like magic, I guess.
The best part? You can use discard that’s been sittin’ in the fridge for a week or two. As long as it ain’t moldy, it’s good to go. Just stir it up and use it in your recipe.
Give Sourdough Discard Desserts a Try!
So there you have it. Sourdough discard desserts. Sounds fancy, but it’s really just a good way to use up somethin’ you’d otherwise throw away. And it makes your sweets taste even better!
I never thought I’d see the day when people were eatin’ that stuff on purpose. But I gotta say, I’m kinda comin’ around to it. It is pretty good, I guess. Might have to try makin’ some of those sourdough discard cookies myself.
My neighbor, she gave me a recipe. She say it’s easy, but what do young people know about easy? My bones are old, my hands don’t work so good anymore. Still I like to eat. If you got a sweet tooth, give it a go. You might be surprised at what you can make with that “useless” bread starter. If I can do it, you can do it too!
