Sourdough Starter vs. Discard. A common question I see time and time again is what is the difference between sourdough starter and sourdough discard? While the terminology may seem confusing at first, it's simple to understand once you know the difference.
The very nature of the word "discard" makes people think of waste, but I'm here to tell you there's so many tasty things you can make with sourdough discard. In fact, it's my favorite way to cook with sourdough!
If you still need to make a gluten-free sourdough starter, you can read all about how here.
The main difference between an active sourdough starter and sourdough discard lies in their purpose and state of development:
1. What is Sourdough Starter?
First, there are a couple of interchangeable terms for "sourdough starter" that you may see used. These include "active starter", "sourdough culture", "sourdough mother" and "wild yeast starter". All of these terms refer to the same thing:
A sourdough starter is a mixture of flour and water that captures wild yeast from the environment, which then produce lactic acid as part of the fermentation process.
Over several days of regular feeding (adding more flour and water), the microorganisms multiply and develop, digest and ferment the sugars from the flour, and produce carbon dioxide gas, turning the mixture into a bubbly and active starter. This combination of microorganisms creates a natural leavening agent, allowing bread to rise without the use of commercial yeast. In addition, the lactic acid in the fermentation process gives sourdough its distinctive tangy flavor and contributes to the texture of bread and other goods.
The regular feeding process provides new nutrients for the wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria in the starter, ensuring that they remain active and capable of leavening bread.
Characteristics of an Active Starter:
- Bubbly and frothy: Indicates ongoing fermentation and the production of carbon dioxide by the wild yeast.
- Pleasantly sour aroma: Reflects the presence of lactic acid bacteria and the development of complex flavors.
- Capable of leavening bread: The yeast in active starter is robust and can effectively leaven dough and other baked goods.
How to Use Sourdough Starter:
The active starter is typically used to leaven bread recipes. It's the part you take from your starter when you're ready to bake.
You'll typically want to use your starter at peak rise to bake gluten-free bread and other goods that need to rise, such as bagels, rolls, pretzels, focaccia, etc.
2. What is Sourdough Discard?
"Sourdough discard" refers to the portion of sourdough starter that is removed ("discarded") during the feeding process. When maintaining a sourdough starter, it's crucial to discard a portion of it before feeding to ensure that the ratio of flour-to-microorganisms remains balanced. Not only does this process help to refresh the starter and keep it active, but it keeps the starter a manageable size.
The discard is not as fresh or active as the starter because it has not received a recent infusion of nutrients.
"What happens if I don't discard," you ask?
If you don't discard sourdough regularly, your sourdough starter will continue to grow in volume, quickly becoming unmanageable.
Say you like to feed a 1:1:1 ratio of 100g each (100g water to 100g flour to 100g starter.) That's 300g total weight. In this scenario, you would need to discard 200g at every feeding to get back down to that 100g of starter. Say you decided you weren't going to discard and you left the starter at a plump 300g. Well, then in order to maintain a 1:1:1 ratio, you would need to feed 300g water + 300g flour. Yikes! And it all gets worse from there, day after day.
What do I do with the Discard?
Keep it in a jar in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. While it is safe-to-use indefinitely if there is no mold or discoloration, it's best to use within 1 week for sweet recipes and within 3 weeks for savory recipes. You can freeze whatever you can't use in that time.
Note: The only time you actually DISCARD the discard *throw away* is when your starter is 1-10 days old. This is to ensure that the lactic acid has had ample time to fight off the bad bacteria, eliminating any chance of getting sick.
Sourdough Discard in Conclusion:
Discarding a portion of the sourdough starter during regular feedings helps maintain a balanced and healthy microbial environment. It provides fresh flour and water to serve as new food for the microorganisms, boosting their activity. Additionally, it prevents the starter from becoming too acidic or dominated by certain strains of microorganisms.
Characteristics of Sourdough Discard:
- Less bubbly: The discard is less active than the starter since it has already broken down the flour and water.
- Still has a sour aroma: The lactic acid bacteria continue to produce lactic acid, contributing to the sourdough flavor. (If kept 2+ weeks, it can start to smell alcoholic, like acetone, but is still safe to cook with.)
- Inactive, less-to-no leavening power: While the discard can still provide some leavening, it is best to use in recipes that do not need to rise.
How to Use Sourdough Discard:
Rather than wasting the discarded portion of starter ("discard"), it's highly recommended that you save it to use in recipes for various baked goods. While it is considered to be the inactive portion (the microorganisms have already consumed all of the energy -flour and water- and no new energy is added), sourdough discard can still contribute flavor and some leavening properties to recipes like pancakes, waffles, crackers, banana bread, pie crust, pizza crust, and more. It's a way to minimize waste and add a sourdough tang to different dishes.
Sourdough discard is super easy to use, and it's my favorite because there's no waiting around for extensive rise times like when working with active starter. You can also use discard in practically anything, including both sweet and savory recipes.
Sourdough Starter vs. Discard in summary;
The key distinction is that an active sourdough starter is regularly fed and maintained to keep it lively and ready for leavening baked goods, while sourdough discard is the portion that is removed during the feeding process, often used in recipes that don't need a rise to minimize waste. Both are important in the process of maintaining a sourdough starter and creating flavorful baked goods.
Soon you'll find yourself eating gluten-free sourdough at any and every opportunity.
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