What can I do with extra sourdough starter?

Question

I recently made a sourdough starter from wild yeast, but the process I followed for making it resulted in a lot of starter.

Instead of throwing it away I'd like to use it, and then once it gets down small enough I won't have to worry about having so much to use.

What can I do with my excess whole wheat sourdough starter? (I've already made 4 loaves of bread, and they were yummy)

Answer 1

make waffles! that's what we do with ours, besides bread. sourdough waffles with syrup have this great sweet/sour balance going on that is really wonderful.

Answer 2

Besides the obvious of actually using it to make bread products, you can store some for a rainy day (ie, something goes wrong with your starter), or to give away:

• smear it thinly on a sheet of parchment, wax paper, or aluminum foil. (you may need to add liquid and let it hydrate if yours is too stiff to spread)
• let dry
• crumble up
• store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place (or freezer)

Then, when you want to use it again:

• mix 1 tsp of flakes with 1 Tbsp water
• let sit for a few minutes 'til they've softened up.
• stir in 1 Tbsp of flour
• let sit at room temp for 24hrs (maybe stir it a couple of times during)
• add another Tbsp each of flour and water.
• .. then go back to your normal feeding schedule

Answer 3

Making sourdough pancakes (which can be almost all starter with a little extra flour and fat/egg added) is a good idea if you really like sourdough flavor. Just google sourdough pancake recipes and you'll find a ton. Some use as much as two cups of starter, so it'll go fast. I've also used sourdough starter in biscuits, banana bread. This little pamphlet has bunch of interesting recipes.

Answer 4

There's not that much that you can do with a sourdough starter. Of course, you can feed it and keep it as a kind of esoteric pet that you sometimes take parts of and make bread from. You can also use up the rest for more bread.

There is one more thing that I am reminded of though. In one of my cookbooks (Det naturliga köket by Mathias Dahlgren, the recipe is from one of his Michelin star restaurants serving mostly swedish-inspired food), there is a recipe for deep fried rye sourdough starter. Now, it's not just the starter, and it is for a rye starter, but if you're feeling adventurous it might be possible to substitute it with your whole wheat starter.

It's 1 liter of water, 600 grams of coarse rye flour, and 90 grams of rye sourdough. Mix the ingredients, and leave in room temperature for 6 hours. Put it in a pastry bag, and pipe medium strands into a 185°C deep fryer. Remove when golden brown and crispy. Toss with salt.

I do however doubt that you will find many other uses for a sourdough starter, other than to make bread.

Answer 5

Just use more starter that usual in your loaf. It may rise slightly faster but otherwise it'll be no different to normal baking.

Answer 6

SD pancakes/waffles are an acquired taste. I personally find the traditional Yukon style pancakes/waffles to be disgusting. A 1/4 c of starter and some soda as the bubbly component tastes nice though. Very sweet. Like this recipe:

.5 c. starter
1 c. flour
2 T oil
.5-.75 c milk
.5 t salt
.5 t soda
1 egg
2 T sugar

Mix it all up and then put the soda in last.

starter + soda can do a lot of things actually. Muffins...

In Joy of Cooking there's a really interesting recipe for SD chocolate cake. It's actually VERY good. Same thing...SD+soda

Have fun with it.