For the most part, I love sourdough. It’s a great way to add tastiness to baked goods, the fermentation that takes place breaks down the long chain proteins (increasing digestibility) and it is so versatile. People often ask me how much bread I must eat – they are surprised when I tell them that I don’t very often make bread. 

The number one thing I use starter for is pancakes. If you’ve read much about sourdough, you know it grows exponentially. Meaning 1 cup becomes 3 cups becomes 9 cups – like that goldfish story when we were kids? About the goldfish that outgrew its bowl, then the tub and eventually ended up in a swimming pool? 

So most sourdough recipes suggest discarding starter as you are building it – meaning successive additions of water and flour. You want a jazzy, bubbly starter for any really serious construction projects (like bread) It always seemed lik a waste to me. 

Coming up with or finding recipes for discarded sourdough became a priority. Pancakes are lovely – I whisk a few ingredients together, throw in some starter, and quite quickly I have a tasty,not-so-hard on the gut breakfast. 

What do you use discarded starter for? 

(Oh the small the thing that bugs me about sourdough is that sometimes it feels a bit demanding! “Feed me!” With a baby, a husband, and 2.5 businesses – “I’m all, I’ll get to you, Sourdough!” But it’s easy enough to feed it, wait a few hours and pop it into the fridge for the next time you want to play around)