Sourdough Journey #8: Sourdough Discard Breadsticks

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Save your sourdough discard mixture and make some breadsticks for dipping.


This is a really fast and easy recipe to make with your sourdough discard. 

The Ingredients

  • 300 grams sourdough starter discard
  • 150 grams flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt 
  • 50 grams olive oil 

Mix it all together and gently knead it, on a floured board, until it forms a smooth ball. 

Slightly roll it out and cut off small pieces, (smaller than a ping pong ball) which you roll into breadstick shapes

Consistency of size is pretty important, for uniform baking. I rolled mine to about the width of my ring finger. 

As you make them, place them on a baking pan. 

Preheat oven to 430 F (letting the breadsticks rest while the oven heats) and, then, bake for 15 minutes

Less than an hour, from start to finish.

Options

  • The original recipe called for a slower cook, (320F for 50 minutes), making the breadsticks crunchy, but I wanted a more bread-like consistency. 
  • I could also have brushed them with some water and sprinkled them with salt or herbs (ex. Rosemary).
  • I opted for plain. 

Serving them

  • We dipped them in pesto sauce and they were so good. It’s always a win when Rick gives a thumbs up.
  • Melted cheese would be good. 
  • If they were flattened, a bit, they would make a good scoop for salsa. What do you think? 

Bonus: 

I think the grandkids will enjoy making these, next time they visit!

Sourdough Discard

  • Creating a sourdough starter takes about a week to do. 
  • Maintaining a sourdough starter entails feeding it. 
  • The yeast that forms in the starter is a living thing and it needs food. I refer to this as feeding a “family of one”. 
  • The food you provide is flour and water. 
Sourdough Starter = family of one 

If you continually feed your starter, more and more yeast forms and you get a family of two, then four, then sixteen, and so on. This “extended family”  requires more and more food. 

The best practice for maintaining a starter is to “discard” some of the starter, so that you are only feeding that “family of one”. 

The discard doesn’t need to go into the garbage. There are many recipes that show how you can replace flour with the discard mixture. 

What have you made with your discard?
I’d love to try another recipe.
- Grandma Debbie

a simpler life