Excess sourdough starter

[Darlene]

I saw a video recently of a local woman around here who takes her excess sourdough starter when she goes to feed it, and pours it into little pancake like disks in a hot pain, quickly cooks it, and then turns around and feeds it to her chickens.

 

I thought this was a brilliant way to use the excess sourdough starter and a very healthy treat for the chickens.

[Ambergris]

Excess sourdough starter is like excess money.  Who in the world has that?    Unless maybe you're on a temporary fast?

[Darlene]

I'm sure everyone's different, but as everyone knows, when you feed the starter, you have to remove a decent portion of it to make room for the feeding. It's always been hard for me to throw away but it's very easy to get quickly inundated with an enormous amount of sourdough starter.

 

I liked the ability to do the above, and to feed something exceptionally healthy to the chickens, whose eggs I also enjoy.

[Mother]

I don’t have chickens but wonder if the cats would like it that way.  I’m sure the wild birds would eat it if the chickens eat it but I’d never thought about using the excess that way.  I’m always careful not to put a lot of it into our septic tank.  A little is good as it feeds the bacteria there but I’ve always felt too much might overwhelm it.  
 

When I was making bread regularly I never had any excess as I made twelve or so loaves each week and could just add to the starter and not have to take any out.  Then I would use the whole amount to make the batch and remove a cup to start the next set.  Now, with my “maybe” one loaf every couple weeks it’s easier to start it, add to it, then freeze the excess when I feel it is ready. 

[Necie]

There are tons of sourdough discard recipes. I see a lot of people rave about the chocolate chip cookies. There’s a cracker recipe that I want to try, but haven’t got to it yet. 🙄

[Littlesister]

I need to find the recipes for discarded sour dough mix. I bet the chocolate chip cookies would be good. Haven't heard of crackers made with it. Let us know how it turns out when you make them.

[Darlene]

On 2/28/2023 at 9:59 AM, Mother said:

 

When I was making bread regularly I never had any excess as I made twelve or so loaves each week and could just add to the starter and not have to take any out.  Then I would use the whole amount to make the batch and remove a cup to start the next set.  Now, with my “maybe” one loaf every couple weeks it’s easier to start it, add to it, then freeze the excess when I feel it is ready. 

How did you keep the 12 loaves for the week? In the fridge or freezer?

[Mother]

Let me explain. Those twelve loaves were made into bread, buns, sweet rolls, and pizza, among other things. I also kept some of the dough in the refrigerator to raise slowly and bake later.  Occasionally I would put excess bread, well wrapped, in the freezer but with three teens and various teen friends and relatives, DH, myself and the loaf or two I always gave to my Mom and Dad it kept nicely in an old pie safe.  I usually wrapped it in linen or old flour sack towels and kept an eye on it.   Any left over bread was dried as croutons or to make crumbs.  The crumbs, if not used, were added into the next weeks batch along with any left over cereal, ground up left over vegetables, peanut butter, and etc.  You never knew what would be in that dough and no one seemed to notice or care. 
 

I’m not a fan of freezing home made bread as it tends to dry out some but the dough, wrapped well, does keep pretty good for a few weeks or a couple months. Thawed in the refrigerator over night and let raise a while in the warmth, it bakes just as nice as fresh.  
 

I have to admit that I didn’t use sour dough starter every week. Depending on my schedule I would use plain yeast instead.  Often though, I would save a cup or two of that dough to start a ‘sponge’ for the following baking.  When I look back on those 18 hour days I wonder how I did it all!  Now I just throw some ingredients into the bread maker and let it do the work.  🍞 

[euphrasyne]

With kids and teens, you tend to go through a lot of bread.  I think they inhale it like cocaine.  

Edited November 10, 2023 by euphrasyne

[Mother]

20 minutes ago, euphrasyne said:

  I think they inhale it like cocaine.

.  Oh so true and that bread was on top of baking powder biscuits and dumplings that they loved.