One of the things about baking sourdough bread is the discard starter when daily refreshing your starter... this morning I used some discarded starter to make sourdough discard dried cherry and chocolate chunk oatmeal cookies.
Ready to go in the oven:
First batch out of the oven:
Yes, one of them is missing😁
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@Lilymoon Sourdough starter has to be "fed" at least daily to keep it active. That means you "discard" a portion of the starter and add new flour and water to feed what you kept.
You can toss or compost the "discard" or keep it in the fridge and use it in recipes like the one mentioned here. I often end up tossing some of it... it builds up rather quickly, but I'm trying to make something at least weekly so it isn't a total waste.
@Lilymoon Sourdough starter replaces the leaving in breads... no yeast or baking soda is needed and it gives the bread its distinctive tangy flavor... also, it makes the bread more easily digestible and doesn't hit you with a sugar (carb) rush.
Interesting side note... it's an ancient process first thought to be used around 1500 BC and was widely used when settlers first crossed and populated the U.S.
@Lilymoon it takes very little room. I use a 1.5 liter jar to make the starter in, and a 2-quart jar in the fridge to keep the discard. No equipment is needed to make the bread either.
It does require daily maintenace of the starter, but that's maybe 5 minutes. The trick is getting your starter going... it can take a week or even two to get it healthy and sufficiently active.
@Lilymoon I get that. Years ago when I was working I tried it and would forget to feed it... stay-at-home parents and retired folks are the ones it is best suited for.
