When creating a sourdough starter from scratch, my advice is to feed twice daily… each time, discarding HALF the volume just before you feed.
Yes, discarding half each time…
Really??? Discard half the starter at each feeding?? Throw good food away?
On today’s #AskWardee, I’m sharing why discarding half is actually the most frugal thing to do. Yes — the most frugal.
Hear me out. 🙂
Read, listen, or watch below!
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Q: Do I Really Have To Discard Half My Starter At Each Feeding?
To make my free no-knead einkorn bread, you’ll need a sourdough starter. This recipe contains instructions…and there’s a video, too,right here.
You’ll notice when watching the video (or reading the instructions) that I recommend this:
When creating a sourdough starter from scratch, my advice is to feed twice daily… each time, discarding HALF the volume just before you feed.
Yes, discarding half each time…
Pam V. didn’t like this at all:
Seems like a lot of waste to be throwing half of it away every day. That’s time and money, period. This stuff isn’t cheap.
Why Discard???
Though it may seem counter-intuitive… let me explain. 🙂
Discarding half is wayyyy LESS wasteful than keeping it around or “sharing” the other half with a friend because…
The sourdough starter is not a viable starter until 3 to 5 days old and sometimes longer. It takes that long for the organism balance to get established.
Discarding half is actually the MOST FRUGAL way to do this…
Think about it… If you don’t discard some each time, you have to feed it MORE flour each time (because it’s a larger quantity of batter to keep going).
Somesay they want to keep the “other half” and give to a friend. The problem with this is… at every feeding, there’s another half which becomes other HALVES at each new feeding…
First 2, then 4, then 8, then 16…. up to 256 from the first mixture after just 4 days!
And EACH ONE needs to be built up to maturity (3 to 5 days with 2 feedings a day).
Who has that much counter space, abundance of flour, OR that many friends? 😉
It’s much less wasteful to discard some each time than to use tons of flour or try to make tons of new starters.
Now that you know, don’t let this be an excuse that stops you from getting started with sourdough. When you make your sourdough starter, you needn’t fear wasting or discarding… you’re actually being frugal!
Please Note That I DIDN’T Say…
I didn’t say you’re discarding sourdough starter once your starter is mature. No. Once your starter is established, all of it goes into your baked goods!
And even when you’re building up a starter, the part you discard can still be used.It doesn’t have to be wasted at all!
- Add it to baked goods (it’s just flour and water).
- Put it in the compost.
- Feed it to chickens.
- Try one of these 15+ sourdough discard recipes.
However, if it smells at all bad (which it often can as the organisms balance out), then don’t add it to baked goods! That would definitely need to be composted or fed to the chickens.
No matter what, I can promise you this… the process is worth it because at the end you’ll have a viable sourdough starter that can provide your family with healthy and nutritious baked goods for years… and years… and years!
Enjoy the process… even when discarding half each time as you get your starter established. 🙂
FREE No-Knead Einkorn Sourdough Bread Recipe
Einkorn is a bit tricky to figure out how to use because it behaves differently.
Yet, you can skip the learning curve by using my free and AMAZING no-knead einkorn bread recipe!
The recipe is FREE, easy, and healthy, and takes only 15 minutes of hands-on time!
Click here for the free recipe: No-Knead Sourdough Einkorn Bread.
Soon your family will be saying: “This is the best bread EVER!”
Helpful Links
- FREE No-Knead Einkorn Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe
- Einkorn 101
- 4 Reasons I <3 Einkorn
- How To Make An Einkorn Sourdough Starter
- How To Transition A Sourdough Starter To Einkorn
- Why Won’t My Sourdough Bread Rise? How To Know When Your Starter Is Strong Enough For Bread-Baking
- Where To Buy Einkorn
What Is The #AskWardee Show?
The #AskWardee Show is the live weekly show devoted to answering your niggling questions about Traditional Cooking: whether it’s your sourdough starter, your sauerkraut, preserving foods, broth, superfoods or anything else to do with Traditional Cooking or your GNOWFGLINS lifestyle.
I share tips and resources, plus answer your questions about Traditional Cooking!
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Now, do you feel better about discarding some sourdough starter with each feeding?
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