I have made a lot of sourdough crackers lately. Since I first tried to make crackers from my discarded sourdough starter I have been hooked.
But this weekend it was time for a change. There have to be more things you can do with the discard I said to myself, and there is.
Most of you know that you can use the discard for pancakes, waffles, muffins, and much more.
But perhaps not so many of you have tried to make puff pastry, and I think I know why.
Making real puff pastry is a bit tedious and requires time, and not all of us wants to spend that much time on some discarded starter.
But perhaps it’s possible to make a quick version. At least that was what I tried to find out.
There are lots of recipes for puff pastry, most of them with just flour, butter, and water on the internet. I found some based on a sourdough starter as well, but most of them were aiming for croissants, danish pastry and such.
That was not what I was looking for. It was far too complicated and time-consuming.
I just want to do something with my discarded starter, so I don’t have to waste it. I wanted a simplified version of a sourdough puff pastry recipe.
Finally, I found a recipe that I liked. There was no sourdough starter in it, but I liked the method.
I know that there are not many of you who read my blog that understands Swedish, but some of you do, so here is the link.
Normally when you make puff pastry, you roll the butter into the dough in layers. You do that by folding the dough and roll it several times.
For this puff pastry recipe, you mix half of the butter with the flour and starter. The dough is rolled out into a square. Then you distribute the rest of the butter on one half of the square. I used my cheese grater to cut the butter into thin slices. Fold over the other part of the dough and roll it to an even thickness.
Fold the dough into three parts in one direction and one partin the other direction. You should now have six layers.
Wrap the dough in cling film and let it cool in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. After that, you can roll the dough into a desired form or thickness.
This sourdough puff pastry recipe is a bit rough, and nothing I recommend if you’re planning to make anything more ambitious.
But if you only want to make some quick and easy dessert for yourself and your friends a lazy Sunday afternoon, it may work just fine. It lifts quite a lot after 15 minutes in the oven as you can see in the picture above, but not as much as if you had done it according to a traditional recipe.
After all, it is a simplified variant of puff pastry. The taste, however, isnot simplified at all. Butter tastes good, that’s no news, but combined with all the unique flavors of the sourdough starter makes it even better.
So, if you use towaste you’rediscarded starter, stop doing that immediately. It’s liquid gold.
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A quick puff pastry recipe based on a discarded sourdough starter. The sourdough starter lifts it to another level with its unique flavors.
Ingredients
- 80 gram Wheat flour
- 100 gram sourdough starter discarded, 100% hydration
- 120 gram butter
Instructions
Note that it's important that all ingredients are cold. Start by mixing the flour, sourdough starter and half of the butter into a dough. Let it rest in the fridge 30 min.
Roll out the dough to a square with an even thickness. Distribute the rest of the butter on one half of the square. Use a cheese grater to cut the butter into thin slices
Fold over the other part of the dough and roll it to an even thickness.Fold the dough into three parts in one direction and one part in the other direction. You should now have six layers.
Wrap the dough in cling film and let it cool in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. After that, you can roll the dough into a desired form or thickness.
Notes
You can freeze the rolled out puff pastry dough for later use. It should be used within 6 months.
Keyword sourdough bread, starter
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
FAQs
Does olive oil make dough softer? Yes - adding olive oil to sourdough bread will result in a softer crust and crumb. The oil as a lipid coats the flour and inhibits the gluten network resulting in a softer, tighter crumb and softer crust. This can be a desirable outcome if you do not like tough, chewy sourdough crusts.
How to activate a sourdough starter? ›
In short, to “activate” each, you simply add flour and water, stir, and wait — that's all there is to feeding a sourdough starter.
Is sourdough bread healthy? ›
Sourdough has made a comeback—and for good reason. It provides nutrients, including healthy carbs, protein, fiber, iron and vitamins like folic acid. It may help improve digestion, lower chronic disease risk and even promote healthy aging.
What happens if I add honey to sourdough bread? ›
You'll find I use honey in many of my recipes. I love to use it in my no-knead 100% whole wheat sourdough bread because it makes it much softer and less dense than it would be without it. Subbing it in recipes that call for sugar is not usually as simple as a one-to-one sub, though.
How does honey affect sourdough? ›
One of the benefits to adding honey to sourdough is that it can reduce the sour flavor of the bread. This could also be a disadvantage if you really enjoy that tang! Much like sugar, honey will feed the yeast in a very fast manner, meaning that it can increase the rise of your sourdough.
Do you have to discard sourdough starter every time you feed it? ›
It would be best if you discarded some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used “food” (flour and water) that's been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period.
What does baking soda do to sourdough starter? ›
because it reacts with the acid from the sourdough starter to create carbon dioxide gas, which provides leavening. You don't want to add baking soda to the starter you are maintaining, because baking soda will raise the pH. The yeast will not grow unless the pH is around 3.5.
Why discard sourdough starter? ›
If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.
Is it okay to eat sourdough bread every day? ›
Is it healthy to eat sourdough everyday? You could eat sourdough every day, but it isn't necessarily healthy to do so. A healthy diet is characterized by balance and moderation. Whether or not it is healthy for you to consume sourdough every day depends on the rest of your diet.
Is sourdough bread anti-inflammatory? ›
The best bread to reduce gut inflammation is bread made from whole grains. Refined grains, such as the grains found in white bread and white pasta, are known to increase inflammation across the whole body. Sourdough bread and rye bread are both good options for an anti-inflammatory diet.
Sourdough bread's fiber, potassium, phosphorus, and sodium content all support a heart-healthy diet. The soluble fiber found in sourdough bread binds to dietary cholesterol in the small intestine, helping pass this fat through the system instead of absorbing it.
What pairs with sourdough bread? ›
"Soups, stews and braises are great with sourdough, anything saucy that needs to be soaked or scooped up," Zarovy said. "Sourdough makes wonderful sandwiches or toast. Leftover sourdough can be used in bread puddings, strata or to make croutons or breadcrumbs."
What meat goes with sourdough bread? ›
Slice loaf of sourdough bread into 8 slices. Place 5-6 ounces of thinly sliced deli ham, smoked turkey, and pastrami onto 4 slices of bread. Place slices of onion on top of meat. Add slices of green pepper to sandwich.
Should you toast sourdough bread? ›
You certainly can toast sourdough bread. I love to toast my soft sandwich bread or multigrain bread in the morning. Add a little butter and jam or avocado, and it makes a perfect side to your eggs. I'll also toast my sourdough French bread with butter and garlic for the perfect garlic bread side dish.
What does olive oil do to dough? ›
The goal of adding oil to pizza dough is to improve the texture of the dough and flavor the finished crust. The oil will specifically: Making the dough softer will improve its capacity to stretch when rolled out. If you don't use any oil, the dough will pull apart and produce holes.
What does adding more oil to bread dough do? ›
Fats work as tenderizers in breads by coating some of the proteins that form gluten, preventing them from hydrating and linking up to form large networks that would lead to toughness.
What are the benefits of olive oil and bread? ›
Olive oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids. These types of fats regulate cholesterol levels and positively affect heart health. Breads containing olive oil may improve overall cardiovascular health by supporting healthy fat intake.
Is sourdough bread dipped in olive oil healthy? ›
Sourdough, Olive Oil, and Mediterranean Diet
The olive oil -a traditional staple of the Mediterranean diet and one of its most delicious, as well as health-promoting components- boosts flavor, adds moisture and volume to the bread.
