Once you’ve put in the work to develop a mature sourdough starter, maintaining your starter is easy: feed it once a week (or more often, if you’re using it more frequently), removing about half of the starter and replacing it with fresh flour and water. The portion you’ve set aside is called “discard,” but you shouldn’t let its unfortunate name presage its fate.
We like to think of sourdough discard as a delightful dividend or, more specifically, “unfed starter.” This versatile ingredient can add leavening and a subtle, tangy flavor to pretty much anything batter- or dough-based. You can swap it into any recipe that calls for flour and water, replacing the weight of those ingredients with the weight of your discard. (For example: 100 grams of unfed starter would replace 50 grams of water and 50 grams flour in the recipe.) This includes our recipe for No-Knead Sourdough Bread, which can be made with both fed and unfed starter.
The simplest way to use up unfed starter (we’re herein avoiding “discard”) is to make a quick, single-serving kitchen snack: sourdough fry bread. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add a generous splash of oil, and pour your discard directly into the skillet. Top with any desired flavorings (sliced scallions, chopped onions, sesame seeds, spices, etc.) and cook until golden brown, flipping once, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Here are some other ideas for using up your unfed starter:
