7 Ways to Use Your Sourdough Starter Besides For Bread

Making a sourdough starter from scratch is surprisingly easy, and for those who love that unique flavor, it opens up the world of homemade bread. Homemade sourdough loaves are easy to make and can quickly become—almost demand to become—a regular occurrence in a home with a sourdough starter going.

The thing about having a sourdough starter is that it must be fed (1 cup of flour mixed with half a cup of water) regularly, ideally daily, to keep those healthy bacteria alive and active. That, of course, means that the starter grows rapidly, and the only way to keep it an appropriate size for its container is to use it or throw some away.

Well, avid home bread makers probably bake sourdough loaves twice a week to keep pace with the starter. For those who don’t eat that much bread, it helps to know other ways to use that sourdough starter.

1. Sourdough Biscuits

Biscuits are a southern mainstay and breakfast, and they are a true step up from toast for breakfast. A sourdough starter can put a good twist on homemade biscuits. Even better, they don’t require unusual ingredients—flour, starter, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vegan butter.

Sourdough biscuits go wonderfully with jam, butter, vegan sausage patties, or a delicious ladle of gravy. One batch of biscuits uses one cup of sourdough starter.

2. Sourdough Pizza Crust

Far too often, we order pizza instead of making a delicious one at home. Homemade pizza is great fun for the family or a group of friends, and sourdough crust is a way to make it something special and virtually impossible to get elsewhere.

Again, this is an easy recipe with basic ingredients—starter, water, olive oil, salt, and flour—that are already in the pantry. Sourdough crust has a pleasing cheesy flavor ideal for vegan pizza. One batch of crust—three or four personal pizzas—uses one cup of starter.

3. Sourdough English Muffins

For those worried about the fat calorie count in biscuits, sourdough English muffins might be a better breakfast choice. These have a slight sweetness and a different texture that the Brits and others around the world have grown to appreciate.

Starter, brown sugar, water/milk, flour, salt, baking powder, and cornmeal make up the ingredient list. These are made on the stovetop. They require a half-cup of sourdough starter.

4. Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Digging into a gooey cinnamon roll is a truly special experience, one so special that entire (very successful) eateries have focused on cinnamon rolls alone. Sourdough just ups the ante with zip and zing added to the mix.

This apple almond sourdough cinnamon roll is a fantastic fall treat that works for breakfast or dessert. Cinnamon rolls are more complex to cook, but they are very rewarding. A batch of rolls uses one cup of starter.

5. Sourdough Pie Crust

Pie, be it savory or sweet, is always a crowd-pleaser, but for some reason, many of us have been psyched out of making pie crusts ourselves. Well, sourdough plant-based pie crust is totally realistic, and it doesn’t take very long to roll out.

It only takes a simple collection of ingredients—flour, shortening, starter, sugar, salt—and a bit of time to rest. Sourdough pie crust takes 2/3 a cup of sourdough starter.

6. Sourdough Bagels

Bagels are fun to make and fun to eat. They are versatile, able to simply be bagels topped cashew cream cheese or homemade jam or to transform into bagel bites pizza, sandwiches, and more. Any number of toppings and spreads can be used on a bagel.

The big trick to making them is allowing them ample time to rise, which might be a full day. Other than that, the recipe is simple and takes only five ingredients: flour, starter, water, salt, and sugar. Add additional toppings like seeds and spices to make them even better.

7. Sourdough Scones

Scones are a lovely vision next to a cup of tea, cocoa, or coffee. They can be plain with jam and butter, or they can have nice surprises like raisins, dried cranberries, nuts, and so on. There are a ton of ways to make amazing scones.

Sourdough can be another layer of luxury to the scone recipe, which has another simple ingredient list with typical stuff. Ten scones need half a cup of sourdough starter.

So, for those worried about keeping a sourdough starter and having to make bread every three or four days, isn’t it nice to know there are so many options for using that starter for other tasty treats?

Related Content:

• 15 Creative Sourdough Recipes
• How to Make Whole Wheat Sourdough Ciabatta Bread
• How To Make The Perfect Homemade Bread
• How to Make Your Own Sourdough Starter and Why You Should
• Ways to Use Your Sourdough Starter Beyond Bread

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