Congratulations! You have a sourdough starter (otherwise known as a sourdough culture) and have been diligent about taking care of it. The fruits of your labor are rewarded as your starter is thriving. Now what?
It would be a waste to continually feed your culture and watch as carbon dioxide bubbles make it grow. You need to do something with it. Sure, you could use it to make bread. Sourdough is the oldest way to make bread. But what else can you do with it? There was an article in the New York Times from sometime last year about sourdough starters. In it, many used their starters to make pizza dough and pancakes. So, I thought that would be a good place to start.
I looked around online for recipes that I could try. King Arthur Flour had a few good ones for using your sourdough starter. If you follow me on Instagram, you saw pictures of mini-pizzas I made using my starter. They turned out great. I decided to try the sourdough pancakes next.
If you know a teacher, you know how difficult it is for some of us to turn the teacher part of our brain off. In thinking of Jane Dough and Jeffrey and the easiest way to use them, pancakes seemed like a good option to try out. Of course we’ll use it to make bread but making pancakes could be something cooked and eaten within the time constraints of class time.
But I digress. I’m sure you want to know more about the pancakes. Let me begin by saying that these pancakes were delicious! I made them for my family, who consumed them. I probably should’ve made more. They were light and fluffy. There was a very subtle sour note at the end. I think I noticed it because I was looking for it. No one else seemed to taste it. I would definitely make them again. You can click here for the recipe.
What do you make with your sourdough starter?
Kneading English 