If you feed your sourdough starter regularly, you always have discard. Most people throw it away. Here's why you shouldn't.
Sourdough crispbread is one of the easiest things you can bake, no kneading, no shaping, no proving. Mix, spread, bake. The result is thin, crunchy, seed-packed crispbread with a deep, slightly sour flavour that shop-bought versions can't come close to.
It also keeps for two weeks in an airtight container. Make a big batch on a Sunday and you're set for the week.
What is Sourdough Discard?
Every time you feed your starter, you remove a portion before adding fresh flour and water. That removed portion is the discard. It's still full of wild yeast and bacteria, it's just not at peak activity. For baking bread, it's too weak. For crispbread, crackers, waffles and pancakes, it's perfect.
Using discard is also simply good practice. Nothing goes to waste.
Variations
The base recipe is very flexible:
- Herbs: Add a teaspoon of dried rosemary, thyme or caraway seeds
- Spice: A pinch of smoked paprika or cumin adds warmth
- Cheese: Fold in 30g of finely grated parmesan for a richer, savoury crispbread
- Sweet: Replace the salt with a tablespoon of honey and add a handful of dried fruit and nuts
Serving & Storage
Sourdough crispbread is excellent with cheese, smoked fish, hummus or just good butter. In Denmark, a classic combination is crispbread with cream cheese, cucumber and dill, simple and hard to improve on.
Store in an airtight tin or container at room temperature. Properly dried crispbread keeps well for up to two weeks, though in most households it disappears considerably faster.
If your crispbread softens after a few days (usually a sign it wasn't quite dry enough when it came out of the oven), put it back in a 150°C oven for 10 minutes to crisp it up again.
Peter, Simpel Surdej
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