Sourdough Discard Tortilla Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you do anything with sourdough starter discard? ›

You can always use this discard by directly mixing it into a dough for baking. Your discard, as long as it's in good shape, will leaven any bread dough just as well. The discard is just like a levain you would make for a recipe. The only difference is it's the same makeup as your starter.

The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is 50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and bread flour. Why do you need to use these two types of flour?

Accidentally adding Self Rising Flour, Salt, Sugar or something similar - we've all been in a hurry and sometimes people accidentally feed their starter something they shouldn't. These types of things won't kill your starter (as long as it's only one feed).

Stored in the freezer, sourdough discard will theoretically keep indefinitely. I've left it in the freezer for as long as six months, untouched (i.e., I don't add or remove discard). Before using it, let it thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, never in the microwave. The microwave will cook/kill it.

You can store mature sourdough discard in the refrigerator indefinitely. As long as there is no mold, it is good to use. It may develop a grayish liquid on top called “hooch” which can be poured off before use or stirred in. If you stir it in, the flavor will become more sour.

Grano tenero flours are generally used in Italy to make both bread and pastries.

For more tang: Incorporate some rye flour and/or whole wheat flour early in the bread-making process, such as when feeding the mother culture and the preferment. Rye flour in particular will help your culture produce some acetic acid.

Yes you can mix the flours in your sourdough starter. This can be an economical way to add some whole grains or rye. So you might want to feed 25% rye and 75% all purpose for example. There's really no hard and fast rules for what ratio of flour you use.

If you think you killed your starter with heat, always use a probe thermometer to take the temperature in the center of the starter. If it is below 130F/54C it is still alive, even if it was exposed to a higher oven temperature for a short time.

Typical signs of food spoilage and mold include pink, orange, or green colors, white fuzzy spots, or sometimes areas that are darker with white areas on top. If you see any of these signs, I would recommend throwing your starter away and creating a new one.

What temperature kills sourdough starters? ›

Yeast will die if exposed to temps of 60C or above (140F). It is very likely that your sourdough starter will actually die at temps lower than this. Anything above 120F (50C) would be considered too hot for a sourdough starter and will kill the wild yeast if exposed for long periods.

Back lard is preferable for its very mild pork flavor, although more neutral tasting leaf lard or vegetable shortening can be substituted for great results. The tortillas are best eaten fresh and while still warm.

Adding too much flour to knead or to roll out the tortillas will also create hard and dry tortillas.

Despite common belief, tortilla presses are great for flour tortillas. Not only do tortilla presses speed up the process, but they also eliminate the mess of flour that is usually associated with rolling tortillas out with a rolling pin.

Instead of throwing away (or composting) your excess sourdough starter during the feeding process, bake with it! Unlock the power of sourdough discard to both enhance your bakes with a subtle tang and make the most of those leftovers.

Although you need an active, well-maintained starter for certain artisan breads, you can still make tasty bread with a sluggish, slow starter so you don't have to discard sourdough starter daily. In fact, many of my favorite sourdough bread recipes use discard for flavoring to give bread that classic tang.

You can feed unused sourdough starter (sourdough discard) to your chickens. It's a great way to introduce fermented foods into their diet and a better alternative than yoghurt (chickens aren't good with dairy).

Reason #2. You can easily share it with friends, even when they don't live nearby. Reason #3. Any excess, also called the discard, can be dried and ground to powder.