Can I bake with my first sourdough discard?

Remember, you can't use the discard from your homemade sourdough starter for the first 7 days . You can use sourdough discard in all kinds of sourdough discard recipes, including these no wait sourdough recipes, overnight sourdough discard recipes and sourdough discard recipes that use up a lot of discard.

What is sourdough bread discard?

Active starter and discard both come from the same sourdough starter. However, they are in different phases. Active starter has been fed flour and water within the last 12 hours or so and is growing until it hits its peak. Once it begins to fall it is considered discard.

How to tell if sourdough discard is bad?

fuzzy mold that you might normally see on food. or something else. But it can also look like odd colors, particularly like an orange or a pink. So if you see, like, orange or pink streaking in your sourdough discard, that's bad bacteria, and you don't want to eat that, so it's time to throw that one away.

Does sourdough discard need to be room temperature before baking?

Baking with sourdough discard also adds a great slightly sour flavor and additional lift to your baked goods. When you are baking with sourdough discard, it should always be at room temperature (to help the dough rise), and unfed (i.e. this is the discard, not the fed part of your starter).

Is eating sourdough discard healthy?

Sourdough discard is rich in probiotics, which can help promote a healthy gut microbiome and improve digestion . It's also a good source of fiber, which can help regulate blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, and promote feelings of fullness.

Can you eat straight sourdough discard?

Yes you can use sourdough discard straight from the fridge , you don't need to let it come to room temperature if you don't want to. What is this? If you are using it straight from the fridge it may be a little stiff or thick, so you'll need to ensure you mix it really well.

When to start keeping sourdough discard?

When Can You Use Sourdough Discard? You can use the discard from your starter to bake, but it's better if you wait at least 7 days before you actually use it. In the first 5-7 days, it's better if you bin or compost your discard because the bacteria will be fighting it out and it will generally smell pretty gross.

How soon can you bake with sourdough discard?

You can use 1-2 week old discard in “discard recipes”… think cookies, brownies, muffins, non-yeast breads, tortillas (pretty much anything that doesn't require active starter (aka wild yeast). I have TONS in my digital cookbook if you need some good recipes.

What to do with the first sourdough 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.

Can I bake with cold sourdough discard?

You can utilize a cold starter in any sourdough discard recipe . These recipes don't require a sourdough starter for leavening, so you can use your starter directly from the fridge. These recipes offer a fantastic solution for using excess sourdough.

Do I need to feed my sourdough discard before baking?

Absolutely! A jar of sourdough discard serves as an insurance policy against starter death . If you have some discard on hand, remove a spoonful of it and feed it fresh flour and water in a clean jar. You should have a bubbly starter ready to bake with after a couple of feedings, depending on the discard's condition.

Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns Recipe: Quick Sourdough Buns {with video} (2024)

Published: Apr 6, 2021 · Modified: Oct 14, 2022 by The Pantry Mama This post may contain affiliate links.

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These quick sourdough discard hamburger buns are perfect for grilling season.

Make these quick sourdough discard hamburger buns in around 2.5 hours - and use your sourdough discard. Winning right?

They are soft and tender with a rich, buttery crumb yet will wow you with their glossy sheen.

You'll use 100g of sourdough discard in this sourdough hamburger bun recipe.

Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns ... Fast!

Just like this sourdough discard sandwich loaf, these sourdough discard hamburger buns are perfect to make while you are establishing your sourdough starter.

They utilise a small amount of commercial yeast, along with your unfed sourdough starter, to make them rise.

Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns Recipe: Quick Sourdough Buns {with video} (1)

This gives you a delicious flavor, without having to wait.

9 simple ingredients combine to make these sourdough buns. You'll more than likely have these on hand - flour, milk, eggs, butter, sugar, yeast, salt, unfed sourdough starter and sesame seeds.

You can use sourdough burger buns during grilling season, for burger night, breakfast or lunch sandwiches - they're even delicious just with melted cheese and a little cayenne pepper on top.

Baking Notes & Variations

There are a myriad of burger combinations you could use these buns for. The hardest part will be choosing your favorite!

Here are some tips for getting the most out of your sourdough buns:

I choose to knead the dough in a stand mixer because it's fast and convenient. The butter and eggs need to be worked into the dough really well and the stand mixer is very efficient at doing this.

These buns are best eaten within 12 hours of making them. Freeze your leftovers (you'll see notes on this further down).

Split the buns and toast the insides for a delicious brioche style burger. The butter and sugar ensures that these toast up perfectly.

You can skip the sesame seeds for a plain bun. Or use black sesame seeds or even Everything Bagel Seasoning. It's totally up to you.

If you want to make these buns earlier than you need them, you can put them in the fridge after shaping. They can stay there for up to 24 hours. Just bring them to room temp before you bake them. Because they have commercial yeast, they will complete the second rise in the fridge.

This recipe makes 8 buns around 140g each. You can make larger or smaller buns depending on your needs. Just divide the total dough weight by the number of buns you need to get the individual bun weights.

Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns Recipe: Quick Sourdough Buns {with video} (2)

Shaping Sourdough Burger Buns

These buns are really easy to shape. The enriched dough is smooth and not sticky at all. You'll be able to handle it very easily.

You need to divide the dough into 8 evenly weighted pieces (or however many buns you're wanting to bake).

For larger buns divide into 8 pieces of approximately 137g each.

For smaller buns, divide into 12 pieces of approximately 90g each.

Freezing Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns

These buttery hamburger buns are super fast to make fresh, however sometimes you may have a few leftover. Or perhaps you like having a stash in the freezer for easy weeknight dinners.

These sourdough buns can be frozen. Simply place them in a ziploc bag and freeze.

Thaw at room temperature. You can microwave them for a few seconds to soften them up or simply split them and toast the insides before adding your favorite burger fillings.

For more information on freezing sourdough, check out this informative guide.

Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns Recipe: Quick Sourdough Buns {with video} (3)

Want More Recipes?

If you are loving these discard burger buns, you'll love these ideas!

These sourdough onion rings are the perfect side to burgers!
Looking for Sourdough Brioche Buns?
Check out this speedy sourdough discard sandwich loaf - it's an absolute cinch!
These sourdough hot dog buns are soft, fluffy and super easy to make! And you'll just love these sourdough pigs in blankets!
Looking for the best sourdough recipes for 4th of July celebrations? Check out these ideas!
Got a hunger for more sourdough discard recipes? You'll find loads here.

Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns Recipe

These glossy sourdough hamburger buns have a rich, buttery crumb - perfect for creating your favorite burger at home. The best thing is they are super fast - taking less than 3 hours to make!

4.56 from 141 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Fermentation Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 22 minutes mins

Equipment

Stand Mixer
Digital Scale
Baking Tray

Ingredients

▢ 250 g Milk Warm
▢ 100 g Sourdough Starter Discard unfed sourdough starter
▢ 500 g Bread Flour
▢ 50 g Sugar
▢ 2 Egg Yolks
▢ 100 g Butter softened but not melted
▢ 7 g Instant Yeast
▢ 10 g Salt
▢ 1 Egg White for egg wash
▢ 30 g Sesame Seeds optional

Instructions

Combine the warm milk, yeast and sugar together in a stand mixer bowl and gently incorporate so that the yeast and sugar are dissolved in the milk.
Add the flour, sourdough discard, egg yolks, butter and salt to the bowl and bring together to form a shaggy dough. You may need a silicon spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Use a dough hook and/or knead function for this step.
Knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes using a stand mixer (see notes for hand kneading below).
The dough will be silky and completely come away from the sides of the bowl when it's done. There should be no stickiness at all.
Cover the bowl with a plastic bag or wrap and set aside for around an hour to rise. The time it takes depends on the temperature in your home.
Once the dough has doubled, transfer it to your kitchen counter for shaping. If you are able to, weigh your dough. Divide the weight of the dough by the number of buns you want. Then you'll know how big to make each bun.
I make 8 from this recipe and each bun is around 137g. For smaller buns, divide into 12 pieces of approx. 90g each.
Divide the dough into 8 perfectly even pieces (weighing them for accuracy).
Shape each piece into a bun. Pull the edges into the centre to form a rounded top and then place each piece on the counter and roll to shape (like you'd shape a boule).
Place your buns on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cover with a plastic bag or wrap. Set aside to rise for around 30 minutes. They will be plump and round when they're ready to bake.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
Brush each bun with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).
Bake for around 22 minutes or until glossy and hollow when you tap the base. They burn very easily so keep an eye on them.
Cool on a wire rack.

Notes

Notes on Kneading: The easiest and quickest way to make this dough is in a stand mixer or Thermomix. This will allow you to knead the dough easily. The eggs and butter need a lot of work to combine in so if you are going to knead by hand, you will really have to work the dough to incorporate them.

Nutrition

Serving: 140gCalories: 399kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 11gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 598mgPotassium: 144mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 429IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Sourdough Recipes, Sourdough Rolls

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