Sourdough Starter and Discard Are the Same Thing!

Brand new sourdough bakers often ask if they can use the "discard" to start a new starter, give to a friend, or to bake bread!   The answer to all of the above is yes you can!  Sourdough starter and sourdough starter discard are the exact same thing.   

Understanding Sourdough Starter

A sourdough starter is a fermented mixture of flour and water that contains wild yeast and beneficial bacteria. It's the magical ingredient that gives sourdough bread its distinctive flavour and helps it rise without commercial yeast.  This is what we sell at kensingtonsourdough.ca in the form our our now world famous 150 Year Old San Francisco Sourdough Starter. 

Please see our page on What is a sourdough starter (and why you should want one) if you are wondering why people are so enthusiastic about using a sourdough starter for baking.

What is Discard?

When maintaining a sourdough starter, you typically "feed" it regularly with fresh flour and water. Before each feeding, you remove a portion of the existing starter - this removed portion is what we call "discard".

The Big Reveal

Here's the key point: the portion you remove as discard is still active, healthy sourdough starter! It's not waste or a byproduct - it's just excess starter that you don't need for your current baking plans.

Why We Discard

The reason we discard is simple: to maintain a good ratio of fresh food (flour and water) to mature starter. This ensures that there's enough food for the yeast and bacteria to thrive, keeping your starter healthy and active.

If we never discarded and just kept adding more flour and water, we'd soon have an enormous amount of starter that would require increasingly large amounts of flour to feed!   Think Little shop of Horrors or even better the hilarious children's book Bembelman's Bakery!

What to Do with Discard

Since discard is just excess starter, you have several options:

1. Use it in recipes: Many delicious recipes are designed specifically for sourdough discard, from pancakes to crackers.   I especially love English Muffins!
2. Share it: Give some to a friend who wants to start their sourdough journey.
3. Bake with it: If you have enough discard, you can use it directly to bake bread or other fermented goods.
4. Compost it: If you really can't use it, it makes great compost for your garden.

The Takeaway

Remember, your discard is not inferior or different from your main starter - it's just excess. 

Happy baking, and may your loaves always rise to the occasion!

Please take a look at our instagram which shows lots and lots of fun things that customers have done with their starters and the sourdough starter discard!

Finally, for some of the recommendations above we have used Amazon affiliate links.  I thought we should disclose this, as if you purchase after clicking here we may stands to benefit with a small profit on the purchases made.  Please be assured we would never let a tiny expected income motive interfere with my only real priority, which is getting you all baking and enjoying sourdough bread!