I have made a lot of sourdough crackers lately. Since I first tried to make crackers from my discarded sourdough starter I have been hooked.
But this weekend it was time for a change. There have to be more things you can do with the discard I said to myself, and there is.
Most of you know that you can use the discard for pancakes, waffles, muffins, and much more.
But perhaps not so many of you have tried to make puff pastry, and I think I know why.
Making real puff pastry is a bit tedious and requires time, and not all of us wants to spend that much time on some discarded starter.
But perhaps it’s possible to make a quick version. At least that was what I tried to find out.
There are lots of recipes for puff pastry, most of them with just flour, butter, and water on the internet. I found some based on a sourdough starter as well, but most of them were aiming for croissants, danish pastry and such.
That was not what I was looking for. It was far too complicated and time-consuming.
I just want to do something with my discarded starter, so I don’t have to waste it. I wanted a simplified version of a sourdough puff pastry recipe.
Finally, I found a recipe that I liked. There was no sourdough starter in it, but I liked the method.
I know that there are not many of you who read my blog that understands Swedish, but some of you do, so here is the link.
Normally when you make puff pastry, you roll the butter into the dough in layers. You do that by folding the dough and roll it several times.
For this puff pastry recipe, you mix half of the butter with the flour and starter. The dough is rolled out into a square. Then you distribute the rest of the butter on one half of the square. I used my cheese grater to cut the butter into thin slices. Fold over the other part of the dough and roll it to an even thickness.
Fold the dough into three parts in one direction and one partin the other direction. You should now have six layers.
Wrap the dough in cling film and let it cool in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. After that, you can roll the dough into a desired form or thickness.
This sourdough puff pastry recipe is a bit rough, and nothing I recommend if you’re planning to make anything more ambitious.
But if you only want to make some quick and easy dessert for yourself and your friends a lazy Sunday afternoon, it may work just fine. It lifts quite a lot after 15 minutes in the oven as you can see in the picture above, but not as much as if you had done it according to a traditional recipe.
After all, it is a simplified variant of puff pastry. The taste, however, isnot simplified at all. Butter tastes good, that’s no news, but combined with all the unique flavors of the sourdough starter makes it even better.
So, if you use towaste you’rediscarded starter, stop doing that immediately. It’s liquid gold.
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A quick puff pastry recipe based on a discarded sourdough starter. The sourdough starter lifts it to another level with its unique flavors.
Ingredients
- 80 gram Wheat flour
- 100 gram sourdough starter discarded, 100% hydration
- 120 gram butter
Instructions
Note that it's important that all ingredients are cold. Start by mixing the flour, sourdough starter and half of the butter into a dough. Let it rest in the fridge 30 min.
Roll out the dough to a square with an even thickness. Distribute the rest of the butter on one half of the square. Use a cheese grater to cut the butter into thin slices
Fold over the other part of the dough and roll it to an even thickness.Fold the dough into three parts in one direction and one part in the other direction. You should now have six layers.
Wrap the dough in cling film and let it cool in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. After that, you can roll the dough into a desired form or thickness.
Notes
You can freeze the rolled out puff pastry dough for later use. It should be used within 6 months.
Keyword sourdough bread, starter
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
FAQs
Does olive oil make dough softer? Yes - adding olive oil to sourdough bread will result in a softer crust and crumb. The oil as a lipid coats the flour and inhibits the gluten network resulting in a softer, tighter crumb and softer crust. This can be a desirable outcome if you do not like tough, chewy sourdough crusts.
When to add things to sourdough? ›
Now, we all know that you're probably just wondering when you can add your delicious fillings to your sourdough. Typically, I incorporate my sourdough add-ins at the first stretch and fold, which is when you stretch the dough upward and fold it over toward the centre of the bowl.
How to activate a sourdough starter? ›
In short, to “activate” each, you simply add flour and water, stir, and wait — that's all there is to feeding a sourdough starter.
What happens if I add honey to sourdough bread? ›
You'll find I use honey in many of my recipes. I love to use it in my no-knead 100% whole wheat sourdough bread because it makes it much softer and less dense than it would be without it. Subbing it in recipes that call for sugar is not usually as simple as a one-to-one sub, though.
Does olive oil stop dough from rising? ›
The oil will not absorb into the flour or the gluten that forms as a result of the fermentation process. All that oil does is give your dough a coating of elasticity. Aside from providing a barrier for your dough throughout the proofing phase, this will not prevent your dough from rising.
How long should sourdough sit out before baking? ›
How Long Should I Proof my Sourdough Dough?
| Proof time | Temperature | Example location |
|---|
| 1 to 2 hours | 80°F (26°C) | Very warm kitchen or proofer |
| 2 to 4 hours | 74 to 76°F (23-24°C) | Warm kitchen |
| 6 to 8 hours | 46°F (8°C) | Dough retarder |
| 10 to 16 hours | 39°F (4°C) | Home refrigerator |
Mar 14, 2024
Another option for adding extra moisture to the dough before baking is to liberally spray the dough with water before placing it inside the Dutch Oven. You can spray with an atomiser or even paint water on the dough with a pastry brush. This is a common method to increase the blisters that form on the sourdough crust.
Should I let my sourdough warm up before baking? ›
The warmer a sourdough bread dough, the faster it will ferment and rise. A dough should be warm enough to encourage lively fermentation and flavor creation but not be so warm that it quickly overproofs.
Is it okay to eat sourdough bread every day? ›
Is it healthy to eat sourdough everyday? You could eat sourdough every day, but it isn't necessarily healthy to do so. A healthy diet is characterized by balance and moderation. Whether or not it is healthy for you to consume sourdough every day depends on the rest of your diet.
What makes sourdough taste better? ›
Keep the dough temperature lower: Lactic acid bacteria are most active in the higher temperatures of the mid 80s-90sºF. Keeping the dough in the 76-78º F range will still ferment and produce bacteria but will encourage lactic acid bacteria instead of acetic acid bacteria resulting in a more mild flavored loaf.
Generally a more mature and well established starter will produce a more flavorful, sour loaf. Hydration of the Dough - this affects how long your dough will take to ferment. A slightly lower hydration will take longer to ferment than a higher hydration loaf, leading to a bigger depth of flavor and sourness.
How do I know if I killed my sourdough starter? ›
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.
Do you have to discard sourdough starter every time you feed it? ›
It would be best if you discarded some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used “food” (flour and water) that's been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period.
Why does sourdough starter smell like acetone? ›
In some cases, a type of bacteria may be present in your starter – it naturally produces acetone. Acetone is a natural byproduct of fermentation. It's root cause is often difficult to pinpoint and it can come and go over time. In general, if you keep your starter “healthy” the acetone odor will dissipate.
What does olive oil do in bread making? ›
Most breads are made from just four simple ingredients: flour, yeast, salt and water. However, you can use olive oil to replace some or all of the water in order to add more flavor to your yeast-risen breads.
Do Italians put olive oil on their bread? ›
Although you might be used to a pre-dinner snack of bread, olive oil and balsamic vinegar at home or in your local Italian restaurant, it's not actually an Italian tradition. In Italy, bread is typically eaten with other food (although not with other starchy foods like pasta, rice or polenta).
What does olive oil do in pasta dough? ›
Olive oil – Along with the eggs, a splash of olive oil moistens the dough and helps it come together. Salt – Add it to the dough and the pasta water for the best flavor.
