Pssst… I’ve got a secret. While sourdough is lauded for its superior taste, texture and all the gut beneficial properties that come with it, it does have one dirty little secret: it can be quite wasteful.
You see, every time you go to feed your starter you also have to throw some out in order to keep your starter healthy–otherwise you’ll end up having to keep feeding it more and more and more. This waste is known as “discard,” and it actually doesn’t have to be wasteful.
In fact, the discard is a really great way to introduce all the benefits of sourdough into everyday baked goods, from pancakes and waffles to quick breads. Here’s another secret: you can easily substitute sourdough starter into just about every recipe. The basic formula for a 100% hydration starter (i.e., meaning it’s fed equal parts flour and water) is for every cup of starter you want to add to a recipe, subtract1/2C of flour and 1/2cup of liquid.
My favorite way to use discard is to make banana bread–I mean, who doesn’t always have some overripe ‘naners laying around? So to celebrate #NationalSourdoughBreadDay I give to you my ultimate vegan sourdough cinnamon banana muffins!
Ingredients
- 1C AP Flour
- 1C Whole Wheat Flour
- 1½t Cinnamon
- 1t salt
- ½t baking soda
- 1½ C Sourdough Starter discard
- 1t vanilla
- 2 bananas mashed
- ½C Coconut Oil melted then cooled slightly
- 1 vegan egg substitute (@bobsredmill makes a fine one)
- 1 banana sliced into ¼” rounds
- 2-3T Brown Sugar
Instructions
- Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside
- Mix the two mashed bananas, coconut oil, vegan egg and vanilla until well-combined
- Gently fold in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just mixed–do not overmix–you want the batter a bit lumpy, with a few streaks of flour.
- Let the mixture rest in the bowl for 30-45min depending on your schedule.
- While the batter rests, spray your muffin tins with a cooking spray, sprinkle some brown sugar into each hole and add one sliced banana on top.
- After batter has rested, scoop enough batter into your muffin tins so it’s piled up a bit–remember it will puff up when it’s cooking–and resist the urge to tap it down. Let it lay naturally.
- Bake in a 350°F (180°C) oven for about 20-25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean
- Let rest in the pan for 10minutes, then turn onto a cooling rack and enjoy warm or cool!