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.
What to put on sourdough bread? ›
What goes good on sourdough bread?
- Butter – To take the flavor up a notch, try this herb butter.
- Avocado – You can also add a fried egg for a really delicious breakfast, lunch, or brunch.
- Garlic – I love making sourdough garlic bread.
- Jam – I love this simple strawberry jam.
- Apple Butter.
Most of the time, I add my extra ingredients 30 minutes after making my dough. I prefer this method as it does a better job of incorporating the add-ins throughout the bread.
How to fold inclusions in sourdough? ›
Fold the bottom right corner up and on a diagonal, sprinkling more of your inclusions on top of the dough, followed by the bottom left corner, as if you are folding the dough into a diamond shape. Continue with the other two corners, top with the remaining inclusions, and roll the dough back up.
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.
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 pairs well with sourdough bread? ›
"Soups, stews and braises are great with sourdough, anything saucy that needs to be soaked or scooped up," Zarovy said. "Sourdough makes wonderful sandwiches or toast. Leftover sourdough can be used in bread puddings, strata or to make croutons or breadcrumbs."
What does sourdough bread do for your body? ›
Sourdough bread may be easier to digest than white bread for some people. According to some studies, sourdough bread acts as a prebiotic, which means that the fiber in the bread helps feed the “good” bacteria in your intestines. These bacteria are important for maintaining a stable, healthy digestive system.
Should I spray water on my sourdough before baking? ›
Give the dough a nice glossy, wet surface. Any water pooling is GREAT! It will add to the steam in the oven. Don't remove it.
(The rice flour acts as a barrier to gluten formation and keeps your dough from sticking to the bowl.) To proof them, let them sit, covered, at room temperature for up to 3–4 hours, or let them proof for a little while at room temperature and then place in the refrigerator for 12–15 hours.
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. For most recipes here, I target a final dough temperature between 75°F to 78°F (24 to 25°C).
When to add sprinkles to sourdough? ›
Adding Inclusions During Stretch and Folds
Sprinkle the inclusions on top of the dough and gently stretch and fold the dough a few times until they are incorporated. If you do this early enough in the stretch and fold process, the inclusions will be easily spread throughout the dough.
How many times should I stretch and fold sourdough? ›
Most recipes recommend 4 or 6 sets of stretch and folds with 30 minutes intervals. Also, you do not want to be handling the dough late in the bulk fermentation process. It is best to leave it untouched for the last 2 hours (minimum) of bulk fermentation. What is the difference between stretch and folds and coil folds?
Does oil add to hydration in bread? ›
Fats, Eggs etc are not part of the hydration however they do add to the hydration “feel” of the dough. What I normally do is drop the hydration when adding these things so that I can end up with a dough that feels the same hydration.
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).
