How Long Can You Store Sourdough Discard In The Fridge? (2024)
simone gerber
·2 min read
Sourdough discard, also known as sourdough surplus, is the extra bit of sourdough bread starter that you must remove from your sourdough starter before feeding it in order to prevent the starter from becoming too large. Like the starter it comes from, the discard imparts a deliciously tangy and savory flavor to baked goods; however, it does not possess the same leavening power. Just because it cannot make bread rise doesn't mean it isn't worth hanging onto though — there are a multitude of ways to use your sourdough discards, so be sure to store yours rather than throwing it into the trash.
Sourdough discard only lasts a day or two at room temperature. As such, it is best to keep your discard in the fridge, where it will last for up to one week. Of course, you can only rely on it lasting that long if you store it correctly. When readying your discard for the fridge, be sure it is sealed in an airtight container, such as a screw-top glass jar. This will prevent exposure to air and moisture as well as keep the discard from absorbing any strong odors that are present in your refrigerator.
Even when refrigerated, sourdough discard will eventually go bad. It is important to always check your sourdough discard for signs of spoilage in order to prevent adding an unpleasant flavor to foods — or worse, consuming harmful pathogens. Be sure to examine your discard with your senses of sight and smell. If the discard shows spots of discoloration or visible mold growth or if it develops an excessively strong and unpleasant acidic smell, then it should be deemed expired and be thrown away.
If one week is not enough time to use all of the sourdough discard in your possession, it is possible to freeze the leftovers for later use. To do so, simply put the discard into a sealable container, like a zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer. There, it will last almost indefinitely until you thaw it. For this reason, it is best to portion out the discard into single-use amounts by separating it in an ice cube tray or into individual bags. This way, you can use what you need — whether you are making fresh sourdough pancakes or chewy sourdough chocolate chip cookies — while preserving the remainder for a long time.
Sourdough discard only lasts a day or two at room temperature. As such, it is best to keep your discard in the fridge, where it will last for up to one week. Of course, you can only rely on it lasting that long if you store it correctly.
Sourdough discard will last indefinitely when stored in the fridge, but the longer it sits, the sourer it becomes. Therefore, I like to use my discard within 2 weeks.
Store it for future baking: You can store sourdough discard in an airtight container in the refrigerator for future baking with sourdough discard recipes. When you're ready to use it, let the discard come to room temperature before using it to bake. I will keep sourdough discard in the fridge for about one week.
To revive, take your jar out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for an hour or two to warm up. The mixture may or may not be bubbly like mine below, but either way, stir it so everything is reincorporated.
How Long Does Sourdough Bread Last In The Fridge. It will last a day or two. But I do not recommend using the refrigerator because it will dry out your bread faster. Unless you are trying to dry out your bread faster, I would avoid the fridge completely and choose one of the above alternatives.
The discard should be fine in the fridge, however if it is displaying signs of mold or any pink or orange tinges then it has gone bad and needs to be tossed.
Yes! Using a sourdough starter cache, as I like to call it, is a way to store starter discard through the week or two and use it in recipes when convenient.
It's usually pretty obvious when your starter has gone bad. You will either see mold or discoloration (generally pink or orange). If you see either of these things, you will need to toss your starter. The smell is usually a big give away.
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.
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.
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.
The World's 'Oldest' Sourdough Starter Was Made With 4,500-Year-Old Yeast. There's no bread quite like sourdough. In addition to being tasty as a sandwich bread, delicious as sourdough croutons, and even great just toasted with butter, sourdough's production process is decidedly unlike other breads.
The most important thing to know is that you should never store sourdough in your fridge. The inside of a fridge is a very harsh environment that's much too cold and dry to store bread in. Your sourdough will get hard and stale much faster in the fridge than if you leave it out.
It's pretty easy to tell when sourdough bread has gone bad because it will be covered in visible signs of mold growth and will feel hard both inside and out. It may also smell bad too, but not always. Once it's past the fresh stage (first 24 hours) you will notice some deterioration in crust and crumb.
I'll share my tips on the best way to store sourdough and a plan on the best way to eat it too. Sourdough bread will keep well for up to 3-5 days at a moderate room temperature of 18-20°C or 64-68°F.
Do I have to discard my sourdough starter? 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.
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Introduction: My name is Maia Crooks Jr, I am a homely, joyous, shiny, successful, hilarious, thoughtful, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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