Whether you're new to sourdough or you're a seasoned pro, you'll love this simple yet delicious sourdough discard pancake recipe.
But first things first, let's talk about the magic of Sourdough — diving a little bit into what's happening behind the scenes, or rather, in your jar!
What is Sourdough?
Sourdough is a living, "breathing" thing. It is comprised of a few basic ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and bacteria. When mixed together the yeast and bacteria will begin to feed off the sugars or glucose found in the flour and in return produce carbon dioxide and organic acids—like lactic and acetic acid—which gives sourdough that tangy flavor. This process is called anaerobic respiration and requires little to no oxygen, which is why you can keep a lid over your starter and it will still ferment.
Benefits of Sourdough
Earlier we mentioned how the fermentation process produces organic acids; these acids in addition to giving the dough that sour taste, also helps to breakdown gluten networks in a process called proteolysis. Gluten is the protein responsible for dough's elasticity and structure, which some people have difficulty fully digesting. For those people who are sensitive to gluten, the long fermentation of sourdough bread can make it more tolerable because of this partial breakdown. Overall, sourdough is highly beneficial for the body, as it allows the bread to be softer and easier to digest.
What is Sourdough Discard?
Once you've started your sourdough you'll need to continuously feed it to keep it alive. But before you go to feed the starter new flour and water, you'll have to remove a bit out, aka The Discard! The discard is delicious and full of flavor and perfect for recipes like this!
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