When you think of sourdough, bread is likely the first thing that comes to mind. While there are many wonderful sourdough bread recipes, this post zooms out to include the many non-bread amazing sourdough recipes.
Sourdough is one of my favorite things, but an important realization I’ve had on this sourdough journey of mine is how extensive the world of fermented grains truly is.
If sourdough is so valuable, it would follow that it might also impact more than just the bread that we enjoy. While we love great bread, there are so many other ways to enjoy sourdough for its unique flavor and health benefits.
Why I Love Sourdough
Sourdough baking is an age-old practice. With the advent of commercial yeast, we moved away from the healthy practice of sourdough baking that had once been commonplace.
Instant yeasts replaced wild yeasts, which was seen as a great way to fit more into the day and satisfy our desires for quick results.
What we lost amid this change were the health benefits of the fermentation, the delicious tang of sourdough flavors, and the skillful use and efficiency of using our natural resources, like wild yeasts and good bacteria.
Sourdough starter is an active relationship between wild yeast and beneficial bacteria feeding off the sugars from the flour and water that we provide.
This activity produces little bubbles of carbon dioxide that naturally rise our breads, while the fermentation process is essentially a form of predigestion.
Fermentation breaks down the phytic acid that is present in grains, which is a type of anti-nutrient that blocks our bodies’ ability to absorb nutrients.
With this breakdown, so goes the gluten. As a result, those who are gluten-sensitive often find they can tolerate fermented grains.
Typically, the longer the fermentation period, the more the gluten breaks down, significantly reducing the gluten content.
This leaves us with a product that is more easily digested and far more nutritious.
Additionally, sourdough products contain a measure of prebiotics. Prebiotics differ from probiotics in the sense that they are helpful little fibers and starches that nourish the probiotics and help you build a healthy gut.
We find prebiotics in many of the foods we eat, particularly fruits, vegetables, and grains.
Sourdough is amazing!
And while sourdough bread is wonderful, delicious, and highly nutritious, there are so many other ways to put sourdough starter and discard to good use! Here are some other delicious recipes by category. I hope you find many to enjoy.
Sourdough Tips
- Are you intrigued but not yet involved in sourdough? Now is the perfect time to hop on board. Learn how to make a sourdough starter here, with more information on maintaining your starter here.
- Pay attention to the long-fermented recipes versus the quick sourdough recipes that use discard. The longer ferments do require more planning, and when you just can’t wait until the next day for a dish, discard recipes are very handy.
- Rather than throwing out your discard if you can’t use it right away, store it in a jar in the fridge. It’ll be ready when you are, though you’ll need to feed it every 7-10 days or so to keep it happy.
40+ Sourdough Recipes That Are Not Bread
Sourdough-Inspired Main Dishes & Sides
Sourdough Breakfast Ideas
Sourdough-Inspired Appetizers and Savory Snacks
Sourdough Desserts And Sweets
Becca says
How about going a step further and making more foods with fresh ground flour like they had back when sourdough starter was common place?? 😁
Lisa Bass says
I do have some recipes that are made using freshly milled flour!
Angie says
Thanks for sharing more recipes – I had a lot – but I see I missed some – excited to get my menu made up for the next couple of weeks. I am preparing for RV travel and outside work times. As both take a lot of time from the kitchen. Love – well all of it Sour Dough – Regular recipes, stories, techniques and so much more. Angie in (Dothan) Alabama
Christina Tom says
Thank you for so many great ideas!
Mike Horky says
Excellent looking recipes! I plan to try them all! Thank you so much for sharing these great sourdough recipes with us!