Sourdough Discard Waffles

 

I have been using my sourdough a lot lately, but last week my starter got tired. I fed it twice and it didn't really rise at all. Troubleshooting, I fed it a more hearty flour, some oat flour I had on hand, and it just took off. I had a lot of starter that needed to be used, so we tried a sourdough waffle recipe. It is a keeper!

If you want your waffles to be more "sour" and fermented you can make the batter the night before (leaving out the baking soda and eggs) and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Juat add the eggs and baking soda in the morning and cook them up.

Sourdough Discard Waffles

Makes 8 waffles

Ingredients:

1 cup starter

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup buttermilk*

1/2 cup butter melted

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat your waffle iron.

2. Combine all ingredients (unless you are using the overnight ferment method). Cook in waffle iron until golden. 

*To create your own buttermilk: combine 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes.

Grandmother Alice's Carrot Cake

 

Many years ago I was gifted the Coppley Family cookbook. It is a priceless collection of family recipes from Keith's grandmother's family. Some of them are family classics that have made it on the blog already, like sausage balls. This carrot cake recipe is Keith's mom's favorite. For her 70th birthday we had a cake party, and this recipe was her only request. Joseph and Grandmother made it together.

This year Aaron (who's middle name is Coppley, so this is very fitting), requested Grandmother Alice's carrot cake for his birthday.

Joseph and Grandmother baking Mom's 70th birthday cake

It has become a favorie for us all, and it is a gem of a recipe to have on hand. It bakes beautifully, and the icing is perfect. I was skeptical about putting the nuts in the icing, and didn't think it would be enough to cover the cake. Grandmother assured me it was just the right amount, and she was right. Every time it is exactly enough. That's the thing I am finding with these tried and true recipes....they really have been tried, and they are kept and passed down for a reason. Grandmother's notes in the cookbook are: "This cake is always a hit wherever I take it. I selcom bring any back home with me. Truly a family favorite, especially for my daddy and brother John Sr and John Jr." So here is our little family secret recipe for the best carrot cake. 

Grandmother Alice's Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups dark brown sugar

1 1/2 cups oil

4 eggs

2 cups plain flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3 cups grated carrots

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix oil and sugar, cream together well.

2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. 

3. Mix in dry ingredients and mix well.

4. Fold in grated carrots. 

5. Bake in 3, 8" round layers for 20-25 minutes. Cake will spring back when done. Cool and ice with cream cheese icing.

Cream Cheese Icing:

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

1/2 stick butter

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: 

1. Soften butter and cream cheese to room temperature then cream together well. 

2. Add the sugar and beat thoroughly, then fold in the nuts.

3. This recipe will cover a 3-layer cake. On the carrot cake, it seems better to make icing thick between the layers and leae just enough to make a thinner layer for the outside of the cake. 

Candied Carrots:

Directions:

1. Using a potato peeler, peel a carrot into thin ribbons. 

2. Create a smiple syrup with 1 cup water & 1 cup sugar. Bring the syrup up to a rolling boil then reduce to a simmer. Add carrot ribbons and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until the carrots are slightly opaque and soft. Cool the carrot ribbons on a cookie drying rack then decorate your cake. 

Scarpaccia (Greek Zucchini Tart)

 

One of our garden staples is trombonchino, an Italian zucchini variety. It grows great on trellises and is a prolific producer. My favorite feature of trombonchino is that there are no seeds in the long skinny part of the fruit, only seeds in the bulb. (just like a butternut squash) So trombonchino is great for any recipe you would use zucchini; easy to grate, excellent for slicing, roasting and sautes. This Greek preparation of zucchini was a fantastic choise for trombonchino. It is easy to prepare, bakes in one big pan and a good variation to mix up the vegetable routine. We tried this with some feta cheese sprinkled on top which was also really tasty. This variation calls for rosemerry, but you can also use dill, basil, chives or any fresh herbs you have on hand. 

This was our biggest trombonchino we grew last year. 😲

Scarpaccia (Greek Zucchini Tart)

Ingredients:

3 zucchinis (or trombonchino 😁) thinly sliced (4-5 cups)

1/2 onion thinly sliced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp rosemerry, finely chopped

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 cup flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. 

2. Press the mix thinly out onto a parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet. Bake about 35 minutes or until the endges are lightly crisped and browned. Cut and serve with tzatziki sauce.

Grating, chopping and freezing the giant trombonchino.

5 Seed Sourdough Loaf

 

This has become my favorite sourdough recipe. It takes a lot of time, but it is absolutely worth it. I love all the seeds. It makes an amazing toast for breakfast.

5-Seed Sourdough Loaf

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup warm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup starter

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together and knead in the bowl about 5 minutes, just until the gluten begins to form. 

2. Let the dough sit and ferment 6-8 hours. I leave mine overnight. 

3. Line a loaf pan with parchment. Shape your loaf and place it in the lined pan. Brush the loaf with water and sprinkle with some of the extra seeds. Then slice the loaf across the top.

4. Preheat your oven to 335 degrees. Let the bread rest while the oven preheats. Bake your bread for 50 - 60 minutes or until the bread is lightly golden and a tester inserted comes out clean. 

Sourdough Protien Granola

 

One of the lifestyle adjustements that we have made in the last year is the intentional addition of protien in our diet. My daily protien goal is 129g, which is hard to reach if you are not making some thoughtful additions. We have incorporated "protien stacking" when we think of meals and snacks. Protien stacking is the idea that meals incorporate multiple forms of protien together. One of our favorite protien stacking meals is a yogurt parfait: yogurt mixed with protien powder, fruit and protien granola. (almost 60g of protien) We are huge fans of Aldi's protien granola, but recently, it has not been in stock, so I attempted to make my own. This recipe worked out great. I used chocolate collagen powder, peanut butter powder and sourdough starter for my granola. You can totally add seeds, nuts or dried fruit. My family likes to have more basic granola for the parfaits and add their own extras, so this recipe was more plain. 

Sourdough Protien Granola

Ingredients:

6 cups oats

1 cup coconut oil (or butter)

1/2 cup starter

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons powdered peanut butter

2 scoops chocolate collagen powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup nuts, seeds or dried fruit (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

2. In a large bowl mix together the oats, oil, starter, peanutbutter and collagen powders and cinnamon. Mix well until sticky and incorporated. Gently mix in the nuts, seeds and fruit if using. 

3. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes then use a spatula to mix and turn the granola. It is a good idea to mix the edges into the middle and get the toasted bits off the bottom. Bake for 10-15 more minutes, or until the granola is all evenly golden and dried. It may take a few turns in the last 10-15 minutes to get the granola dried. 

4. Let the granola cool. Store in a sealed container for up to two weeks. 

Sourdough Discard Crackers

 Managing the lifecycle of sourdough is something I am working on understanding. I am trying to master a feeding and fermenting cycle that doesn't waste anything. I think my favorite discard recipe is this cracker recipe. The last time I used sourdough, when we were all home during the pandemic. I would feed my starter in the morning when the boys had just started virtual school, and pop these discard crackers in the oven. Fourty minutes later we would have a tray of fresh, crispy crackers in the kitchen. I have never had to store these crackers. With three boys, the batch always gets eaten off the tray before the end of the day. (this is also why I don't have any photos of my crackers)

On lieu of crackers, let's remember virtual school. 😬

Below, I have included the original recipe, and two others that I have used successfully. You can add whatever seasoning you have on hand, or that your family likes. We are huge fans of everything bagel seasoning, and 90% of the time, that is what goes on our crackers. 

This recipe uses 1 cup of discard. I don't always have a full cup of discard when I feed my starter. If that is the case, I put the discard in a container and store it in the refrigerator until I accumulate enough.

Sourdough Discard Crackers

Ingredients:

1 cup discard

2 tbsp of melted butter or oil

salt to taste

chosen seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix one cup of discard with your melted butter and salt. 

2. Spread your mix thinly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The thinner the mix, the crispier the crackers. Sprinkle any seasoning on top of your crackers. Everything bagel works great, smoked flake salt or elote are good too.

3. Bake your crackers in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. After 10 mniutes, remove the pan and using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the crackers into your desired shape and size. 

4. Return the crackers to the oven for 20-30 minutes (depending on the thickness of your dough) until the crackers are crispy and slightly browning on the edges. 

Variations:

Flax & Nutritional Yeast: Add 1 tbsp of flax meal and 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast to the batter with the oil and salt. These crackers are a little more hearty and have a great nutty and savory flavor.

Cheese: Add 1/3 cup of finely shredded cheese to the batter with the oil and salt. Be sure to spread these really thin. The cheese can make the dough thicker, and then they don't really crips up well.

Sourdough (discard) Cranberry Muffins

 It's January 2025! With the beginning of the new year it is a great time for reflection, to look back at the previous year and dream forward. A time to collect what worked, and release things that didn't serve. Every year our family has a New Year's Eve ritual of an Ebaneezer (collection of stones of remberance). We take time during the day to reflect on the year individually and we pick up rocks to remember and share things we want to celebrate or acknowledge. When we are in New England, we go to a beach and gather the smooth soft beach stones. This year our stones were sparkling and rough South Carolina mountain stones. We had the privelage to share our ritual with our extended South Carolina family. It is a refreshing and beautiful time to remember and hear from each other. It also makes room in my heart for a new year, a new start and a kind of reset. 

2024's Ebaneezer

This year, I decided to incorporate some creative and accessable activities for myself. 2024 was hard. The word that describes 2024 is "reorient." Living with chronic hip pain completely upended my life. All my normal routines were changed, my responsibilities in my family changed, most of the hobbies and activities that brought me joy were inaccessable. BUT, in the midst of the frustrations of the reorienting process, I got to see my husband blossom as a top-notch chef and avid gardner. My kids grew up into young adults testing out more independence and responsibility. My time with my boys was much more precious, and with no responsibilities, I have had some fantastic conversations with them and learned so much more about who they are, and what they love. I read a LOT of books in 2024, and played a lot of games on my phone...but it got a little boring. 

In 2025, I am adding some creative activities that I can do with minimal pain but that will bring me joy and scratch my creative itch that cooking, gardening, canning etc... used to satisfy. So I fed the sourdough starter Joe brought home from the restaurant. I discovered that sourdough is just the right pace for me. I feed it, I leave it...we both rest. I do something else...we both rest again. And then, a while later, I put it in the oven...wait and rest, and then there is something beautiful and delicious to enjoy and share. There will be quite a few sourdough recipes on the blog soon...look out!

Sourdough Cranberry Muffins is a recipe I like because it uses sourdough discard, (I hate throwing things away) and it incorporated the cranberries which were the only produce to make it in the refrigerator while we were gone over the holidays. I like how the cranberries are prepped in the microwave with brown sugar before they go into the muffins. You can do this step ahead of time and keep the cranberries in the refrigerator until you are ready.

Sourdough (discard) Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups cranberries

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup sourdough discard

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk*

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Zest of one orange (or lemon)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 cups flour

Sanding sugar or raw sugar for the tops

Directions:

1. In a small, microwave safe bowl, mix your cranberries and brown sugar. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. Give the cranberries a stir, they should be softening, bursting and releasing their juices. Set them aside to cool. While they cool, the sugar will soften and break them down more.

2. Using a mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar. When they are light and fluffy add the 2 eggs, one at a time until incorporated. Scrape your bowl down, and add the discard and vanilla. 

3. In a small bowl combine: baking soda, baking powder, salt, zest, cinnamon and flour. 

4. Starting and ending with your dry mixture, alternately add the dry mixture and buttermilk. Mix only until just combined. 

5. Fold in the cranberries and let it ferment. You should let the batter sit for at least an hour, but it works best if you can leave it overnight. If you live where it is very warm,  overnight the dough covered in the refrigerator. Here in Boston, I just left mine out on the counter. 

6. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and line a 12 count muffin tin. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffins and sprinkle with sanding sugar. 

7. Place the muffins in the preheated oven, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes.

*You can buy buttermilk from the store, but you can also use any kind milk and add a tablespoon of vinegar, then let it sit for about 5 minutes.

The last sunset of 2024. I took a tiny walk. Next year I hope I can take a nice long hike.