Hi Stephanie, the reason we recommend discarding some of the starter with each feeding is that it's important for the starter components (starter, water and flour) to remain relatively in balance. If you just add flour and water to an ever growing amount of starter, the risk is that the starter won't be adequately nourished and may not perform as reliably as it should. While you could certainly create another starter by saving the discard in another container and feeding it, this can get out of control pretty quickly, and it's best to focus all your feedings and attention on one starter, since the more regularly you feed your starter, the more active it will be. This is why we offer so many delicious discard recipes! I keep a separate container in my refrigerator marked for discard, and add to it over the course of a few weeks. Since sourdough discard can generally be used straight from the refrigerator, this ensures that you'll always have some on hand if you need it. Every 3 weeks or so I empty out this container and start fresh, since the discard can get a little funky over time, and you're always generating fresh discard. If the idea of using all this discard in other recipes doesn't appeal to you, you could also consider maintaining a smaller starter. This method allows you to build the quantity of starter you have available as you gradually revive your starter from its stay in the refrigerator, and creates very little discard.
January 9, 2022 at 4:23pm
In reply to Why discard part of it… by Stephanie (not verified)
Hi Stephanie, the reason we recommend discarding some of the starter with each feeding is that it's important for the starter components (starter, water and flour) to remain relatively in balance. If you just add flour and water to an ever growing amount of starter, the risk is that the starter won't be adequately nourished and may not perform as reliably as it should. While you could certainly create another starter by saving the discard in another container and feeding it, this can get out of control pretty quickly, and it's best to focus all your feedings and attention on one starter, since the more regularly you feed your starter, the more active it will be. This is why we offer so many delicious discard recipes! I keep a separate container in my refrigerator marked for discard, and add to it over the course of a few weeks. Since sourdough discard can generally be used straight from the refrigerator, this ensures that you'll always have some on hand if you need it. Every 3 weeks or so I empty out this container and start fresh, since the discard can get a little funky over time, and you're always generating fresh discard. If the idea of using all this discard in other recipes doesn't appeal to you, you could also consider maintaining a smaller starter. This method allows you to build the quantity of starter you have available as you gradually revive your starter from its stay in the refrigerator, and creates very little discard.