The best fall sourdough recipes that use sourdough starter for fall-inspired breads, rolls, cakes, and cookies.
Sourdough is for more than bread; it can be used in just about any baked good. And when fall rolls around and you’re craving pumpkin spice or apple cinnamon, your sourdough starter can still be part of the fun.
Don’t be afraid of a sour taste in these baked goodies. Adding starter to sweets mimics a sour cream or buttermilk flavor: slightly tangy, but not sour. Oftentimes you won’t notice any difference and no one will know that there’s sourdough in there at all!
Fall Baking Essentials
If you love fall quick breads and cakes, you will love having a special harvest themed baking pan like this sunflower harvest pan.
Boiled apple cider (concentrated apple cider) has rich apple flavor that’s delicious for any sweet sourdough baked good, as well as using to mix up a quick glaze.
Make sure to stock up on cinnamon, molasses, and nutmeg!
Sourdough Apple Cake
Our favorite use of sourdough discard in the crisp months, sourdough apple cake is loaded with cinnamon, cloves, and apples. Topped with a cream cheese frosting with a splash of apple cider, it’s a true taste of fall in one little pan.
GET THE RECIPE FOR SOURDOUGH APPLE CAKE
Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
Nothing says fall baking like pumpkin bread, and if you’re looking for a moist pumpkin bread with just the right amount of spice, this recipe can’t be beat. Great, classic pumpkin bread flavor and just the slightest bit of tang from the sourdough starter. One of my favorite fall sourdough recipes!
Who could resist a deep fried doughnut loaded with apple flavor? And this apple fritter recipe is light on the inside, slightly crisp on the outside, and has fresh apples in the batter. An absolutely delicious fall recipe!
These do need a lot of time before they’re ready, but a lot of that time is just waiting on your dough. Perfect for a weekend morning spent at home.
Cookies say fall is in the air and back to school, don’t they? And any little person would love to come home to a plate of these peanut butter cookies on the counter. This recipe uses just the right amount of sourdough discard for a soft and chewy peanut butter cookie that the whole family will love.
Fall is pie baking time. Whether your favorite is pumpkin, apple, or pecan, you need a pie crust. Why not use some of your discarded sourdough starter to make some? This recipe turns out a flaky and tender pie crust every time. You’ll appreciate the detailed instructions and step by step photos that ensure even beginners will get this one right!
There’s nothing like a big square piece of old fashioned gingerbread. Warm, spicy, and not too sweet, gingerbread is perfect in fall and will carry you all through the winter. This recipe is easy to make and produces a perfectly moist spiced cake that you will simply love.
Molasses cookies are one of the best fall desserts! The epitome of warm and cozy spices that smell absolutely delicious while they bake, and adding your starter to this cookie recipe is a great way to use it.
Like any great molasses cookies recipe, this one turns out crisp edges and a soft and chewy center. You will love them.
Two of the best things about baking cinnamon bread are warming up the kitchen in the morning and a sweet cinnamon smell wafting through the house. Cinnamon swirl bread is perfect for fall mornings, and you can make an easy version using your sourdough starter. This bread dough is easy to work with and uses no yeast. Shape in the evening and bake the next morning for a sweet and delicious breakfast loaf.
GET THE SOURDOUGH CINNAMON BREAD RECIPE HERE
Sourdough Apple Cobbler
Cobbler is one of the fall desserts because its easier than pie but just as delicious. And you can absolutely use your sourdough starter in your cobbler topping.
The recipe below can be used with any fruit. To make the best apple cobbler, simply mix up apples, sugar and spices. (And of course, top with vanilla ice cream!)
Oatmeal muffins are a cozy and delicious breakfast that can be made ahead and frozen. Muffins are a great way to use your sourdough discard, and these fall muffins are one of the best.
Keri Says: Though it's comparable to a regular slice of white bread in the amount of calories, carbs and fiber, sourdough is lower in sugar and higher in protein, which gives it a leg up. Traditional white bread is usually made with sugar, canola oil, and dried, preserved yeast to leaven the dough.
Past-Peak and Falling: If your starter/leaven is past-peak and is beginning to fall in height, it is beyond the optimal point to use it for baking, but it will still work. The only thing to consider is that once a starter peaks, it starts to become more acidic as it falls.
Keeping the lid on for the first part of baking allows steam to expand between the gluten fibers to rise the bread and create a fluffy loaf. Step 4: Remove the lid and bake for an additional 12-14 minutes or until the crust is crispy and golden brown. Once you take the lid off, the bread likely won't rise anymore.
An active sourdough starter, one that has doubled in size, will eventually fall back down. This is normal. There's nothing wrong with your starter when it falls; it's just losing its strength as it goes down. It will only stay fully risen for 1-2 hours (this varies).
Is it healthy to eat sourdough everyday? You could eat sourdough every day, but it isn't necessarily healthy to do so. A healthy diet is characterized by balance and moderation. Whether or not it is healthy for you to consume sourdough every day depends on the rest of your diet.
The best bread to reduce gut inflammation is bread made from whole grains. Refined grains, such as the grains found in white bread and white pasta, are known to increase inflammation across the whole body. Sourdough bread and rye bread are both good options for an anti-inflammatory diet.
If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.
If it gets contaminated with mold… thats the only way really for it to go bad. Sourdough starters are very resilient, and if left alone, they can go dormant, and will smell strongly of vinegar, and even almost acetone.
Keep feeding your starter, and you'll see normal activity (bubbles) return in a few days. If your starter has a bit of dark liquid on top, it's not dead! It simply means it's hungry and that it's time to feed it. Unless your starter has a pink or orange hue or is beginning to mold, you probably haven't killed it yet.
Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda can be used in sourdough bread to create a less sour loaf. Added after bulk fermentation, but before shaping, it can help to create a lighter, more fluffy loaf of sourdough.
It strikes a perfect balance of softness and structure, making it an ideal choice for various recipes. Due to its wide availability and affordability, all-purpose flour is often my top recommendation for creating and maintaining a sourdough starter.
When your starter is reliably rising to double or triple its size and falling in the jar anywhere between 4-8 hours after you feed it (dependent on your ambient conditions and the flour you feed with) it is ready to bake with. When the starter is at the peak of its rise, it is called ripe, fed, or mature.
Yes you can use sourdough starter after it falls. It's best to use it at its peak when the yeast colony is at its greatest, but using it after it falls is also possible. Using the starter after it's started collapsing is often used as a technique to make sourdough more sour.
Freshly baked sourdough can be left out on the countertop for a day or two before using any of the rest of the methods in this guide. After cutting into the loaf, the crucial step is to ensure you leave it cut side down on your breadboard or chopping board.
With its lower calorie count and potential benefits for blood sugar regulation, sourdough bread offers a delicious and healthier alternative to regular bread. Remember, moderation and portion control are key to achieving your weight loss goals.
Sourdough bread may have health benefits. Beneficial bacteria and low phytates make sourdough bread easy to digest, and they may also help with weight loss, this may be due to its glycemic index and glycemic load. Sourdough bread is a fermented food that people around the world have eaten for thousands of years.
Sourdough is a healthier alternative to regular white or whole wheat bread. Although it has comparable nutrients, the lower phytate levels mean it is more digestible and nutritious. The prebiotics also help to keep your gut bacteria happy, and it may be less likely to spike blood sugar levels.
Sourdough bread is also high in fiber, which helps you stay full longer and eat less throughout the day. Therefore, it allows you to lose weight. Try a slice of sourdough toast with a small amount of almond butter or mashed avocado. Dark rye bread tastes great and is also a winner when it comes to losing abdominal fat.
Introduction: My name is Carlyn Walter, I am a lively, glamorous, healthy, clean, powerful, calm, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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