What to do with discard is a dilemma anybody who has a Sourdough baby can identify with. I hate waste. But I also don't want my family to feel like every meal tastes like Sourdough! The discard is due to the fact that the hungry little Sourdough, like any baby, needs regular love and feeding. And unless you have a very large family, the rate of feeding does not equal the rate of Sourdough bread you are baking. What I like doing with that wonderful excess Sourdough starter is to make flapjacks - which; depending on your country and home culture, is also known as a pancake. Except in South Africa where we call pancakes what the Americans call a crepe. English is truly a confusing language and not spoken the same by English speakers. But .... moving on ... today I had an overflowing Sourdough starter and a batch of hungry tummy's.
We have a bunch of apples getting a little soft and I had steamed them with raisins. It made a delicious apple puree. Turns out apple puree in flapjacks is a winner combination!
The fermentation process of Sourdough makes it an excellent prebiotic and probiotic food as well as being far higher in all its natural goodness. Because of the fermentation process any food baked with Sourdough starter is far more digestible and readily assimilated in our gut. Because our digestive system is our first brain - yes, you read correctly - a happy gut means a better functioning body and brain. Sourdough is the ancient method of baking bread without the side effects of instant yeast.
SOURDOUGH APPLE FLAPJACKS (makes 12)
1 cup Sourdough starter
1/2 cup Brown stoneground flour
1/2 cup apple puree
1/2 cup coconut milk
Dash of salt
Sprinkle of sodium bicarbonate
Generous dose of cinnamon
Make sure your apple puree is room temperature. The flapjacks are as simple as popping all the ingredients into a bowl and blending thoroughly.
Then let sit for 10 minutes. My cast iron pots and pans are my favourite tools for frying. Add a dash of coconut oil to the pan and keep on a medium to low heat.
The apple in the flapjacks can cause slight burning so rather keep the temperature low. Scoop out a bit of the flapjack mix and pop a lid on to steam through for a few minutes. Once the flapjacks bubble then you can carefully flip them and cook that side another couple minutes. Then serve!!!
The Sourdough Apple Flapjacks really impressed us with their flavour. The apple puree diffuses the intensity of Sour-dough. It is also not too sweet but enough so, that you can gobble them up as is!
To jazz it up drizzle a little Maple Syrup and add a dollop of macadamia nut cream. Plus extra cinnamon. Of course! And don't get too distracted taking photos of your culinary creations because you may find an empty plate before you finish plating up!