Back in February of 2019 I came across an amazing, revolutionary concept: sourdough starter. It truly changed my life. Little did I know, sourdough culture has been around since the dawn of time practically and has always been the traditional yeast used to leaven breads.
Ironically, at the beginning of 2020 when the world seemed to flip upside-down, people started running back to their intuitive nature to learn how to gain some self-sufficiency back into their lives that have been so privileged with abundance and convenience. While not necessarily a bad thing, we all collectively realized our dire need to develop realistic life skills.
Sourdough starter/culture became a huge topic people were striving to learn about in a time when store-bought yeast options became scarce.
We all were stuck at home more often as well so naturally we all started cooking and experimenting more with food.
I highly recommend getting a sourdough starter from a friend or starting one on your own. There are so many health benefits to fermenting your grains with sourdough starter and it is the original natural yeast used to rise our bread products. I will be writing a post soon on how to start your own sourdough starter from scratch so tune in for that!
There are many delicious recipes, other than just sourdough bread, that you can add sourdough starter to in order to help ferment your grains within that recipe, add a more robust flavor, and add some extra moisture.
This “recipe” however, is not really a recipe that contains sourdough stater, but rather a way to enjoy your tangy sourdough culture as-is with no added ingredient!
This method makes a crispy sourdough flatbread that is a welcomed side dish to many meals, a sturdy foundation to stack toppings on, or simply a satisfying “cheesy” snack when you need that added CRUNCH!
Ingredients
Sourdough starter discard (active or inactive)*
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Olive Oil
*Inactive starter will produce a sharper, “cheesier” flavor compared to active starter
Instructions
Heat a skillet on the stove to medium heat.
Add in a generous amount of olive oil in order to coat the bottom of the skillet in a thin layer about ¼ in thick.
Immediately pour in the desired amount of sourdough starter into the skillet in order to form a rough circular shape. (*note: if your starter is unfed, it will likely turn into a “starburst” shape due to its consistency)
Season with a little bit of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. The starter already has a strong flavor on its own so not much seasoning is needed here, but totally up to you.
Allow the flatbread to cook on this first side for about 3-5 minutes or until you notice the edges starting to brown and crisp up. Get ready to flip over flatbread with a spatula.
Using your spatula, lift up the flatbread enough to view the side that is face-down cooking and determine if it is a golden brown color overall and firm and crisp in texture.
At this point, slide your spatula completely under the flatbread and lift it up a few inches above the cooking oil and quickly pour in some more olive oil into the skillet. After the oil is added, follow through with flipping the flatbread over so that the uncooked side is now face-down in the oil. Allow flatbread to cook for another 5-7 minutes, periodically checking that it is not burning.
When both sides are relatively golden brown and crispy, turn the heat down to low and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes, flipping over every minute or so. This continuous flipping on low heat ensures your flatbread will cook through all the way on the inside and will also prevent burning on the outsides.
Once you see that your sourdough flatbread is firm and crispy on both sides, remove it from the skillet and allow a few minutes to cool slightly before slicing and serving. Enjoy & Shalom!
A delicious way to eat this flatbread is with a jammy fried egg on top with caramelized onions and everything bagel seasoning. It also makes a super quick “bread” for a savory lunch or dinner meal. Think steak or soup. Crumble this up into small pieces and add into your favorite salad for a nice crunchy element. Super versatile!
Crispy Sourdough Starter Flatbread
Equipment
- Medium shallow pan/skillet
- Spatula
Ingredients
- Liquid Sourdough Starter (pancake batter consistency) *Fed (active) or Unfed (inactive)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- Heat a skillet on the stove to medium heat.
- Add in a generous amount of olive oil in order to coat the bottom of the skillet in a thin layer about ¼ in thick.
- Immediately pour in the desired amount of sourdough starter into the skillet in order to form a rough circular shape. (*note: if your starter is unfed, it will likely turn into a “starburst” shape due to its consistency)
- Season with a little bit of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. The starter already has a strong flavor on its own so not much seasoning is needed here, but totally up to you.
- Allow the flatbread to cook on this first side for about 3-5 minutes or until you notice the edges starting to brown and crisp up. Get ready to flip over flatbread with a spatula.
- Using your spatula, lift up the flatbread enough to view the side that is face-down cooking and determine if it is a golden brown color overall and firm and crisp in texture.
- At this point, slide your spatula completely under the flatbread and lift it up a few inches above the cooking oil and quickly pour in some more olive oil into the skillet.
- After the oil is added, follow through with flipping the flatbread over so that the uncooked side is now face-down in the oil. Allow flatbread to cook for another 5-7 minutes, periodically checking that it is not burning.
- When both sides are relatively golden brown and crispy, turn the heat down to low and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes, flipping over every minute or so. This continuous flipping on low heat ensures your flatbread will cook through all the way on the inside and will also prevent burning on the outsides.
- Once you see that your sourdough flatbread is firm and crispy on both sides, remove it from the skillet and allow a few minutes to cool slightly before slicing and serving. Enjoy & Shalom!