In a constant effort to never, ever send even one tablespoon of sourdough starter discard down the drain, I am ever vigilant about finding new and different ways to use the discard without any negative impact to my psyche. (And yes, I still subscribe to the “waste not, want not” theory from being raised by parents who survived the depression. And similarly, I’m still under the influence of being raised Missouri synod Lutheran, where frugality was never openly discussed, but the implication was that being thrifty was a God-like condition.)

So, no matter how ridiculous this tendency of mine to not even discard a bit of discard, I’m stuck with my habits. (And whatever you do, don’t get me started on getting every last bit of toothpaste out of the tube! I’m positively irrational!) Anyway, enough about my quirks!

I found this wonderful recipe on the kingarthurbaking.com site. I changed the directions around a bit and made a modification to the amounts and type of flour called for in the original recipe, but the rest is straight out of the King Arthur kitchens.

Now I know the true definition of a quick bread is any bread leavened with a chemical leavening agent (baking powder or baking soda) rather than a biological one like yeast or sourdough starter. But this bread contains baking powder, baking soda, and sourdough starter. So, it should be a super quick bread. And you know what, it is. You don’t even need a mixer. And delicious? You bet. Perfect toasted for breakfast or as a lovely snack to go along with your late morning or afternoon cup of coffee or tea.

So, if you too are looking for new and different ways to use up your sourdough discard, this bread is just waiting to be enjoyed by everyone in your family.

As always, keep smiling at all the wonderful things life has to offer. Keep laughing with your family and keep counting your blessings. As much as I make fun of my tendency to be frugal, it certainly helped me calmly maneuver through some rough patches when I still had children dependent upon my ability to squeeze a penny. We made it through with our dignity intact, our real needs met, and a true sense of pride.

And to this day I thank God for the parents he chose for me. Without their insight into what really matters, their example of kindness, and their belief that all troubles will resolve themselves eventually, I doubt I would have been able to provide any kind of a decent example for my own children to follow.

Sometimes we don’t realize all the blessings we have received over the years until we get a bit older. And then, only because we have the time to ponder something other than work or how to get the laundry done before everyone runs out of underwear. Don’t wait. Count your blessing now. Or better yet, count them while your folding laundry.

Peace and love to all.

¾ c. whole wheat flour

1¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour   

½ c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter

½ c. real maple syrup

½ tsp. maple extract

½ c. buttermilk

¾ c. sourdough starter discard

2 lg. eggs

1½ c. chopped walnuts

Grease a 9 x 5-inch (roughly 1 lb.) or 2 7½ x 4-inch (roughly ½ lb.) loaf pans. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.

In a separate microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Then whisk in the maple syrup, maple extract, buttermilk, sourdough starter, and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring just until the mixture is evenly combined. Stir in the walnuts.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan(s). Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven until the top of the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 70 minutes (large pan), 45-50 minutes (smaller pans). The internal temperature should reach at least 200-degrees. Tent the bread with foil after 45 minutes if it’s browning too quickly.

Remove from oven and cool in the pan(s) on a rack for 15 minutes before turning it out on the rack to cool completely before slicing.  Store the bread, tightly wrapped in plastic, at room temperature. Freeze the loaves for longer storage.