Having an active sourdough starter stowed away in your fridge opens the door to a myriad of enticing dishes. This natural fermenting agent serves as a substitute for commercial yeast and is utilized to bake a variety of bread types, not limited to the crispy white boule most often associated with the word "sourdough." Once you have baked your loaf of sourdough, you can consume it as it is or incorporate it into numerous other dishes such as stuffing, tartines, or bread pudding.

In the process of maintaining your sourdough starter, you may find yourself with sourdough discard. Instead of eliminating it, this discard can be converted into tangy, flavorful pancakes, biscuits, crackers, and more, adding a wonderful complexity to the dishes. Bryan Ford, the author of New World Sourdough, has recreated Latin American loaves that have flavors exclusive to Guadalajara's environment.

Simultaneously, sourdough discard and rich buttermilk can be utilized to give waffles their unique tang. Once you've experienced homemade crackers, you'll recognize their flavor possibilities with sourdough discard and cornmeal. Even biscuits can be made tangy with sourdough discard combined with chimichurri and queso fresco, thanks to the recipes by baker Bryan Ford.

Beginners and adept bakers alike can follow the sourdough bread recipe to get a loaf baking in just 40 minutes, with the hardest part being waiting for the bread to cool before you can slather it with butter. The benefits of using sourdough extend into making crisp sourdough croutons for a salad filled with tender greens, raw onions, fresh herbs, and delicious crab meat. Alternatively, these croutons can be used as a stuffing that even meat eaters and vegetarians will enjoy, accompanied by a variety of mushrooms such as chanterelle and oyster.

The sourdough boule with a sturdy crust can be hollowed out and filled with melted Brie. Likewise, you can create a bread bowl for a gooey cheesy appetizer with a bechamel sauce filling. Even mussels can be enhanced by using sourdough toasts in a luscious wine broth accompanying a salad of shaved fennel and fried capers.

Food writer Laura Lazzaroni's soft, fluffy bread recipe uses sourdough discard added to extra virgin olive oil instead of lard. This dough can be fermented in a fridge for two days to give it creaminess and a delightful hint of acidity. In another version, 2017 F&W Best New Chef Val M. Cantu's sourdough tortillas infuse the flavors of both San Francisco and Mexico, grilling the steak and scallions for the salsa.

If you're eager for more, gluten-free sourdough is a viable provision. A strong starter can be created with white rice and teff flours, with teff adding a high protein content that aids in building structure. Another special loaf that can be made with sourdough combines soaked rye berries in buttermilk, raisins, cinnamon, and chunks of heirloom apples that release their juices into the crumb while baking.

For a quick dinner, you could create a sheet-pan meal of roasted chicken on a smoky, peppery bed of potatoes and red onions with crispy sourdough croutons in just 20 minutes. You can create a tasty stuffing with Italian sausage, curly kale, red onion flavored with herbs and spices for an easy meal. Preparing the bread pudding with sourdough can be done a day ahead to ensure a hassle-free mealtime.

The versatile sourdough starter gives you a plethora of possibilities to explore in your culinary adventures, proof that the humble fermenting yeast can bring a whole new level of flavor to your table.