I believe in the power of simple, natural ingredients to create delicious and nutritious meals. And this beer batter recipe made with sourdough discard is no exception! Not only does it result in a crispy, flavorful batter, but it also helps reduce food waste by using up your sourdough starter that might otherwise go to waste.
But what is sourdough discard, you ask? It’s simply the portion of your sourdough starter that’s discarded during the feeding process to keep the yeast culture alive and active. And it turns out, it makes a great addition to this beer batter recipe!
As someone who believes in a balanced healthy lifestyle, I know that deep frying can often get a bad rap. But I also believe that it’s okay to indulge in some crispy, golden-brown goodness from time to time, especially when you use healthier options for oil. And that’s exactly what I did when I set out to make fish and chips this afternoon. I saw my sourdough starter sitting on the counter and decided to add it to my batter on a whim, and let me tell you – it was a great decision! The fish came out wonderfully soft and flaky while the batter got really crispy and delicious that sets it apart from traditional beer batter.
Making this beer batter with sourdough discard is a great way to add a new twist to a classic dish. In addition to the unique flavor and texture that sourdough adds to this beer batter recipe, it also provides a health benefit that sets this batter apart from others, and the crispy texture perfectly complements the soft and flaky fish.
Fish n chips made with sourdough discard was a spur of the moment idea this afternoon and wow was it a great idea!! The fish came out wonderfully soft and flaky while the batter got really crispy and delicious.
sourdough dicard beer batter
Servings
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup rice flour (which is important because it gives the batter a nice crunch, as rice flour gets crispy when fried)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter (can be discard)
- 1 3/4 cup beer or setltzer
- 2 Tbsp malt vinegar (or any vinegar you have)
- 2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
- 3 lb white flesh fish such as cod or flounder
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Let the batter sit for at least 1-2 hours or overnight in the fridge.
- Dip your fish in the batter and fry until golden brown.
Sourdough Cinnamon Buns
The recipe is great but don’t use a cast iron Dutch oven to fry the fish, unless it is enamel on the inside…because the fish will stick to the bottom.
Hi Raisa,
Thank you for pointing this out! The cast iron pan does need to be well-seasoned to prevent sticking. I’ve been using my cast iron pan for this recipe for several years without any issues. I make sure to re-season my pan after washing it a few times to keep it in top shape.
This is an absolutely awesome recipe. I didn’t have rice flour so I used regular flour instead. I then added 2T white sugar for an added crisp. Worked well in a pinch!
Thank you Elizabeth for the great feedback, I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe.
The flavor was good but we found this batter to be far too runny to coat the fish and keep much on the filets as they cook.
I’m sorry to hear that the batter did not work out. I would love to help you troubleshoot the issue, did you use the same flour as the recipe?
Absolutely delicious! A friend of ours brought us some fresh water perch filets recently and shortly after I stumbled on your recipe. I just started my sourdough journey and was looking for non waste ways of using up discard.
I adjusted the amounts of flours and beer a little to get the consistency I like. And I lightly dredged the filets in seasoned flour before battering it. The batter hung onto the filets beautifully!! I also used an iron skillet, they fried perfectly and nothing stuck.
The oil has to be hot enough and you have to dip one end into the skillet and move it back n forth a little before completely letting go of fish and laying it down to prevent sticking.
This batter had wonderful flavor, the fish itself was protected and cooked perfectly and it was crispy and chewy in all the right ways!! I’ve made beer batters before without sourdough and it was never this good. Thank you so much for the recipe it’s definitely a keeper and now I can wait to do some veg and mushrooms with it lol
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I’m so glad you enjoyed the batter—it’s amazing how sourdough discard can take it to the next level, isn’t it? I’m sure the veggies and mushrooms will turn out just as delicious. Let me know how it goes when you try them—I’d love to hear all about it! 😊