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Sourdough discard soda
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Sourdough Soda

Sourdough soda is a unique, naturally fermented drink that's tangy, slightly sweet, and refreshingly effervescent. It's made using the wild yeasts and beneficial bacteria found in a sourdough starter, which is typically used for baking bread. This fermented beverage takes advantage of the fermentation process to produce its natural fizz and distinct flavor, offering a delightful and fun way to use sourdough culture to create something other than baked goods.
Course: Drinks
Keyword: bread, sourdough, sourdough discard
Servings: 0.5 liter soda

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 500 g water room temperature
  • 25 g cane sugar
  • ~20 g sourdough discard
  • ~65 g sourdough bread

Instructions

  • Toast the sourdough bread to your desired level. Bread that is toasted until it is very dark with charred parts will create a darker soda with a more malty and caramel flavor. Bread that is toasted till it is golden will produce a lighter soda.
  • Break the toasted bread into chunks and add it to a large mason jar. Add sugar, water, and sourdough discard, and mix until the sugar and sourdough discard dissolve into the water.
    Cover the top of the mason jar with a paper towel (or coffee filter) and secure it with a rubber band. This allows the mixture to breathe and release gases during fermentation while keeping out unwanted particles.
    Sourdough discard soda
  • Let the mixture ferment for 2-3 days, making to stir a couple of times every day to prevent any one floating piece of bread from staying on the surface too long.
    The soda is ready to be strained and bottled with it looks bubbly and smells a bit sour.
  • Discard large chunks of bread and strain the mixture using a cheesecloth, a fine mesh bag, or a coffee filter.
  • Bottle the mixture in a flip-top glass bottle and let it continue to ferment and carbonate in the fridge for at least 3 days before serving.
    Alternatively, for faster carbondation, you can let it continue to ferment at room temperature after bottling for one day before transferring it to the fridge to chill before serving.
    The soda may look a little cloudy but the yeast will settle during its second ferment in the fridge (similar to the natural yeast in kombucha settles at the bottom)
    Sourdough discard soda
  • Pop, and serve the soda over ice. You can keep the soda in the fridge for about 2 weeks. To prevent the soda from over-pressurizing, I recommend de-gassing the soda every couple of days.
    Please note that you may notice some white sediments at the bottom of the soda. This is the yeast mentioned above. For aesthetics, I recommend not re-mixing the sediments into the drink before serving so the soda maintains a more vibrant and clear look.

Notes

Recipe inspired from @ediblealchemy.co and @amateurfoodalchemist