THE RECIPE JOURNAL

Soft, golden pretzels made with sourdough discard, ready the same day with no overnight wait. One of my favorites to have prepped for game day, movie night, or an after-school snack.

Same dough as the hamburger buns, shaped smaller and longer, discard worked in for tang, sturdy enough to hold a hot dog without splitting.

Mini sausages wrapped in a sourdough discard dough instead of crescent roll dough, the tang cuts through the richness of the sausage more than a plain dough would.

Small dough balls tossed in garlic butter and packed into a pan so they pull apart cheese-first, sourdough discard worked into the dough for extra flavor.

Thin salami slices fold and stack into a rose shape around mozzarella and tomato, a five-minute appetizer that looks like it took a lot longer.

Four ingredients, starter included, make up this pizza dough, with the fermentation doing a lot of the flavor work that yeast alone can't.

Discard swapped into the dough gives these buns a slight tang and a softer crumb than a standard bun, sturdy enough to hold a burger without falling apart.

Fried until the skin shatters, then tossed in BBQ sauce while still hot so it actually clings, a game-day standard done the classic way.

Cauliflower florets get battered and baked until crisp at the edges, then tossed in buffalo sauce, most of the crunch of a wing with none of the meat.

A dry rub of lemon pepper on wings fried until the skin shatters, no sauce needed, just a squeeze of fresh lemon at the end.

Honey mellows out the heat in this buffalo sauce without losing the kick, fried wings, tossed hot, sticky in the best way.

Discard worked into a simple dough, knotted, and brushed with garlic butter right out of the oven, a good use for starter between bakes.