If you have sourdough discard you need to use, try making some simple Sourdough Apricot-Pecan Buns. The little buns are a tad crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. They're studded with sweet dried apricots and crunchy pecans and are great "as is" or with butter or even cream cheese. The buns rely on sourdough starter/discard for leavening, so you won't need baking powder or soda to make them. You will need to let the buns rise for at least an hour before baking them. I bake the buns in my air fryer to avoid heating up the kitchen with the large oven, but, if you want to use the oven, bake the buns at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. You can glaze or ice the buns, dust them with powdered sugar, or leave them plain. The buns are great for breakfast and/or as accompaniments to coffee and tea. Enjoy!
Sourdough Apricot-Pecan Buns -- Makes about 8
1 cup of flour (I use 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup of whole-wheat flour)
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of sugar
1 cup of sourdough starter/discard
1/2 cup of chopped, dried apricots
1/2-1 teaspoon of grated orange zest
1/2 cup of chopped pecans (preferably toasted)
Put the flour in a large bowl and cut in the butter until you have large crumbs. Add the canola oil and stir it in to form more crumbs. Add the salt and sugar and stir them in. Stir in the discard until combined. Add the chopped dried apricots, orange zest, and chopped pecans and stir them in. Form about eight golf ball-sized dough balls, spritz them with non-stick spray or oil, cover the balls lightly with plastic wrap, and place them on baking parchment to rise for at least an hour or, more likely two to three, hours. The dough should puff up a little and increase by about one-third in size. When you're ready to bake, preheat the regular oven to 350 degrees and bake the buns for about 20 minutes or until a deep golden brown. If you want to use your air fryer, air fry several buns at a time at 320 degrees for about 15 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove the buns to cool and repeat the cooking process with the remaining buns.
