Sometimes you need a recipe that will enable you to use your discard quickly, with minimum fuss, and for a simple treat. These Sourdough Quick Buns are the answer. You can stir them up in minutes, and they air fry in 10-15 minutes. The buns don't need to rise, as they include baking powder. Nonetheless, they'll have the sourdough taste, and the yeast in the sourdough will give the buns an extra boost. You also don't have to cut in butter. A little heavy or whipping cream provides the necessary fat to the buns. You can vary what you add to the quick buns to suit your taste. I use a little grated lemon zest, a little grated ginger (from the squeeze bottle to save time and effort!), and some dried cranberries. The buns are great for a treat with dinner, for breakfast, or with your tea or coffee. Enjoy!
Air Fryer Sourdough Quick Buns -- Makes 8
1 cup of sourdough starter/discard
1/2 cup of heavy/whipping cream
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons of grated ginger (squeeze bottle ginger is fine)
1 cup of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of dried cranberries or raisins
Sugar to sprinkle
Cut small pieces of baking parchment to fit your air fryer basket. In a large bowl combine the starter/discard, cream, sugar, grated lemon zest, and grated ginger. Mix everything well. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Stir in the dried cranberries. Drop scoops of batter/dough (about 1/4 cup each) onto the prepared parchment, spacing the scoops at least an inch apart. Dampen your hands with a little water and shape the dough/batter into roundish disks, if you want. Or just leave the dough/batter in a more free-form shape (it's fine, really!). Sprinkle the top of the batter/dough with a little sugar. Put one dough/batter topped piece of parchment in your air fryer basket, put the basket in the air fryer, and air fry the buns at 320 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the first batch of buns to cool and repeat the cooking process with the remaining dough/batter.
