Join me for a beginner-friendly sourdough class at Athena VII in Sandy on Thursday, October 29, at 7pm.
We’ll cover a classic country loaf and Jack Skellington scoring (see some variations I shows on Fox 13 earlier this month here). You’ll take home active starter (Dez) and enjoy unlimited sourdough samples.
$50 · Register here
Know someone ready to start baking? Pass this along!
This started with double-sourdough chicken nuggets: starter in the batter, sourdough crumbs on the outside. Then I kept going.
By the time I taught these in a virtual Sourdough Everything class, I’d worked sourdough into seven places—from marinade to buttered buns.
Do you need all seven? No. The seven is extra. Pick what sounds fun, use what you have, and make nuggets or sandwiches.
Sevenfold Sourdough Chicken
Makes about 8 sandwiches using 2 lb (907 g) chicken.
Plan ahead: Marinate the chicken and make the sauce the night before. Follow the linked bun recipe’s schedule, and have 25 g dried starter and 55 g dried sourdough bread ready for the dredge, crumbs, and Mooon Dust.
1: Marinade → Sourdough for Tenderizing
Ingredients
907 g boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 pounds)
365 g sourdough discard (unfed starter)
148 g buttermilk (or stir 148 g milk + 7 g fresh lemon juice, let sit 5–10 minutes, then measure out 148 g)
7 g salt
2 g black pepper
3 g garlic powder
3 g onion powder
1 g cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
Instructions
Whisk together the sourdough discard, buttermilk (or prepared substitute), salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne.
If doing chicken sandwiches, add the whole chicken breasts and toss to coat completely.
If doing chicken nuggets or chicken strips, slice into desired chunk/strip size before adding to marinade.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
After the marinade:
Cutting the chicken for sandwiches: Remove chicken from the marinade and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Slice each breast horizontally into thinner cutlets about 1.25 cm thick. Pound if needed to even thickness and trim to fit your sourdough potato hamburger buns. You should end up with 6–9 cutlets total.
For nuggets or strips, drain and pat dry before breading.
2: Mustard Chili Crunch Dipping/Sandwich Sauce → with Starter
Ingredients
163 g plain Greek yogurt
59 g whole grain mustard
22 g honey (plus extra 8–15 g if needed)
47 g sourdough discard
13 g apple cider vinegar
2 g salt
2 g black pepper
7 g chili crisps with oil (plus extra 8–13 g fresh for serving)
Instructions
Whisk everything together (except the extra crisps for serving).
Simmer on low heat (80–90°C / gentle bubbles at the edge) for 5–7 minutes, stirring constantly so the yogurt doesn’t curdle.
Cool completely, then refrigerate until ready to use.
Before serving, stir in extra honey to taste and the reserved chili crisps.
3: Sourdough Potato Buns
These are involved, but worth it. I recommend following Maurizio’s recipe from The Perfect Loaf. (It is also in his book, The Perfect Loaf.) Skip this step if just making nuggets.
Complete steps 4–7 on the day you serve.
4: Flour Mix (Bowl 1)
163 g all-purpose flour
25 g dehydrated sourdough starter (unfed, dried and finely ground)
15 g powdered dry sourdough breadcrumbs (very finely ground — do not toast; see note)
5 g salt
2 g black pepper
5 g paprika
5 g dried herbs (oregano or thyme)
5: Egg–Sourdough Wash (Bowl 2)
155–190 g beaten eggs (about 3 large eggs)
163 g sourdough discard
6: Breadcrumb Mix (Bowl 3)
40 g panko breadcrumbs (lightly toasted)
26 g dry sourdough bread crumbs/dust (lightly toasted — see note)
66 g grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Note on sourdough bread crumbs/dust:
Dry leftover sourdough bread completely in a low oven (200°F / 95°C for 1–2 hours until brittle).
Grind 29 g into a fine powder: use 15 g untoasted in Bowl 1 and reserve 14 g as Mooon Dust for the buns.
For Bowl 3: grind 26 g into coarser crumbs and lightly toast in a dry skillet or 350°F oven for 3–5 minutes until fragrant and golden.
Breading Steps
Set up the three bowls.
Dredge each cutlet/piece in Bowl 1 (flour + dehydrated starter + untoasted powdered sourdough), shake off excess.
Dip fully in Bowl 2.
Coat well in Bowl 3 (toasted panko + toasted sourdough crumbs), pressing gently.
Baking
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheets with parchment and spray with avocado oil.
Arrange the breaded chicken on the sheets and spray the tops with oil.
Bake 15–20 minutes, flipping and respraying halfway, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Timing will vary with the size of the pieces.
7: Parmesan and Mooon Dust Butter
A savory finishing butter for your toasted sourdough buns. Enough for approximately 7 sandwiches.
Ingredients
42 g unsalted butter, melted
14 g Mooon Dust (finely ground dried sourdough)
21 g Parmesan, finely grated
Method
Melt the butter gently, without browning.
Combine Mooon Dust and Parmesan in a separate bowl.
Brush the cut sides of the sourdough buns with melted butter.
Sprinkle the Mooon Dust–Parmesan mixture evenly over the buttered surfaces, pressing lightly to adhere.
Toast at 375°F (190°C) for approximately 4–6 minutes, until the Parmesan melts and the surface becomes golden and fragrant.
To serve
Serve hot cutlets on the toasted buns with chili crunch sauce and your favorite toppings, or serve nuggets with the sauce for dipping.
I’ve made these a half dozen times, and I keep experimenting. Make them your own, and let me know how many sourdough layers you try!
See you all next time!
-Jordan with Mooon Bread