Directions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 275˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the sourdough discard, olive oil, liquid sweetener, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl until smooth. Using a spatula, fold in the oats, nuts, seeds, and coconut, until thoroughly coated and evenly combined. Sprinkle the mixture with salt and stir to combine.

2. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and spread into a loose-textured even layer (do not compress it), about 1/2 inch deep.

3. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the oven and stir the contents, loosening the mixture while also redistributing the lighter and darker parts. Reduce the oven temperature to 225˚F and return to the oven for 30 minutes.

5. Continue stirring and baking in 30-minute intervals until the granola is evenly golden brown and crisp throughout, for a total bake time of 2 to 3 hours. If it is beginning to get darker than you’d like before it is fully crisp, reduce the oven temperature even further, 25˚F at a time.

6. Once the granola is crisp, turn off the oven and leave the tray in it until cooled completely.

7. Stir in dried fruit, if using, and transfer to an airtight container.

Additional Notes

• If you don’t have 240g sourdough discard on hand, just make some the day before by combining 100g Artisan Bread Flour, 100g water, and 40g 100%-hydration starter in a container and let it proof at room temperature for at least 12 hours before using. (Feel free to let it overproof, it’s fine in this case.)
• Feel free to add other ingredients to the liquid portion of the recipe, if desired, provided they don’t include lots of additional water. Nut butters or tahini are nice here, up to 1/2 cup (128g) per batch.
• Play around with the flavorings once you get a hang of the basic recipe. I often add ground ginger, cardamom, and other warm spices to mine. And I also sometimes swap out the vanilla extract with almond or use a mixture of the two.
• Feel free to alter the ratio of oats, seeds, nuts, and coconuts as desired. If you are out of any one class of ingredient, just add more of another.
• This granola starts off with a lot of moisture in it. Beginning with at a relatively high temperature helps to start evaporating it, but it takes time to drive off fully, which is why stirring regularly is helpful.
• Pay attention to how quickly the granola begins to brown on the top layer, and at the edges of the tray. If it’s getting dark too quickly, reduce the oven temperature as directed and keep baking.
• There’s really no getting around the length of time this takes to dry out and bake, with all the moisture here. If you don’t mind smaller clusters, you can divide the mixture between two baking sheets instead of one, on the upper- and lower-middle racks, which will shave off an hour or so from the bake. Be sure to rotate the pans from shelf to shelf each time you stir.
• Be sure to bake the granola until it is completely crisp; to test it, compress a small cluster of it between your fingers. It should crumble easily and fully without much force. If not, keep baking.
• Leaving the tray in an off oven to cool fully ensures every last bit of moisture has been driven off. If your granola is already as dark as you’d like at this point, cool it outside of the oven instead.

Makes about 10 cups of granola.

Recipe contributed by Wordloaf