Steps

• Procedure without leavening
  The day of the first realization of these pastry baskets (made with dough using sourdough discard), I did not wait for leavening, I proceeded immediately to baking, as I usually do for breadsticks and crackers.

  I dissolved the discard in lukewarm water, added the oil and flour, and kneaded (by hand).

  I rolled out the dough with a rolling pin and cut out with a cutter some dough disks 3-4 inches in diameter, similar to mini tortillas.

  I placed them on the back of the muffin mold (in silicone).

  👉 Baking on the inverted mold allows you to obtain baskets with wide and wavy edges, so a bit more spacious than baskets that are obtained by inserting the dough disk inside the mold.

  

• Baking: in the oven at 356-392°F for about 10 minutes.

  You can also consider a couple more minutes for well-cooked and crispy baskets, in any case, the time may depend on the oven used.

  

• Procedure with 4-hour leavening
  In this second case, I used the same ingredients, but I let the dough rise for a few hours before proceeding to make the baskets.

  After dissolving the discard in lukewarm water, adding oil and flour, and kneading, I let the dough rise for about 4 hours (in a bowl placed inside the microwave, obviously turned off), then I rolled it out with a rolling pin.

  Then I proceeded as in the previous production: dough disks on the back of the mold and baking in the oven at 356-392°F for about 10 minutes.

  On this second occasion, however, I tried to make smaller baskets by inserting them inside the mold. Exactly like this:

  

• With both methods (that is, with the leavened dough and with the dough without leavening), it can happen that the basket rises during baking, puffing up inside. Although, as you can see from the photo below, this doesn’t always happen with all baskets.

  

• In any case, the problem is easy to solve: just press the “pillow” that may have formed with a finger. Then when the sauce fills the basket, every imperfection will be magically hidden. 😊

  In the basket I show you inside (next photo), I intentionally left visible the point where I pressed the dough, to show you what I mean by “pillow”.

  

• Sure, I don’t know all the secrets of leavening. Oh, you expert bakers who are reading right now… have patience! and be lenient! do not scold me for using discard instead of refreshed sourdough, or for not letting the dough rise for 24, 48, or 36 hours… 😃 Haha, well, it’s a joke (did it come across? 😃) due to the fact that the biggest obstacle I’ve faced since “raising” my solid sourdough is precisely the rising times, waiting too many hours still isn’t for me. But we’ll talk about that in due time, when I’ll finally decide to write about this thorny but wonderful topic: my sourdough!

  But let’s return to my pastry baskets made with discard.

  Honestly, I had no idea which of the two methods was the best, so in both cases, I did what I always do: I improvised 😊 but I can assure you that, despite all their imperfections, they turned out well and made a nice impression on the table, and, something not to be underestimated… they’re good to eat!

  

• If you are among those who have not yet entered the magical world of sourdough 😊 or if you don’t have the time or inclination to dedicate yourself to a leavened dough, you can also create pastry baskets with that wonder of dough that is shortcrust. Follow the procedure I explain below:

• My homemade shortcrust pastry, which I’m using in a bunch of the most varied recipes, and which is truly a versatile dough suitable for all occasions, is perfect for making these baskets.

  Of course, it contains butter. And, in fact, it’s precisely for this reason that in the first experiment, I opted for bread dough because I wanted a light and fat-free dough.

  But one must acknowledge that shortcrust speeds up production, and it’s suitable for both savory and sweet recipes. So you can decide whether to use your baskets to serve the appetizer or the dessert.

  Update: I have since tried and published other versions of shortcrust. I’ve already left you the links to two in the introduction, I’ll add the other two here: 👇

  Crazy dough or shortcrust with oil

  Crazy dough with extra virgin olive oil

  

• Making shortcrust pastry is very simple and quick.

  After rolling out the dough with a rolling pin, cut out disks and proceed to baking in the muffin mold, or on the back of the mold as explained in the procedure with sourdough.

  Baking takes less time, 8 minutes is enough for me, but of course, it depends on the thickness of the dough and the type of mold used.

  To see them, they resemble those made with bread dough but are, of course, different in taste and texture.

  ☝ It’s a more delicate type of dough, so I recommend not rolling it out too thinly; otherwise, after baking, the base of the basket becomes crumbly. In any case, consider the type of filling you will use, and if necessary, do not fill them too far in advance (otherwise they absorb the moisture of the filling).

  Today, I transformed them into yogurt cups, and this is how I served the snack:

  

• I leave you with some ideas for using these homemade baskets, reminding you that you can make them in the sizes you prefer or need and that you can use them also for parties and buffets. 😉 So you won’t have to worry about buying lots of cups or having to wash them afterward!! 😊 (But I remind you to fill and serve them at the moment, as the content is moist).

  Sauces suitable for bread dough baskets:
  – spicy Tex-Mex sauce
  – ricotta sauce with mint and ginger
  – green sauce
  – mayonnaise (vegan)

  Sweet ideas to serve snacks or desserts in shortcrust pastry baskets:
  – fruit fantasy yogurt
  – kefir with marmalade and puffed spelt
  – vegan coffee cream
  – chocolate cream

  See you in the next recipe! 😊