Julie Clark
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Sourdough Pancakes
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Make fluffy sourdough pancakes with this easy, one bowl recipe. Perfect for using sourdough discard, these pancakes with tangy flavor are a delicious twist on regular pancakes.
Looking for a delightful twist on your morning pancakes? Our fluffy Sourdough Pancakes Recipe uses sourdough starter discard to make homemade pancakes with unique flavor and irresistibly fluffy texture.
When you’re tired of making sourdough bread or whole wheat sandwich bread, make these fluffy pancakes. They are the best sourdough pancakes and a great way to start the day!
What readers are saying:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Susie says, “Amazing! I used my starter straight from the counter after I fed it the night before around 7pm. I also added in two dashes of pie spice and a tablespoon of pure vanilla. I had extra discard so I used 1.5 cups and it was the fluffiest pancakes ever. Cooked it down on the skillet with browned butter.”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Rosemarie says, “Had discard from my sourdough to use up and I hate wasting things. Originally I was going to do the King Arthur Flours recipe for the pancakes but that required more down time than I was wanting. Happen to do a search and clicked on this recipe and woohoo for me I was able to just make it and not wait another day. The cakes were nice and fluffy and tasted great! My new go to for sourdough discard pancakes.”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Charlotte says, “Lizzy, these are amazing pancakes. I wanted them to be digestible for a friend who is gluten intolerant, so I mixed the milk, flour, and starter the day before and let it ferment for 8 hours on the counter and another 12 in the refrigerator. The next day, I added the remaining ingredients, including an extra egg (mine are small). She LOVED them! Thank you! I’ve shared your recipe with a sourdough group on Facebook.”
Ingredients
A few notes about basic ingredients:
- All-purpose flour. I’ve also used all-purpose gluten free flour and it works well.
- Baking powder. Use aluminum free baking powder. Our favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill.
- Sourdough discard. Many readers have left comments about using active sourdough starter, but I make the pancakes with sourdough discard from my fridge. Is isn’t airy or bubbly and is “runnier” than active sourdough.
What is sourdough discard?
When you start making sourdough, you either have to bake with it or discard part of the start or it will keep growing. In order to not be wasteful, you can make recipes with the sourdough discard (or “leftover sourdough starter”). These sourdough discard recipes use other leavening agents (baking powder, baking soda or yeast) to get a rise in the baked good.
How to Make Sourdough Pancakes
Make the pancakes in just 4 steps:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, sugar and salt.
- Add the sourdough starter, milk, egg and oil to the top of the dry ingredients. Mix well just until combined. It’s ok if there are a couple of lumps in the batter. It’s important not to overmix.
- Grease a pancake griddle or cast iron skillet with melted butter or oil. Heat the skillet over medium-low heat. Ladle ¼ cup of batter on the hot griddle. Cook until the batter starts bubbling on top, then gently flip the pancake.
- Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes on the second side or until the pancake is cooked through and golden brown.
Tips for the Best Pancakes
Getting your homemade sourdough pancakes just right might seem tricky, but with these 4 tips, you’ll be flipping perfect pancakes in no time.
- Use room temperature ingredients. This will create a smoother batter and allow the leaving agents to do their job well. It will also help the pancakes cook more evenly.
- Do not overmix the batter. Overmixing develops the gluten in pancakes and can make them gummy or “tough”. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until they are combined.
- The consistency of your batter is key. It should be thick enough to hold its shape but thin enough to pour easily. If it’s too thick, just add a bit more milk until you get it just right.
- When it comes to cooking, a medium-low heat works best. You’re aiming for a golden brown color on each side, so patience is your friend here. Wait until you see bubbles forming on the surface before flipping them. This is your secret to perfectly cooked, fluffy pancakes every time!
Pancake Toppings
These quick sourdough pancakes are so versatile, they go with just about anything. Here are a few ideas:
- Fresh berries, a dollop of yogurt, or a drizzle of maple syrup are classic choices.
- For a special treat, try a sprinkle of powdered sugar or caramelized bananas.
- A spoonful of homemade jam or a scoop of nut butter can add a wonderful twist.
- Raspberry sauce or strawberry sauce makes an excellent fruit syrup.
- Try savory toppings such as scrambled eggs, crumbled bacon or ground sausage. Drizzle homemade sausage gravy over the top and you’ve got a meal that’ll bring everyone to the table with a smile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make waffles with pancake batter?
Great news – this batter doubles as a fantastic waffle mix! Many readers have made this recipe as is and cooked it in a waffle iron for sourdough waffles. You can also add an extra egg, which will help the waffle crisp up and be a little sturdier. Preheat your waffle iron and give it a good coat of non-stick spray. Pour in the batter and cook according to your waffle iron’s instructions.
How do you make overnight sourdough pancakes?
Many have made the pancake batter the night before and stored it in the fridge to allow the flavors to develop overnight. Some readers say they wait until the morning to add the baking powder and baking soda so it does not de-active overnight.
Can I make half a recipe?
Yes. Use half of all the ingredients, but still use a whole egg.
Sourdough Pancakes {Great for Sourdough Discard}
Sourdough pancakes have a delicious flavor & fluffy texture that you’ll fall in love with! These will become your family’s favorite breakfast.
Servings 12
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 260 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking powder 10 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 6 grams
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 30 grams
- 1 teaspoon salt 6 grams
- 1 cup sourdough discard at room temperature, 250 grams
- 1 1/2 cups 2% milk at room temperature, 12 ounces
- 1 large egg, beaten at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 24 grams
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, sugar and salt.
- Add the sourdough starter, milk, egg and oil to the top of the dry ingredients. Mix well just until combined. It’s ok if there are a couple of lumps in the batter. It’s important not to overmix.
- Grease a pancake griddle or cast iron skillet with melted butter or oil. Heat the skillet over medium-low heat.
- Ladle ⅓ cup of batter on the hot griddle. Cook until the batter starts bubbling on top*, then gently flip the pancake.
- Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes on the second side or until the pancake is cooked through and golden brown.
- Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend sourdough discard for this recipe. It shouldn’t be bubbly and stretchy like active starter, but rather dense and thick, but “runny” in texture.
- The first side will take 2-3 minutes, depending on the temperature of the skillet.
- For buttermilk pancakes, replace the milk with buttermilk. This will make extra tangy pancakes.
- Add chocolate chips or chopped fresh fruit for a fun twist on traditional pancakes. Coconut oil is great for cooking pancakes! It gives them lightly crispy edges.
Nutrition
Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg
Wow! Amazing pancakes. I was wondering what to do with my sourdough discard rather than throwing it out so I tried this recipe. I will never go back to regular pancakes. This is the best pancake recipe I have had in a long time. I feel like I was in the kitchen with Grandma once again. Thank you for this lovely recipe using sourdough discard.
Can you make batter night before
My go to pancake recipe, I will never buy store bought or the box one again. The only thing I do differently is add a little bit of maple syrup into the batter. My kids don’t like adding syrup on top so the syrup helps add a little more sweetness and they end up tasting really good plain. I do add chocolate chips to some too for my son and hubby, they love them.
The baking soda flavor was too prominent for me. I’ll try it one more time without.
Absolutely one of the best pancake recipes I have tried!! We added some berries and chocolate chips in a couple of them as they were cooking to see how they would taste – did not disappoint! This recipe is very easy to follow, and they turned out great!
Very good! Wish they had a little more sour dough flavor tho. Next time I will try with buttermilk like the notes say. We liked the texture. Makes a big batch! I put the rest in a squeeze bottle so Hubby can make his own!
The very best pancakes I have ever had. I can’t believe the difference in taste and texture from just regular pancakes. I will never go back to any box mix or other. The starter discard must give it that special taste. Wow, these were good. Thanks for the recipe.
hi I was wondering if this recipe could be made using gluten-free flour. I’m trying to cut out as much gluten in the recipe as possible. So the only gluten containing ingredient would be the sourdough discard?
I have never been able to make fluffy sourdough pancakes and today was the day with this recipe! I did only end up using about 125 grams of sourdough and that was plenty (I was on a discard shortage from other recent recipes). Thanks for this. It will be a staple! I even added blueberries and it was sooo yum!
Best pancake recipe ever!
These are by far the best sourdough pancakes I’ve made, and I’ve tried numerous recipes. They’re light and fluffy, and taste great. The added bonus is that you don’t have to plan ahead to allow for the batter to ferment for several hours. I made a half recipe using a whole egg. I also added cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple extract. The half recipe yielded 10 pancakes using a scant 1/3 cup batter for each. Perfection!
This is my first sourdough discard recipe. We absolutely love these pancakes. They come out light and fluffy. They never last long in my house, so this has been my go to recipe when my discard starts to pile up. I substitute the oil for melted grass fed butter. Comes out amazing! Thanks Lizzy
These have been my go-to pancake recipe for well over a year now. I tried some other non-sourdough pancake recipes and they just do not compare. I don’t worry about temperature of my ingredients and it still comes out great. I now use this as a base for sourdough muffins. I’ typically add another egg and more sweetener (any combination of the following: applesauce, honey, maple syrup, vanilla yogurt, more sugar). I’ve tried all sorts of combinations (chocolate chip, banana choc chip, zucchini, chocolate zucchini choc chip, morning glory…) and I seem to not fail using this as a starting… Read more »