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
So fluffy! And delicious. This is the 3rd time I’ve made them. Your recipe is definitely a keeper. I added frozen blueberries. Do you post your recipes on allrecipes.com? If so, I’d like to find you on there. Can’t wait to try other recipes with sourdough starter.
I was gifted some sourdough starter this week and decided to make some pancakes. I’ve actually never had sourdough pancakes but everyone else I know seems to love them. I tried this recipe this morning and wow! Delicious, so fluffy. Yum!
Excellent! Thank you for this recipe. I was working on a new sour dough starter, and absolutely HATED throwing away the 1-cup “discard” when first feeding it. This recipe was the perfect solution. Now that the starter is ripe, I can use this recipe for tasty, fluffy pancakes often.
Very, very good but I do have leftover pancakes.
How long can I keep cooked pancakes in the fridge and/ or freezer?
We all liked them, but they had a slight taste of baking powder so I think I’ll cut back on that next time and hope that the sourdough helps with the rise if I let it sit and rest a bit.
This is my third time making these pancakes. Officially now my boyfriends favourite pancakes of all time. They are so good and I didn’t think they could get better but substitute buttermilk in for the milk and cut the baking powder to 2.5 teaspoons. So much YUM.
These were really good. Friday night, haven’t gone shopping, nothing defrosted and an early snowstorm plus a pot of sourdough on the counter all contributing to the cravings I have been having. The recipe I have been using is more like a sourdough crepe, and it’s great, but I was looking for something a bit more substantial. These were big fluffy pancakes, exactly what I was looking for. I used my cast iron skillet and was able to get golden brown, beautiful pancakes which I haven’t been able to get a good recipe for, until now. Looking forward to more… Read more »
These are absolutely fantastic! The first batch cooked a bit too fast, so while the outside looked amazing, the inside was still quite gooey. However, it really made them even more interesting and some thought delicious. Next time I’ll lower the heat even more (was on minimum flame on a medium-sized head on a gas cooktop; will switch to the smaller head and minimum flame) and hopefully they’ll cook more through. But the taste? Amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
My family and I just had these pancakes for breakfast and we all agreed they are the best pancakes in the world!
We also sautéed skinned apple pieces with cinnamon and put them on top of pancake batter while they cooked.
I’ve made this recipe twice now, the first time even my husband liked them and he is not a sourdough fan. I left the salt out that time, and used unfed. This time I made them for dinner. I put the salt in and had fed the starter in morning. This time they had a slight sourdough taste to them. I liked them and so did the kids but hubby didn’t like the sourdough taste. So my guess is that’s the difference between using active vs under starter? Also I think the salt is supposed to develop the flavour and… Read more »
I’ve been using this recipe nearly every day for over a month now and loving it. I want to share a tip which I found from making so many of these and I think it will especially help those guys who would like to reduce the baking powder and baking soda amounts. Well, it’s simply that I add the baking powder and soda last. Adding it with the dry ingredients is intuitive but I would usually knock most of the air right out of it again while trying to mix all the flour and liquid properly. However when I add… Read more »
Hi, thank you for sharing your recipe, these pancakes look absolutely amazing. But the amount of baking soda/powder seems extreme, may I ask why use so much, especially in combination with the sourdough starter (which also works to raise the dough)? I really want to try this recipe but the amount of baking powder in it is throwing me off, it seems totally unnecessary. Thanks!
brilliant! served them with homemade lemon curd and oregon blueberries… and i don’t even care much for pancakes because they tend not to have much inherent flavor. THESE are outstanding!
I just made these —- and they are by far the most delicious pancakes I’ve ever tried. I’m new to sourdough starter and this is my favourite recipe so far, working my way up to bread… but if this is my only success with sourdough, I’m happy. The only change I made was decreasing the baking powder to 2 tsp. Simply amazing results – thanks for the recipe!
Is there any substitute for milk in this recipe? We don’t drink milk here and so never have it on hand. Could you use watered down yogurt, or coconut milk?
These were wonderful. Light and fluffy. I just started my first sourdough starter a few weeks ago. I was trying to find something to do with my discard. I save my discard in a 1 qt mason jar during the week and store it in the refrigerator. I’m always looking for ways to use it in a non-leavening way to reduce wasting the ripe leftover starter. These are amazing… thank you so much for sharing your recipe.