Sourdough pancakes are a great way to explore something else you can do with your sourdough starter.
Here is the perfect thing to make if you want to try something else besides bread with your sourdough starter. Making sourdough pancakes is easy and absolutely fantastic. I have this treasured memory of my youngest brother taking me to a breakfast place on the way into the mountains outside of Salt Lake City. It was one of those roadside log cabin-like diners that are everywhere out in the Mountain Interior Western States. I remember those pancakes being so different from a box of Bisquick I was used to my mother, making them as a kid. With just a little bit of tang, these pancakes are light and fluffy, but with the delicious character of sourdough.
Of course, when I got back from that trip long ago, I had to figure out how to make them. It turned out sourdough pancakes are very easy, and with just a little planning, they are one of the best things you can make for breakfast, or for dinner for that matter! And the beauty of these stacks of gold is that you can use your sourdough discard if you are needing to feed your starter.
The night before you want to make the pancakes, you mix up the sponge and let it sit overnight on the counter, even up to 12 hours is totally fine. You can mix up the sponge at the same time you are feeding your starter if you are planning on making bread using the discard. If you are short on time, you can make sourdough pancakes without doing a sponge, just mix all the ingredients at the same time. The pancakes will not have quite as pronounced sourdough flavor. But they will still be very light and fluffy.
If you have not started your own starter, several sites give good instructions on how to start your own. The foolproof method I have used in the past is from Bread from La Brea Bakery. (I get a tiny commission if you use the links on this page) That method uses organic grapes and is an excellent way to start a robust starter. Hopefully, I will get around to doing a post on how to make your own soon. Organic grapes can be hard to find where I live right now.
These sourdough pancakes always cook up light and fluffy. Some recipes call for buttermilk instead of milk like I have used here. I find the buttermilk is not necessary as the acid from the sourdough is more than enough to react with the baking soda. If you have buttermilk on hand, you can certainly use it. I actually used some powdered milk, so I did not have to scald the milk this time, as it is what I had on hand during the Pandemic. It worked great, and I could not tell the difference from fresh in this recipe. I bet you could use almond milk too.
I used my 12-inch iron pan and cooked them individually. A griddle like this from amazon would work well to cook several sourdough pancakes at once. or even an electric one like my mom had whem I was a kid. I love these pancakes with just plain maple syrup or pancake syrup. Sourdough pancakes are also fantastic with fresh blackberries or blueberries. I wonder what else would be a tasty addition. Let me know what you might add to this fabulous recipe. I would love to hear from you.
- 1 ½ cups milk scalded and cooled or use powdered milk, or buttermilk
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
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The night before, mix together the starter, all-purpose flour, and the milk in a large nonmetallic mixing bowl. Cover the mixture and let sit out on the counter overnight up to 12 hours is fine.
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When you are ready to make the pancakes, heat a griddle or large skillet to medium heat. It should be from 300°F to 350°F.
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While the griddle or pan is heating, add the beaten eggs, honey, vanilla, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and the vegetable oil to the sourdough mixture. The batter will puff up significantly.
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Using butter, vegetable oil, or cooking spray coat the now hot pan or griddle.
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Scoop ½ cup of the batter into the pan or several different scoops onto a griddle if there is room, try not to overcrowd the pan or griddle. Let the pancakes cook for several minutes until bubbles are showing on the surface. Here's a great way to tell when to flip the pancakes is if some of the bubbles about 1 inch from the edge have not closed back up.
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Flip the pancakes and let cook for 1 or 2 minutes more or until they are golden brown.
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Serve stacked with butter and maple syrup on top.
If you don't have time to wait overnight, you can make the whole batter at once. The batter will cook up beautifully. But it won't have as much sourdough flavor. You can fold in a cup or two of fresh berries such as blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries
