The Batch Made From Scratch: Sourdough Pancakes

Light and airy sourdough pancakes that only take a few minutes a handful of ingredients to make a perfect batch made from scratch. They sizzle on the griddle and pair perfect with fresh fruit or whatever toppings you and your family love!

Keeping a sourdough starter is simple but here’s a link to my Guide for Raising a Sourdough Starter. I am two years into nourishing a sourdough starter for our home and pancakes are by far the easiest way to use up extra discard instead of letting it go to waste.

Sourdough pancakes have been the number one product made with my starter. This easy recipe was the first thing I tried when my starter was established enough to use and I continue to pull out this pancake recipe when I have an early breakfast, need a quick and easy recipe, want to use up discard, or even when it’s a lazy dinner night. No matter the occasion, the answer is always sourdough pancakes!

Whether you are new to sourdough or have some experience, pancakes are an easy way to test the health of a sourdough starter and learn to control flavor. I can tell how healthy my sourdough starter is by the way it reacts when I pull from the jar. Adding starter and a few additional ingredients to a bowl before tossing on the griddle is all it takes to test the flavor any sourdough starter is producing.

The flavor of sourdough pancakes can be control based on the strength of the sourdough starter. A healthy starter will produce pancakes that have a hint of the fermented taste but doesn’t overwhelm the flavor of scratch made pancakes.

Tips for Sourdough Pancakes:

• When mixing the batter, add the baking soda last. Give it a final stir and let it rise before scooping onto a hot griddle.
• Spread butter on a hot griddle or skillet. Butter that bubbles without burning is perfect temperature.
• Add inclusions (chocolate chips, blueberries, etc.) to pancake batter right before flipping the pancake.
• Allow all bubbles to pop before flipping the pancakes. The easiest method to flip is to slide the spatula under one edge and use a quick motion to lift the pancake from the griddle and flip.
• Make the pancake batter the night before and refrigerate to strengthen the “sour” taste if desired. Remember to add the baking soda just before cooking.

Tools Needed for Pancakes:

• Medium to large bowl to mix the batter. The baking soda will cause the batter to rise and expand so allow room for this to occur.
• Silicon or wooden tools are the best option since the batter involves sourdough starter which will react with metal tools. Tools needed: bowl, measuring cups, whisk or spoon to stir, ladle, spatula.
• Cast iron skillet or griddle. We use a Blackstone 36″ Griddle but there are many options to cook these pancakes indoors or via other methods besides a griddle.

Ingredients:

Active Sourdough Starter – this is starter that has been fed and allowed time to rise approximately 4-6 hours before making the pancake batter. Active starter works better for this recipe than discard because it will make the pancakes fluffy.

Eggs – Two eggs are needed for this recipe. I have tried making them without for those allergic to eggs but it makes this recipe difficult and changes the taste/texture a good bit.

Honey or Maple Syrup – Instead of dumping granulated sugar into the bowl, use a natural sweetener! Honey and/or maple syrup to replace granulated sugar provides an amazing flavor to the pancakes and is a little healthier option than pure sugar.

Salt – Find the link to Redmond’s Real Salt or Celtic Sea Salt here. I use either of these because it is a natural salt that provides a few minerals and is unrefined compared to NaCl table salt.

Vegetable Oil or Coconut Oil – Though I attempt to use healthier ingredients, vegetable oil is one I have been reluctant to give up. It works best for mixing the pancake batter and incorporating enough oil to fry the pancakes whether I add butter on the griddle or not. If you are searching for a better option, use organic coconut oil.

Cast Iron or Griddle Rules:

• Rule #1- Make absolutely certain the griddle is hot enough. A good way to test is to rub butter on it and watch for bubbles that quickly sizzle without burning as the butter melts.
• Rule #2- Flip the pancake ONCE. Allow all the bubbles to pop before flipping. Raise the edge to see if it’s brown enough before removing.

How to Make Sourdough Pancakes:

Mix the sourdough starter, eggs, vegetable oil (or preferred), honey, and salt in a medium to large bowl.

Add baking soda and gently stir into batter. Let it sit and watch for the mixture to foam.

Spoon the batter onto the griddle. Use a ladle for larger pancakes. To make them appear aesthetic (prettier), only spoon or ladle once because it will leave a mark if you add multiple scoops onto a griddle that is within the correct temperature range.

The pancakes take about 1-2 minutes per side and should be golden brown before removing. Allow the bubbles to rise to the top before attempting to flip the pancakes.

FAQ’s:

Can you freeze sourdough pancakes?

Answer: YES! Place pancakes that have fully cooled on a baking sheet and stick them in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Stack the frozen pancakes with a piece of parchment paper between each one. Freeze in a gallon ziplock freezer bag or a freezer safe container. The parchment paper will allow them to be separated as you take them out of the freezer. They will last in the freezer for a few months. Pop them in a toaster oven or toaster and serve as preferred.

Can I pre-make the batter?

Answer: YES! Mix the ingredients in a bowl but exclude the baking soda. Place the bowl in the fridge for a few hours until ready to cook. It can be left overnight if wanting to make ahead before serving for breakfast. Leaving for longer periods of time may create a more defined sourdough taste. Remember to add the baking soda before ready to scoop onto griddle.