Sourdough Starter Pancakes
Sourdough starter pancakes are the perfect weekend breakfast. The batter is made in one bowl, and the pancakes turn out light and fluffy with beautiful crispy edges.
Breakfast time in our house is a huge part of the day. We don’t always have time to make a big meal, but we always take time to make something.
It might be something simple like a raspberry smoothie to blueberry steel cut oats or something special for the holidays like sourdough cinnamon rolls or sourdough waffles.
Pancakes are one of those dishes that seem to make a reoccurring appearance. If you’ve followed us for a while now, you may know that we have another recipe site.
That site has a handful of pancake recipes including my homemade buttermilk pancakes. I used that recipe as the base for these sourdough starter pancakes, and they turned out beautifully!
These pancakes are light, fluffy, and full of that distinct sourdough flavor. They even have lightly browned crispy edges and taste wonderful with melted butter and pure maple syrup.
Can you mix all the ingredients together and use the batter immediately?
Yes, absolutely! The ingredients can be mixed all at once and used immediately. However, the overall depth of flavor may not be as strong.
Should the sourdough starter be active/fed or unfed?
The sourdough starter can be either active and bubbly or unfed/discard. Feeding sourdough starter regularly is key, so it’s active and ready to use in sourdough bread, sourdough bagels, and rolls. The discard is what I usually use to make these pancakes unless there’s a lot of active starter.
Can you use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
Yes, regular whole or 2% milk will work fine.
How do you make pancakes with crispy edges?
Butter! Make sure the pan is hot, but not so hot that butter will burn. Add the butter, and let it melt. Immediately add the pancake batter.
The edges of the pancake should bubble and crisp as it cooks in the butter. Wipe pan down after every 2-3 pancakes to remove any burned butter residue.
More Sourdough Recipes to Try
Ingredients
- ½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (227 g) sourdough starter, active or unfed/discard
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 (50 g) large egg
- 1 ½ cup (340 g) buttermilk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the baking powder and baking soda. Cover, and refrigerate the batter for up to 8 hours.½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour1 cup (227 g) sourdough starter1 tablespoon granulated sugar¼ teaspoon salt1 (50 g) large egg1 ½ cup (340 g) buttermilk¼ cup unsalted butter2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- After 8 hours, sprinkle the batter with baking powder and baking soda. Stir well to combine. If needed, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk to thin out the batter.2 teaspoons baking powder½ teaspoon baking soda
- Heat a skillet or griddle over low-medium heat. Add a teaspoon or two of butter between every two to three pancakes. Allow the butter to melt, then add ¼ to ⅓ cup of the batter.
- Cook the batter for 2 to 3 minutes. The pancake will have little bubbles over the surface and begin to crisp around the edges when it’s ready to flip. Use a spatula to flip the pancake, then cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes on the opposite side. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve hot with fresh fruit and pure maple syrup. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
