Sourdough Pancakes Recipe (2024)

This sourdough pancakes recipe is quick and easy to make, uses only three ingredients, and is a great way to use up extra sourdough starter discard.

Sourdough Pancakes Recipe (1)

Sourdough pancakes recipe

This sourdough pancakes recipe is one of our favorite things to have for breakfast. They’re a really easy way to enjoy the benefits of properly prepared grains.

Souring or fermenting grains unlocks their nutrition and makes them easier to digest (source).Learn how to make your own Nourishing Traditions sourdough starter here. I have lots more sourdough recipes, like hamburger buns, tortillas, pizza dough, dinner rolls, and more. Get more sourdough discard recipes here.

Ready to make your own sourdough pancakes? Keep scrolling for this family favorite recipe…

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Sourdough Pancakes Recipe (2)

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Quick sourdough pancakes from scratch

These sourdough pancakes turn out light and fluffy with a delicious tangy flavor, and they only take three ingredients. Making sourdough pancakes is one of my favorite sourdough discard recipes.

Cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be time consuming! Sourdough pancakes can be a really quick breakfast option. I like to make sourdough pancakes overnight by feeding my sourdough starter the night before, and making pancakes in the morning.

And even if it did take longer to make pancakes from scratch, I would still choose homemade over boxed mixes. This is because I prefer keeping freshly ground flours on hand, rather than something that has sat on store shelves for an unknown amount of time, and I prefer souring or fermenting my grains before I eat them.

For centuries, people have traditionally prepared grains with methods like souring or fermenting them. I like following that example and using soaking or fermenting anything I make with grains.

Tips for making the best sourdough pancakes

This simple, quick recipe is one of my family’s favorites- we eat them all the time! Here are a few tips that I have picked up along the way…

  • If you want the fluffiest pancakes, I recommend using an established sourdough starter. The natural action of sourdough, as well as a few eggs, is all they need to rise while they cook.
  • To make thin sourdough pancakes, use cold, non active starter that has been in the fridge. Thin pancakes can work nicely as wraps for snacks or lunches.
  • The batter consistency should be on the thicker side. I like to keep my sourdough starter at around 100% hydration. I find that once I add the eggs, the batter is just perfect for making pancakes.

Of course, you can whip up pancake mix, but how much longer does it really take to mix a few ingredients together and make pancakes from scratch? I think it doesn’t actually take any longer! This sourdough pancakes recipe takes no time at all.

Ready to make your own sourdough pancakes with this tasty recipe? Keep reading to learn how…

Sourdough Pancakes Recipe (3)

How to make sourdough pancakes

Grab your measuring cup and a mixing bowl! Here is my family favorite sourdough pancake recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups sourdough starter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:

  1. Mix sourdough starter, eggs, and salt together until well combined.
  2. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.
  3. Drop desired amount of batter into hot skillet for each pancake.
  4. When bubbles are all popped, flip pancakes over.
  5. When bottoms are cooked, remover pancakes from skillet.
  6. Top with melted butter, cultured cream, whipped cream, maple syrup, honey, fresh fruit, fruit syrup, or any combination of toppings.

Sourdough Pancakes Recipe (4)

Different variations for sourdough pancakes

There are lots of different ways you can change this basic recipe to make different kinds of pancakes. Here are some ideas:

  • Add blueberries to each pancake while the first side is cooking
  • Mix in some cooked pumpkin puree and cinnamon for pumpkin spice pancakes
  • Add some additional flour and buttermilk, yogurt, or kefir the night before for buttermilk sourdough pancakes

Other things you can make with sourdough starter

When it comes to cooking with a sourdough starter, the options are seriously endless! Most people use their starter for bread, primarily, then after that things can seem a little confusing. It doesn’t have to be!

A few meals that you can make out of a sourdough starter are:

  • Tortillas
  • Pasta
  • Pancakes (see above)
  • Pie Crust

Who would’ve thought that one simple, nutritious ingredient could do so much?

How to store sourdough pancakes

For any leftover pancakes that I plan on storing, I like to keep them in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Any longer than that, I will freeze them (see below for details) for the busy school mornings when everyone is rushing out the door.

Can you freezer sourdough pancakes?

Yes! Having some sourdough pancakes already made and on hand makes breakfast super quick and easy. We like to make big batches of pancakes on the weekends, freeze the extras, and use them for busy school mornings.

First, let the pancakes cool to room temperature. Once they’re no longer warm, spread them on a baking tray and freeze for several hours. After they’re frozen, move them to a bag or airtight container for long term storage.

How to reheat sourdough pancakes

My favorite way to reheat sourdough pancakes is in the oven. Since I feed my family at once, it’s easiest to turn the oven on to 300ºF oven until thawed and warmed through. If you let them go longer, they will become crispier, and they make great snacks this way.

If I need a quick snack for one or two people, I will put the frozen pancake straight in the toaster.

Sourdough Pancakes Recipe (5)

Feeding sourdough starter

Something that is really great about sourdough starters is that you never, ever have to run out of it. By feeding it flour twice a day, it will continue to thrive so you can keep on cooking.

When you are using some of the sourdough starter for this pancake recipe, make sure that you leave a little and feed it for your next recipe.

Is it possible to mix two starters?

Instead of maintaining multiple jars of starters on your kitchen counter, know that it is completely fine to combine two starters together.

When you do combine sourdough starters, give them a few days to completely combine their unique bacteria and yeast properties. After a few days on their own, you will start to notice it begin to stabilize and you can begin baking with it!

Sourdough Pancakes Recipe (6)

More sourdough discard recipes

Tortillas

Pasta

Rolls

Pizza crust

What are your favorite pancake toppings?

What other sourdough discard recipes do you like to make? Share in the comments!

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Sourdough Pancakes Recipe (7)

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Yield: 9 pancakes

Sourdough Pancakes

Sourdough Pancakes Recipe (8)

This sourdough pancakes recipe uses only three ingredients and is a great way to use up extra sourdough starter discard.

Prep Time5 minutes

Cook Time15 minutes

Total Time20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sourdough starter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Mix sourdough starter, eggs, and salt together until well combined.
  2. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.
  3. Drop desired amount of batter into hot skillet for each pancake.
  4. When bubbles are all popped, flip pancakes over.
  5. When bottoms are cooked, remover pancakes from skillet.
  6. Top with melted butter, cultured cream, whipped cream, maple syrup, honey, fresh fruit, fruit syrup, or any combination of toppings.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 252Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 330mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 4gSugar: 0gProtein: 10g

Sourdough Pancakes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make enough sourdough starter? ›

There is no single best ratio, but I've found a ratio of 1:5:5 fed twice daily at 12-hour intervals to produce a sourdough starter that's strong and healthy. This ratio corresponds to 20% ripe starter carryover, 100% water, and 100% flour (a mix of whole grain rye and white flour) at each feeding.

Why are my sourdough pancakes gummy? ›

Why are my sourdough pancakes gummy? Gummy sourdough pancakes are usually due to cooking issues. Be sure to fully cook the pancakes all the way through.

What is the secret to sourdough? ›

The secret to sourdough is simple: water. The more water you add to your dough will affect how open the crumb (bigger holes and softer texture) will be once it's baked.

Why are my sourdough pancakes dense? ›

A lumpy batter is fine and it's much better than over-mixing to try and get the lumps out, which will leave you with dense, rubbery, or flat sourdough pancakes.

What is the best ratio of sourdough starter to flour? ›

Typical feeding ratios are 1:2:2 or 1:3:3 (old sourdough: fresh flour: water). However, even extreme ratios like 1:50:50 would still work. In that case, the freshly fed sourdough would just require more or much more time to grow and reach its peak, as judged by the maximum volume increase in the jar (at least doubled).

What happens if you put too much sourdough starter in your dough? ›

If you have too much starter compared to the additional flour and water you're adding, your hungry starter consumes all the nutrients and then it's not as bubbly.

How do I make my starter stronger? ›

The following will help increase fermentation activity in your starter:
  1. Keep your starter warm, 74-76°F (23-24°C) or warmer.
  2. Use more whole grains in each feeding.
  3. Feed your starter when it's ripe (not too early, and not too late)
  4. Don't place it into the refrigerator.
Jun 6, 2022

Why does my sourdough starter look like pancake batter? ›

It should look like thick pancake batter. After mixing, I mark the jar with a whiteboard marker or a rubber band and cover loosely. Your starter is ready to bake with once it has at least doubled in size, active and bubbly and slightly tangy aroma.

Why does my stomach hurt after eating sourdough bread? ›

This may be due to the fermentation process, which can create more gas than other types of bread. Additionally, some people may be sensitive to the high amount of fiber in sourdough bread or have an allergic reaction to the ingredients used in the bread.

What makes sourdough taste better? ›

The key taste compounds include salt, which is directly added to the dough, as well as acetic and lactic acid, produced during fermentation. After these experiments, they applied a technique called “unified flavor quantitation,” which was previously developed by Hofmann's team, to the sourdough bread.

How to make 100% sourdough starter? ›

A 100% hydration sourdough starter is a culture which is kept and fed with water and flour at equal weights. Like for instance 5 oz water to 5 oz flour. A 166% hydration starter is fed with equal volume of flour and water, which most typically is one cup of water (8.3 oz) and one cup of flour (5 oz).

Why do you put baking soda in sourdough bread? ›

Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda can be used in sourdough bread to create a less sour loaf. Added after bulk fermentation, but before shaping, it can help to create a lighter, more fluffy loaf of sourdough.

What do sourdough pancakes taste like? ›

TASTE: Just a word to the wise, these taste like pancakes from your favorite restaurant. Thick, fluffy, soft, and delicious! They do NOT have a sour flavor, and most likely no one would know you used your sourdough starter when making them!

What makes pancakes more fluffy? ›

5 Tips for Fluffier Pancakes
  1. Allow the Batter to Rest. A good rule of thumb when you're wondering how to make fluffy pancakes is to let the batter rest. ...
  2. Beat the Egg Whites. Separate your yolk from the egg white then beat to create a fluffy pancake. ...
  3. Don't Over Mix! ...
  4. Wait for the Bubbles. ...
  5. Follow a Good Recipe.
Dec 1, 2019

Will sourdough pancake batter keep in the fridge? ›

Step 2: In the morning, add the eggs, salt, baking powder and baking soda to the batter and stir to incorporate. Let the batter rest for about 20 minutes before cooking. The pancake batter can stay in the fridge for up to 2 days before using it to make the waffles and pancakes.

How do I calculate how much starter I need for sourdough bread? ›

starter = (20 / 100) × amount of flour

The starter is 20% of the amount of flour that you're using to make your sourdough.

What is the minimum amount of sourdough starter to keep? ›

To keep a smaller starter, you will save just 20 grams (about 1 heaping tablespoon) of active starter, feeding it with 20 grams of water and 20 grams of flour. This will yield 60 grams of starter which is just enough to maintain.

How much sourdough starter is enough? ›

So with all this, why would one ever maintain a larger sourdough starter instead of just keeping a smaller one to reduce waste? Over the years, I've found keeping around 200g of starter ready to go at any time ideal for the amount of baking I do here at home.

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