An easy, one-bowl recipe for fluffy, homemade sourdough pancakes using leftover sourdough starter discard. The batter can be made overnight or on the same day- it takes less than 10 minutes to do!
When writing Artisan Sourdough Made Simple, the most interesting chapter to research was sourdough discard recipes. I wanted to sourdough-ize everything from sourdough bread, to sourdough pancakes, even waffles and crêpes! Because what’s better than a stack of warm, fluffy pancakes drenched in maple syrup and fresh berries for breakfast?!
And I’ll tell you something, when pancakes are made with sourdough discard they become uniquely different than regular pancakes: they’re extra fluffy, super flavorful and easier to digest (the golden brown, butter-fried edges get me every time). Best sourdough pancake recipe ever? You be the judge.
How to Make Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes
Emilie’s Best Tips for Making Pancakes
Tip #1:
First and foremost, the liquid to flour ratio needs to be on point. Too much flour, and the pancakes will be thick and doughy (like English muffins). Too much liquid, and they’ll be thin and chewy like crepes. One way is neither right or wrong; it all depends on the style you want.
For fluffy sourdough pancakes, the batter should be thick, bubbly, and pourable.
See that gorgeous aerated texture? You can actually “hear” it when you drag a spoon through the batter. It should drip down in slow, stretchy ribbons and not just plop into the pan.
Tip #2:
Use a combination of baking power AND baking soda. Baking powder will make the pancakes fluffy and baking soda will lighten them up. You need both. Some fluffy pancake recipes call for whipped egg whites, which definitely works, but it’s an extra step you can bypass altogether.
Tip #3:
You’ll need about 1 cup of leftover sourdough discard. Bubbly is fine too- just use what you have. When baking soda merges with the natural acids in the sourdough starter it tenderizes the texture (like buttermilk pancakes). So now you have light, fluffy and tender.
For best results, use a 100% hydration sourdough starter. Its thick, batter-like texture is perfect for fluffy sourdough pancakes. Try my Beginner Sourdough Starter Recipe or use what you have adjusting the liquid if it’s too thick.
Why Make Pancakes from Scratch?
For me, homemade has to include two things: flavor and convenience.
Here, I’ve combined the best of both worlds with an overnight pancake batter. As the batter sits in the refrigerator, the flavor will intensify and you’ll get the added benefit of fermentation. My son who is gluten sensitive does really well with this recipe. And for convenience? The batter is prepped ahead! No mess. No stress.
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Best Sourdough Pancakes (Overnight or Same Day)
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: (10) 6-inch pancakes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stove-top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
An easy, one-bowl recipe for fluffy, homemade sourdough pancakes using leftover sourdough discard. The batter can be made overnight or on the same day- it’s takes less than 10 minutes to do!
Notes:
- Do yourself a favor get a wide 6-inch spatula for flipping. Most likely, your standard spatula is too narrow. A wide one makes flipping so much easier and helps with splatter control.
- For crispy, golden fried edges fry your pancakes in a small pat butter. I use Kerry Gold salted butter.
- Use a cast iron or non-stick skillet for cooking the pancakes- both options are fine. It’s the heat that you need to pay attention to. Always make a mini test pancake first!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 tbsp. (24 g) sugar
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 g) sourdough starter (sourdough discard or active sourdough starter)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk, plus more as needed
- 3 tbsp. (42 g) melted unsalted butter or oil, plus more to coat the skillet
To Serve
- Pure maple syrup
- Fresh berries
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
Overnight Preparation:
For thick and fluffy pancakes: Combine the wet and dry ingredients EXCEPT for the baking powder and baking soda. Whisk well, cover and chill overnight. The next day, sift the powders directly over the bowl and whisk again to combine. The texture should be thick, bubbly, and pourable. Add extra milk, 1 tbsp at a time, to thin out the texture if needed. Let the batter sit for at least 5 minutes to aerate; it should be nice and bubbly before using. The batter can be used cold.
For thin and fluffy pancakes: Add all of the ingredients together and chill overnight. No need to add the leavening agents separately.
Same Day Preparation:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients. Whisk gently until a smooth batter forms; some lumps are OK.
- In a large 10-inch cast iron skillet (or non-stick pan), melt a small pat of butter over medium-low heat. Swirl the pan around to coat.
- Pour 1/3 cup of batter into the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes, lowering the heat as needed. When the edges begin to puff up and bubbles appear on the surface, flip it over. Cook for another minute or so. Place the pancake onto a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven while you cook the rest.
- To continue, use a scrunched up paper towel to wipe out the skillet. Add more butter if the pan gets too dry. Repeat the cooking process until you are finished with the batter.
- To serve, stack the warm pancakes on a platter for your guests to help themselves. Have plenty of pure maple syrup, fresh berries and powdered sugar at the ready.
Comments
Jess H says
Made these yesterday because I had a lot of discard of really good quality flour that I didn’t want to go to waste and throw away. They are AMAZING! I’ll never throw away discard ever again, thanks so much!
Suzanne Noble says
I have made a few different recipes of sourdough pancakes, and this recipe stands out with the ease of preparation! I also started making sourdough bread which I love! Thank you for sharing Emilie a wonderful recipe !
Emma says
Very easy recipe and kids loved it! Mine came out thin and delicious!! I also added banana to mine and it was great
Katherine Howton says
I’ve made these pancakes over a dozen times. They are absolutely delicious. They freeze well and I can eat them without having to nap afterwards.
Arya says
I loved this recipe. Thank you!! I have made it as written and have also replaced the 190g AP flour with 100g AP flour+ 90g buckwheat flour and the pancakes turned out great.
Wendy Dennis says
This is an awesome recipe! I have done both the same day and the overnight methods and each works just fine. I prefer the overnight for more depth of flavor and adding the leavening in the morning right before cooking. Great way to use discard, as well as a reason to have discard on hand. Next time I am going to do the overnight method with active starter and no extra leavening agents and will let you all know how that works. Thanks for the recipe and all the comments!
Ariana says
This recipe is amazing. Pancakes turned out perfect, they’re a lovely mix of fluffy and crispy. They don’t taste sour by any means but they’re less sweet than an ordinary pancake and almost taste more… substantial? In a very good way. I split the recipe in half and it made me 8 smaller sized pancakes (easy to halve the recipe just using the metric guidance!), I also added some cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla which were lovely. Feels like you can add a variety of add ins if you want, the base flavor is great for that. Really glad I found this! (I use the starter from the clever carrot, which has also been so easy to make and keep up with).
Jody says
I made these for a family brunch (doubled the batch & refrigerated overnight) – by far the best homemade pancakes I have ever eaten. Everyone enjoyed them – even those that don’t generally like pancakes!
Naveen says
Perfect. Didn’t do the overnight method, just wanted to quickly use some discard. I only had 140g of my discard and these were still fantastic.
Sarah Stacpoole says
We make these almost every weekend (they are indeed better with the night before method). At this point I’m just maintaining my sourdough starter for these pancakes. I have yet to actually make bread haha
Marge G. says
Wow, these pancakes took me back to my childhood! The flavor is amazing, a little bit of crispiness on the edges, just like my family likes it. I did add some vanilla since we all like the flavor. This recipe is a “keeper”!
Nadia says
Easy and delicious! I made the overnight version and it was not sour, if anyone is concerned. It is a super fluffy but elastic mix, make a pancake before adding milk.
ItsClaudes says
Great way to use up a lot of sourdough discard and it felt like it made a ton! I used the same day preparation and ended up with about 14 lovely, fluffy pancakes, froze 8 of them for easy future breakfasts. They are extra tasty if your sourdough starter has a bit of rye or wholemeal flour in it.
Pearl says
My family says I make the best pancakes, but the thanks goes to The Clever Carrot. I have Emilie’s Artisan Sourdough Made Simple, but this recipe didn’t make it in her book. I love all her recipes. They are easy to follow and easy to add my own “secret” spices and flavorings to make them uniquely mine. Thank you for your teaching and results I can always count on!
Emilie Raffa says
Pearl, you are so sweet! Thank you! I’m gonna put it in the next one ;)
Laura Cate says
I’ve made this recipe so many times recently, I’m obsessed!! I replaced the flour w a cup of oats and a half cup of whole wheat flour and they turned out amazing and even more nutrient dense. Big fan of your recipes!!