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 had no idea how fun and versatile it could be. I was literally inspired to “sourdough-ize” everything I could get my hands on. Sourdough pancakes were no exception. Is there anything more enticing than a warm stack of pancakes (or sourdough waffles!) drenched in sweet maple syrup and fresh mixed berries? After all, it’s quintessential weekend 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 butter-fried edges get me every time). Best sourdough pancake recipe ever? You be the judge.
How to Make Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes
Ingredients you will need:
- Sourdough starter (100% hydration, either leftover discard or bubbly)
- All purpose flour
- Sugar
- Fine sea salt
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Large eggs
- Milk
- Butter
Best Tips for Making Pancakes
Tip #1:
First and foremost, the ratio of liquid to flour 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- 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, the flavor will intensify making a notable difference when compared to regular pancakes.
You’ll also get the added benefit of fermentation. On the overnight, the natural acids in the starter help to break down those pesky glutenous enzymes making these pancakes easier to digest. My son who is gluten sensitive does really well with this recipe.
And for convenience?
The batter is prepped ahead!
No mess. No stress.
TIP: When using the overnight method, for thick and fluffy pancakes add the baking powder and baking soda in the morning (not to the overnight mixture). This will ensure the batter is nice and bubbly before cooking. For thin and fluffy pancakes, add everything all at once. You’ll get a really nice melt-in-your-mouth texture with this option. Alternatively, the batter can be made fresh on the same day. Instructions for both options are included in the recipe below.
A Few More Thoughts…
- 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!
More Recipes to Try with Sourdough Discard
- Ultimate Sourdough Banana Bread
- Cinnamon Sugar Sourdough Waffles
- Overnight Sourdough Apple Cake
- Homemade Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
- Moist, Fluffy Sourdough Gingerbread Cake
Best Sourdough Pancakes
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: (10) 6-inch pancakes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Skillet
- 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!
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:
Preheat your oven to 250 F.
In a large 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 skillet (cast iron or non-stick), 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
Steph says
Can I double recipe? Shall the baking powder and soda be doubled or a different ratio? Big family to feed bah
CMR says
Wow, who knew! I cannot wait to try this too! Emilie, your photos are amazing! I wanted to jump in and start eating those pancakes! Amazing stuff! I love your recipes and your videos are so welcoming! Happy New Year!
Georgianna says
I made these with whole wheat bread flour and monkfruit. As I expected, they weren’t a fluffy as white four pancakes, but they were still very good! Thanks for the recipe.
Tracy Leach says
They really are the best! Three kids under 8 agree!
Kathryn says
These are SO good! This is my go to recipe when making pancakes. I didn’t notice a huge difference between day of, overnight, or even just a few hours ahead of time prep. A must try for your breakfast lineup.
Tara says
Swati, personally we pop our frozen pancakes right into the toaster. Works great.
Emily says
These are DELICIOUS!!! We made them this morning. Hubby and I both enjoyed them. The tangy sourdough flavor was a welcome surprise. I’ll for sure make these again.
Ally says
My new fave pancake recipe! Wow! Great use of my sourdough discard which I have sadly been tossing in the trash because I didn’t know what to do with it. Breakfast game changer!
Claire K says
I made these with Gluten Free flour and my spelt sourdough starter as I have *tummy issues* and they were PERFECT! I always treat it as an experiment when swapping regular all-purpose for GF but this one worked out super well and the pancakes were maybe the tastiest I’ve ever made! Thanks for the great recipe!
Laura says
These are the best sourdough discard pancakes I’ve tried! I’ve tried others where the pancakes turn out flat but these were super fluffy. Delish! Thank you so sharing!
Melody says
Made a batch last night and I must say best pancakes ever. We did not want to stop eating them. Follow recipe and you can’t fail.
Emilie Raffa says
Ahh… thank you SO MUCH! Glad you liked them :)
Asmaa says
Made these using whole wheat flour and oat milk. I used 1/2 cup less flour just because I used Whole wheat. They came out perfectly fluffy and yummy! This is for sure a keeper and my go to recipe for pancakes from now on ! Thank you!
Emilie Raffa says
Oh YUM! This sounds so good. Thanks for sharing :)
Tawny says
I just made these for dinner last night and they were so delicious in taste and texture!! I had one huge leftover pancake which we ate for breakfast and it was still amazing the day after. Thank you for sharing and kudos for such a great recipe—it’s a keeper for sure 🙂
Bunnee says
This is my go to base for making sourdough pancakes. The ratios are great for making super fluffy pancakes. I make the batter and let it sit and rise and get fluffy either on the countertop 20-30 minutes before frying pancakes or I let it rise overnight in the fridge. End results are super fluffy pancakes. Seriously the best. You must try!
Katie says
These are great! In case you come looking, These worked great for us with discard (fridges two days ago) too!
Julie says
Best pancakes I have ever eaten! Yum!
Dominique says
As a beginner sourdough baker (this is only the second recipe I’ve done), I wasn’t sure what to do with my starter that was growing quickly in the fridge. So glad I made these! They are incredible — I used coconut sugar, coconut oil, and added a dash of homemade vanilla. I did the overnight prep and it was so nice to have ready in the morning!
Sara Ratcliff says
Could you perhaps make the mix in the morning and let it sit at room temperature for a bit?
Sara Ratcliff says
Never mind, I didn’t read recipe until the end…
Swati says
Best pancakes ever is what my teenager said. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Emilie Raffa says
You’re very welcome, Swati! xx
Carrie says
For a foolproof crowd pleaser, you can’t go wrong with Emilie’s recipe! EVERY time I’ve made these, EVERY guest says that they’re the best pancakes they’ve ever had. My son doesn’t ever get pancakes at restaurants anymore, because he says they’re always disappointing in comparison.
Gail Patterson says
This is a wonderful recipe. Just made these this morning. I could not be happier with this recipe. These are light and fluffy and just perfect. So happy to have another great use for my starter discard.
Emilie Raffa says
Thanks so much, Gail! Thrilled you liked it. We just made them with fresh blueberries and lemon zest this morning… yum.
Janet says
Thank you very much for sharing this delicious recipe! I made these a couple months ago and they were fantastic, I now have lots of starter discard to make a double batch tomorrow morning. They freeze extremely well. Absolutely the best recipe. Love your book!!!
Swati says
How do you defrost them?
Ashley says
These pancakes are the *best* sourdough pancakes! Even my picky husband AND 4 year old gobble them up! I love prepping them the night before and just having to add the bs and bp in the morning – it makes it so much easier and quicker on a Sunday morning. I also like knowing they are eating real food and not a box mix full of processed chemicals!
Beth Z says
Delicious! Fluffy.
Darlene says
This is now my favorite sourdough pancake recipe! Easy, fluffy, not too sour and not sugary. Cooked it with extra virgin olive oil and topped it with maple syrup.
Mia says
Delicious! Fluffy, light, flavorful and held blueberries wonderfully. Picture on Foodiefanatic50 Instagram with #clevercarrot. Yummy.
Jessica says
Made them last night with the overnight option. I used coconut sugar and kefir instead of milk. Turned out fantastic! I’ve tried so many sourdough pancakes recipes and I think this one is my favorite!
Laney says
I made them with honey and cultured buttermilk. I let the batter ferment on the counter all night.. so good!!
Audrey says
These came out wonderful. Makes enough for a family breakfast or guests. I served it with buttered bourbon pure maple syrup and it was a hit!
Annier says
Made these today after keeping the batter an extra day in the fridge…didn’t end up making them the following day as directed in the recipe and they were light and fluffy and delicious anyway. So happy to be able to use discard starter. I used a 1/2 cup measure and still ended up with 10 x 6 inch pancakes…no complaints about that.
Amanda says
This was incredible! I’ve just started my first ever sourdough starter…it’s gf. And made gf/df pancakes with the discard for lunch today. Incredible recipe, thank you!!! I used my homemade flour mix of brown rice, white rice and tapioca plus a tsp of xantham gum in place of the wheat flour in your recipe and almond/coconut milk and coconut oil in place of the dairy….they turned out just incredibly! We have a tried and true family recipe for “light and fluffy” pancakes but this honestly takes the prize! I will be using in the future, thank you for sharing!
Linda Daub says
Wow delicious and fluffy. Very easy directions to follow. Will make these pancakes again.
Emilie Raffa says
Thanks Linda! Enjoy xx
Aleksandra says
These were a winner with my 6 year old this morning! I served them with honey and fresh berries and we both fund them delicious. And I finally used up all of that extra sourdough starter! Thank you :)
Krysti says
These are delicious! I’m new to sourdough and am trying out recipes. This is my favorite so far. Definitely a keeper.
We are snowed in today. I served them with sautéed apples so my shoveling crew would come in to a nice hot breakfast. Everyone loved them! Thank you sharing this.
Greg says
Seriously!! I have made many many many different recipes for pancakes and these are the best ever. Only took me 62 years to find this. Thank you!!
Camila @ Microwave Choice says
Looks incredibly yummy :) Going to try it. Thanks for the nice recipe.
Emilie Raffa says
You’re very welcome, enjoy!
Christine says
I want to try these pancakes but I’m not sure if my starter is the right type. Can you explain 100% hydration?? Whenever I feed my starter I keep 200g, then add 200g flour and 200g water. Thanks!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Christine! Your starter is the right type- it’s 100% hydration. By definition, this type of starter is fed with equal parts flour + water by weight. More specifically, in your case, 200 g flour + 200 g water is equal parts by weight. Does that make sense? Hope so!
Christine says
Thank you! I can’t wait to try them.
Darren says
Can’t think of anything wrong with this recipe, it was the most bubbly batter and first bit was just ….
Margaret says
I made these using white whole wheat flour (like I always do for pancakes) and they’re delicious- light, fluffy, tangy. My starter is part whole wheat part AP. Excellent recipe!
Emilie Raffa says
This sounds SO GOOD Margaret. Light whole wheat flour is fun to work with. Thanks for sharing! xx
Hal says
I have made this recipe. These are wonderful pancakes.
A little sea story: in another life, I went through Navy Dive School in Pearl.
There was a Navy cook in the Sub Base mess hall, who made the best pancakes I’d ever had. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was, but the tang, sweet, and texture of the pancakes..,.,
well I almost got in trouble more than once eating too many before our 5 mile run…..
After leaving the Coast Guard, I searched for any pancakes that came close to that Navy cook’s, with zero success….. until the day I made sourdough pancakes. That was IT!
Who’d have thought that a Navy cook in Pear Harbor had been making sourdough pancakes!
Christy says
Thanks for sharing this story!!
Linda says
I just made these!!! Amazing!! Light and fluffy not so heavy. I have local (Ohio) pure maple syrup and that’s the best! Great way to use the discard!!
Not snowed in, but a good day for them!
Emilie Raffa says
Yay! Aren’t they light? So glad you liked them! Local maple syrup sounds amazing :)
Gracie says
Tried this today, pancakes are really light and fluffy with crispy edges :)
Karoline says
I keep a large jar of starter solely for these pancakes!! I’ve done both the overnight version and same-day version. Both are excellent. This recipe is amazing as it, but very easy to customize. My family and I make aebleskivers with this batter and they’re a big hit. Highly recommend adding a hearty scoop of ricotta cheese and lemon zest into the wet ingredients prior to mixing it all together.
Emilie Raffa says
Karoline, this sounds SO good. Yum! Love ricotta and lemon!
Renee says
This was the best pancake batter I’ve ever made. The pancakes were fluffy. I mixed all ingredients before cooking. I also allowed eggs to get to room temperature. I added just a little vanilla for flavor…and used up heavy cream leftover from the holidays, instead of milk.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Renee! Yes: room temp eggs will definitely improve the texture. Good call! I bet the heavy cream made the batter smooth, rich and silky.
Victoria says
I’ve made the pancakes ( same day prep ) twice. I think my search for pancake recipes is over!
I’m using oat milk and an egg replacer. They come out tall and light and lovely!
Thank you.
Janice says
I just came across this recipe this evening and made it……amazingly wonderful!! I have made many loaves of banana bread and this one is my new favorite!!! I used coconut sugar and coconut oil in the recipe. I am keeping this recipe!!!
Jess says
Hands down the best pancake recipe I’ve ever made
sal says
I make these gf with my brown rice starter. For flour I I use half oat and half brown rice. They are absolutely delicious. In fact I often feed my starter just to make them. They are as worth it as the bread itself
Steve says
They were quite delicious. And so fluffy, I used the overnight method. I’ve only just started making sourdough. It seems a “sustainable” thing to do, so I was a bit dismayed discarding a lot of starter while feeding it. So I’m very glad I found your recipes. I’ll try the other ones too.
Chiara says
First thing I ever baked with sourdough, these pancakes are much lighter and fluffier than the ones with just store bought yeast. I only had bread flour on hand so I used that and it worked perfectly :) I used the thick and fluffy method by the way. Delicious! Definitely gonna make them again.
Patricia says
Before adding BP&BS and cooking the pancakes, How many days can the batter stay in frig?
Emilie Raffa says
Patricia, this is a good question! I’d say 1-2 days? Maybe 3? The flavor will deepen as time goes on, so it’s up to your personal preference. However, if you leave it to sit for too long, say 7 days, the starter will break down the gluten in the batter.
Patricia says
Hi Emilie, thanks for the info! And when gluten breaks down, how does that affect both flavor and pancake texture?