This light, tender sourdough crêpes recipe uses leftover sourdough discard or active sourdough starter. Just blend, chill, and cook in a non-stick pan for classic French-style pancakes. No special crêpe pan needed!
If you’ve made my fluffy sourdough pancakes, these sourdough crêpes are their lighter, elegant counterpart.
But don’t be fooled: blending the batter is easy. Flipping them? Not so much. The first one might tear. The second? Like folding a corner bedsheet. By the third, you’ll be in business (watch my video). This recipe works with both sourdough discard and active starter, making it a flexible favorite in my evolving collection of sourdough discard recipes.
I’ve got an arsenal of tips ahead, so read carefully. Crêpes take practice. Then enjoy your first one straight from the pan- folded, rolled, or plain- because that subtle tang and crispy, butter-fried edges are nothing short of addictive.
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy blender method
- Prep ahead: 1 hour or overnight chill
- No crêpe pan or specialty tools needed
- Customizable: serve plain or filled
- Active sourdough starter or sourdough discard can be used
How To Make Sourdough Crêpes {Step-By-Step Recipe}
Below you’ll find easy-to-follow instructions. For a deeper understanding, read my comprehensive notes, tips and expectations in the next section. Scroll to the end for a printable recipe.
Step 1: Make The Batter
To a blender: add melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, milk, water, eggs and sourdough starter. Blend for 10-15 seconds tops. Make sure your melted butter is cool (not hot) otherwise it will clump together with the flour. Pour the batter into a bowl, cover and chill for 1 hour.
What should the Crêpe batter look like?
After blending, the batter is thin and watery. After chilling, it thickens only slightly into a more creamy consistency (but still thin). You’ll know it’s right by how the batter moves in the pan: it should swirl easily to coat the bottom. Think: red wine dripping down the sides of a glass. If it’s too thick, add a splash of water or milk to loosen the texture.
Tip: You can ferment this crêpe batter overnight. In the morning, add more liquid if it has thickened too much. I like to take a before and after pic on my phone to note the difference in texture for reference.
Step 2: Cook Your Crêpes
- Get your pan nice and hot- medium heat is fine. Add the butter. When it sizzles, pour 1/4 cup batter into the pan in a swirling motion (doing so creates those gorgeous, golden lines underneath).
- Then, immediately lift up the pan and tilt it around so the batter evenly coats the bottom.
- Return the pan to the heat. Lower the temp. if needed. Cook on one side until the surface is completely set, about 1-2 minutes. Then flip it over. I like to lift up the edges of my crêpe with my fingertips, then slide my spatula underneath to flip.
- Repeat to cook the rest of the crêpes, buttering the pan in between each one.
Tip: As you continue to cook, some people like to use parchment paper in between their crêpes to prevent sticking. However, I’ve found this step to be extra work. If your crêpes are cooked through, sticking shouldn’t be an issue.
Notes, Tips & Expectations:
- Chill the crêpe batter (don’t skip this step). The flour needs time to hydrate, so your crepes come out light, thin, and tender. I recommend at least 1 hour, or extend overnight.
- Although tempting, no need for a specialty crêpe pan. An 8-inch non-stick pan is perfect. This recipe’s batter amount (about 1/4 cup) is designed to fit that size. Using a bigger pan? Add more batter.
- Get a good spatula. Flipping crêpes with the wrong tool is a nightmare. A wide rubber spatula is my top pick: it glides right underneath the sides of the crêpes ensuring a smooth flip. I also demo a traditional French crêpe spatula in the video for comparison.
- Master the heat, master the crêpes. So look, it’s a dance. You’re gonna go back and forth. Practice and repetition is key.
- How to serve them: I like my sourdough crêpes rolled or folded, with salted butter and maple syrup. You can also fill them with Nutella, sugar and lemon, or whipped cream and fresh fruit. Let me know how you like them!
Photography by Saltwater Studio
Best Sourdough Crêpes (No Crêpe Pan Needed!)
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 crêpes
- Category: Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Method: Stove-top
Description
This light, tender sourdough crêpes recipe can be made with leftover sourdough discard or active sourdough starter. Just blend, chill and cook in a non-stick pan. No crêpe pan needed!
Note:
If using sourdough discard, make sure it’s in good condition (not smelly, discolored or old). Otherwise your crêpes will taste very tangy. If unsure, add 1/8 tsp baking soda to the batter to neutralize the acidity level. Read this article for more info on sourdough discard- what it is and how to use it.
Ingredients
- 43 g salted butter, melted and slightly cooled (I used Kerry Gold), plus more to cook the crepes
- 75 g all purpose flour
- 25 g granulated sugar
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 150 g whole milk
- 100 g water
- 2 large brown eggs (100 g total cracked weight)
- 100 g sourdough discard or active starter
- Maple syrup, powdered sugar & fresh berries, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the butter. Pour into a small bowl and cool slightly, about 5-7 minutes.
- To a blender add: cooled butter, flour, sugar, salt, whole milk, water, eggs, and sourdough starter. Blend until smooth, about 10 seconds. Scrape down the bottoms and sides to loosen any stuck clumps of flour. Blend again for 5+ seconds. The texture will look thin and runny.
- Pour the batter into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or reusable wax wrap. Chill for 1 hour minimum (or overnight). The batter will thicken only slightly and become more creamy. It should still be quite thin before using (add more milk/water to loosen the texture if necessary).
- To cook: warm an 8-inch non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the butter.
- When it sizzles, pour 1/4 cup batter into the pan. I do this in a swirling motion.
- Immediately lift up the pan, and tilt it around to evenly coat the bottom.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes on one side, or until the surface is completely set. A few bubbles should appear on top. No wet spots should remain.
- Using a thin rubber spatula, flip it over cook the other side, about 30 seconds. I like to gently lift up the edges of the crepe first with my fingers, then slide the spatula underneath.
- Repeat to cook the rest of the crepes, coating the pan with butter in between each one. Adjust the heat to medium low if it gets too hot. Stack them on a plate as you go.
- To serve: roll or fold the crêpes and serve with butter, maple syrup and fresh berries on the side.
Comments
sherry says
these look delightful! I do love a crepe.
cheers
sherry