Sourdough Discard Pancake Recipe

Light, fluffy, and perfectly tangy, this Sourdough Discard Pancake recipe is one you should definitely have in your arsenal. Unlike some other sourdough pancake recipes, this one is fast and easy, requiring zero overnight rest. It’s also a great use for all that sourdough starter languishing in your fridge! Make yourself a short stack of these golden beauties and start the day off on the best foot ever.

⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

If you’ve taken to keeping discard sourdough starter, you know there’s a LOT to use or get rid of. Instead of gifting it to friends or tossing it in the compost, make the most of your ingredients with this easy recipe for sourdough discard pancakes!

Made with just 8 ingredients in all of 20 minutes, these delectably fluffy flapjacks are sure to put a smile on even the groggiest of faces. You can even do Future You a favor by meal prepping these sourdough pancakes on the weekend and keeping them in the freezer for quick grab-n-go meals. Trust me, Eggos have nothing on these gorgeously golden beauties.

Since they are made with extra sourdough starter, your morning short stack will have a nice dose of probiotic goodness that leaves you feeling full without feeling stuffed. As with most pancakes, they’re also endlessly versatile. Make them dairy-free, add your favorite mix-ins, savory toppings, or shape them into your kid’s initials. In short, this has quickly become one of Calvin and my favorite breakfast recipes!

🍴Ingredients

These sourdough starter pancakes use a number of basic ingredients. Here’s your list:

• 100% Hydration Starter - If you’ve recently become obsessed with baking your own bread from scratch (or if you have some neglected starter in the fridge from the winter), this pancake recipe is an excellent way to use up the excess active starter you’re sure to have. Good news - there's no need to feed it before proceeding with the recipe; you can just grab it from the fridge and go!
• Milk - Dairy or plant-based milk will do just fine here. 
• Melted Butter - Cultured, organic, and/or grass-fed are preferred. Make sure to keep some extra on hand for the skillet! You can easily swap in vegan butter if needed.
• Egg - Let it come to room temperature for easy mixing. You can also swap in a store-bought vegan egg replacer or a flax egg if needed.
• Granulated Sugar - Just a little bit of sugar helps to balance out the tanginess of the sourdough and encourages the surface of your pancakes to become brilliantly caramelized in the pan.
• Baking Powder - Remember that BP starts to work as soon as it hits liquid, so don’t mix up your batter until you’re ready to pan-fry.
• Salt - Yes, even pancakes need seasoning.
• All-Purpose Flour - If you decide to use self-rising flour, omit the baking powder. This should also work with white whole wheat flour if you want a little extra nutrition for breakfast.
• Maple Syrup & Fresh Berries and Fruit - For serving. Feel free to use any toppings your heart desires!

⚒️ Equipment

Making sourdough discard fluffy pancakes is just as easy as making regular ol’ griddlecakes. Here’s what you’ll need to grab:

• Whisk. The batter is nice and thin, so a regular balloon whisk will do the trick to mix pancake batter.
• Skillet or Griddle - So long as it is relatively heavy-bottomed and you allow it to preheat, any type of pan will work here. Feel free to use a seasoned cast-iron skillet (especially if you want to cook breakfast on the grill), non-stick, or a regular sauté pan.
• Spatula - I tend to reach for my fish spatula for flipping flapjacks. The longer base makes it easier to handle!

📖 Step by Step Instructions

Aside from adding some sourdough starter to the mix, this recipe is as straightforward as what you’d find on the back of a box of Bisquick.

Step 1: Make Batter. Combine wet ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add dry ingredients to the wet and continue to mix until no lumps remain.

Step 2: Pan Fry. Melt some butter in a skillet until bubbling. Add 3 Tablespoons of pancake batter.

Step 3: Flip. Cook over medium heat until you start to see bubbles rise to the surface of the pancake then flip until the second side also turns a golden brown.

Step 4: Enjoy! Serve with maple syrup and top with fresh fruit and enjoy!

⏲️ Substitutions & Variations

These pancakes have the slight tang of sourdough and the fluffiness of buttermilk pancakes, which in my world renders them perfect. That said, there are PLENTY of ways to customize them to your liking. Here are a few of my favorite variations:

• Get creative with mix-ins. Sliced bananas, chocolate chips, or blueberries are all a great place to start.
• Make them dairy-free and/or vegan. Swap in your favorite plant-based milk and butter, then use either a flax egg or store-bought vegan egg replacer.
• Make fun shapes. When I was growing up, my Mom would make pancakes in the shape of an E for Emily or different numbers on my birthday. Feel free to get creative! You can either free-hand them (which is easier if you use a squeeze bottle), or use a pancake mold - a great way to create shapes with ease.
• Swap maple syrup for fruit preserves. I’m a big fan of maple syrup on my pancakes, but fruit preserves, homemade nutella, all-natural nut butter, or honey make for a fine substitute!
• Turn them into pancake mini muffins. If you’ve ever had Danish aebleskivers, you know how delightful pancake bites can be. Feel free to hack your way to hygge heaven using your mini muffin tins. Grease them with butter, fill halfway with sourdough pancake batter, and bake at 350F for about 10 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. 

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

Homemade pancakes are a breeze to make (even when you use sourdough starter in the batter). That said, I do have a few tips to share:

• Make sure your pan is nice and hot. I don’t know what the deal is, but the first pancake I make is always the palest and least appealing. I think it has to do with my impatience for a heaping stack of griddlecakes. Make sure you let your pan get nice and hot (the butter should start bubbling) before you pour in the batter.
• Make and freeze for quick grab-and-go breakfasts. If you’re the meal prepping sort, these sourdough discard pancakes are a real winner. Make them according to the recipe directions, then allow to cool entirely. Separate your stack of pancakes with a piece of parchment between each layer, then place in a zip-top bag or freezer-safe airtight container or freezer bag. When you’re ready to eat, pop them in the toaster to warm through!
• Use a muffin disher, pancake dispenser, or a squeeze bottle for a cleaner kitchen. If you don’t have any of these things, you can either a.) repurpose an old condiment bottle, or b.) use a mixing bowl with a pouring lip. 
• Warm your maple syrup. Keep your breakfast nice and warm by zapping your maple syrup for about 15-30 seconds in the microwave before pouring over your stack of fluffy morning deliciousness.

💭 Recipe FAQs

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