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…

Pin it for later

Sourdough Pancakes Recipe (2)

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Get my full disclosure here.

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!

Join our traditional wisdom community,and getexclusive access to my online resource library, where every freebie I’ve made is in one spot!

Sourdough Pancakes Recipe (7)

Shop this post

My sourdough starter

Where I buy organic produce, meats, pantry staples, and more

Want to shop for organic handmade skincare products?

Check out the Bumblebee Apothecary Shop here.

Follow along with Bumblebee Apothecary

YouTube

Instagram

Pinterest

Facebook

Thanks for stopping by! Be well!?

If you make this recipe and love it, please give it 5 stars! Also, tag me on Instagram @bumblebeeapothecary

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? ›

If you do not have enough starter, just feed it some more.

Just add some flour and water to your starter the day before and presto, you have more starter. This isn't even usually necessary though, as you can add a greatly varying amount of starter to your bread as it will leaven your dough over time.

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 does 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 happens if you use too much sourdough starter in a recipe? ›

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.

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

The most common feeding ratio is 1:1:1 (sourdough starter: flour: water). This is also known as a 100% hydration starter. For example, let's say you have 40 g of sourdough starter in a jar. To feed it, you'll add 40 g of flour + 40 g of water.

How much sourdough starter is enough? ›

Once it's ripe, remove the amount you need for the recipe (I almost always use between 100-200 grams) and then save 20 grams, feeding it with 20 grams water and flour. You're back to having 60 grams of starter to keep for next time with enough to bake your bread now.

Why are my sourdough pancakes tough? ›

Overmixing develops the gluten in pancakes and can make them gummy or “tough”. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until they are combined. The consistency of your batter is key. It should be thick enough to hold its shape but thin enough to pour easily.

Will sourdough pancake batter keep in the fridge? ›

Yes! This batter can be prepare and stored in the fridge up to 2 days in advance. Note that your sourdough pancakes may not be as fluffy if you make the batter in advance.

Why is my sourdough starter like pancake batter? ›

If you keep a 100% hydration starter like I do, your sourdough starter should be the consistency of thick pancake batter. If it's super runny, you either fed it too much water or let it ferment too long. If it's too thick, you either fed it too much flour or didn't let it ferment long enough.

What makes sourdough taste better? ›

The sourdough starter is the real secret to getting a good fermentation going. Essentially your sourdough starter is old dough, which has already pre-fermented and contains Lactobacillus culture. Lactobacillus culture has a sour taste and is an active culture that lives off natural yeast spores from the air.

Why discard sourdough starter? ›

If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.

What tastes best on sourdough? ›

21 Delicious Combinations of Sourdough Add-Ins
  • Everything but the Bagel Seasoning & Cheddar. ...
  • Parmesan, Asiago & Hot Honey. ...
  • Sun Dried Tomatoes & Mozzarella. ...
  • Chocolate & Cream Cheese. ...
  • Cinnamon & Raisins. ...
  • White Chocolate & Almonds. ...
  • Honey Butter & Cinnamon. ...
  • Lemon & Rosemary.

What is the biggest mistake with sourdough starter? ›

  • 1: You killed your sourdough starter.
  • You bake your sourdough too soon.
  • You don't autolyse your dough.
  • You don't let the bread proof long enough.
  • You use unfiltered tap water.
  • You throw out your sourdough discard.
  • Failing to score the bread properly.
  • You don't get rid of the 'hooch'

How do I know if I've killed my sourdough starter? ›

How Do I Know If I Killed My Sourdough Starter? Sourdough starters are incredibly resilient. Unless there is visible mold in your jar or the starter has been exposed to extremely high temperatures, chances are your sourdough starter is alive.

Do you discard starter every time you feed it? ›

It would be best if you discarded some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used “food” (flour and water) that's been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period.

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).

Do you have to discard sourdough starter every time you feed it? ›

With each sourdough starter feeding, you'll be discarding some to avoid it from becoming overly acidic. Most will compost or trash this discard, but you can save it and use it in other recipes!

What is the 1 2 2 ratio for sourdough starter? ›

A 1:2:2 feeding ratio would consist of one part existing starter, two parts flour and two parts water. For example, if you have 30g of existing starter, you would feed it 60g of flour and 60g of flour. The most common feeding ratios for daily maintenance are 1:1:1 or 1:2:2.

What happens if you don t feed your sourdough starter enough? ›

Don't worry — everything will be just fine. A sourdough starter is often likened to a pet, but unlike a puppy, if you forget to feed it when you're supposed to, nothing bad will happen. Because even though starters are technically alive, they're incredibly resilient.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Van Hayes

Last Updated:

Views: 5422

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (66 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Van Hayes

Birthday: 1994-06-07

Address: 2004 Kling Rapid, New Destiny, MT 64658-2367

Phone: +512425013758

Job: National Farming Director

Hobby: Reading, Polo, Genealogy, amateur radio, Scouting, Stand-up comedy, Cryptography

Introduction: My name is Van Hayes, I am a thankful, friendly, smiling, calm, powerful, fine, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.