sourdough pancakes
Lately I’ve gotten very into making sourdough at home. As a long time sourdough fan, I’ve really enjoyed the process of learning how to do it, no matter how painstaking it is for me at times ($%^*$#@#$). The end product is always worth it. But, what to do with all of the discard from my starter? Every week when it’s time to make bread, I scour the internet for recipes I can make that use up some starter, rather than throw it in the trash. Here is one that I have come back to over and over. I don’t eat pancakes very often, but I love to indulge once in a while. Feel free to add anything if the spirit moves you (poppy seeds, lemon zest, banana slices) and give them a go! I had wild blueberries in my freezer, so I threw those in. Enjoy!
sourdough pancakes
makes 8 5-inch pancakes
1 cup flour
1/2 cup starter (unfed/discard)
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
2 Tb neutral oil or melted butter
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
optional stir ins (lemon zest, poppy seeds, apple butter)
optional mix ins (blueberries, ripe banana slices, chocolate chips)
Heat a medium size skillet or cast iron pan on medium low heat. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour baking soda, salt, starter, and milk. Add the egg and mix until there are no egg streaks visible. Add the oil/butter. Mix until combined.
Grease your skillet with oil or butter. Your pan is hot enough when there is a little sizzle when you add the oil. Have some handy to use in between each pancake. Cooking spray is an easy option. With a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the full cup of batter onto the pan and spread into a rough circle. If you have any add ins (I used blueberries) you can scatter them on top now. Cook the pancake until you see little bubbles come up in the center. You can now flip and cook until the other side is golden brown. Before cooking the next pancake, be sure to grease your pan. This will make cleanup much easier. Depending on your stove and pan, you may need to adjust your heat setting in your stove. I usually turn mine down half way through cooking all of the pancakes. My cast iron skillet retains heat very well, causing the pancakes to brown quicker than the inside of the pancake cooks. If your oven has a -warm- setting, you can put your cooked pancakes on a heatproof plate or baking sheet while you cook the rest of the pancakes. This way, they will be warm and ready to serve when you are finished!
Serve with maple syrup, honey, or agave. I don’t put any sugar in the batter so if you like your pancakes sweet, you will probably want a topping.
If you want to make these dairy free, you can use an alternative milk of your choice and oil or vegan butter.
I haven’t tried this yet, but it struck me to try using oat flour for the 1 cup of flour instead of all purpose. If anyone tries any substitutes, please let me know in the comments!
