Perfect for the weekend and using the excess from a sourdough starter, these pancakes are fluffy and just a little acidic, perfect with maple syrup or jam.
When I said I wanted to get into bread last year, I had just met Malin, a talented baker who trades her bread for everything from artisan salts to horse back riding excursions with her bread exchange. Inspired, I decided to try my hand at sourdough and worked at creating a starter. After a nice sour start, my first bread fell flat and without much free time on my hands, I let the project go forgotten. But this December, my bread baking was renewed when my good friend Jes shared some of her restaurant’s 8-year-old starter. I managed to travel with it from California to Berlin and have been baking ever since.
This recipe comes thanks to the problem of the starter’s feeding cycle: everyday you encourage the natural yeast with fresh flour and water, and if you can’t bake everyday, you end up tossing out some of the original. Instead, thrifty bakers use the excess starter for everything from pizza dough and pop-overs to waffles and pancakes. Many recipes require an overnight resting of the dough—called a preferment or a poolish—which helps feed the yeast further and create an airy end product. I like this recipe because it is quick and yields wonderfully fluffy pancakes all the same. I add in the orange zest for a nice boost of floral sweetness.
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Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes
- Yield: 10-12 pancakes 1x
Description
Utilize your leftover sourdough starters or read the links to learn how to make your own starter. Adapted from Completely Delicious.
Ingredients
- ½ cup sourdough starter
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup yogurt or crème fraîche
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ tablespoon orange zest
- Butter or cooking oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the starter, flour, yogurt, and water. Let batter rest for 30 minutes
- then stir in the oil, egg, salt, sugar, baking soda, and orange zest. Stir until just combined; it’s okay if the batter is slightly lumpy.
- Heat a sauté pan or griddle over medium heat. Add butter or oil to the pan, then add batter in ¼ cup spoonfuls.
- Cook pancakes until bubbles start to appear on the surface and the edges appear dry, about 5 minutes.
- Flip and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown.
- Repeat with remaining batter, holding cooked pancakes in a warm oven.
- Serve pancakes with butter, maple syrup, jam, or fresh fruit. Store leftover pancakes in a sealed container for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 weeks.
- Category: Breakfast
Frequently Asked Questions
What consistency should my sourdough starter be for this recipe?
We use 1/2 cup of starter. It works with either discard (unfed) or active starter, the baking soda added later provides the main lift, so a recently fed, bubbly starter is not required. A thick, paste-like starter or a looser, pourable one both work; just use the same 1/2 cup measure.
Why does the batter rest for 30 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients?
The initial rest lets the flour hydrate and allows the starter’s natural acids to begin working on the batter, which contributes to fluffiness. After 30 minutes you stir in the egg, oil, salt, sugar, baking soda and orange zest, adding the baking soda at this point means it reacts immediately when the batter hits the hot pan rather than exhausting itself early.
Can I skip the orange zest?
Yes. The orange zest adds a background floral note but is not structural. Lemon zest is a straightforward substitute. Leaving it out produces a more neutral-flavoured pancake that pairs well with maple syrup or jam.
How do I store and reheat leftover pancakes?
Up to 5 days in a sealed container in the fridge, or up to 4 weeks in the freezer. Reheat from frozen in a toaster or a dry non-stick pan over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes per side — they stay softer than if microwaved.
Why aren’t my pancakes fluffy?
The most common causes are overmixing after adding the baking soda (which knocks out the bubbles) or a pan that is not hot enough. Cook on medium heat, and bubbles should appear on the surface before flipping — roughly 5 minutes for the first side. A lumpy batter is expected and correct.
Made these sourdough pancakes for my sister’s birthday breakfast! Everyone enjoyed the surprise tanginess from the sourdough starter. A new family favorite.
Awesome! I used homemade goat and sheep milk’s yogurt, my sourdough starter, half whole wheat flour, olive oil and honey instead of sugar. I cooked them in butter. Best pancakes I’ve ever tasted! Thank you for the recipe :)
These pancakes are definitely off the hook, love them and have made them time and time and time again.
Great breakfast pancakes, will make again, top with whipped cream and strawberries
Made these for Easter today, I used lemon Greek yogurt and added vanilla,, my family loved them. I’ve tried several SD waffle recipes, this one has good flavor and great rise. My starter was fed, bubbly & ready but I was only able to let the batter sit for 10 mins, however, the waffles rose beautifully and tasted wonderful! I will be using this recipe again! Thank you for sharing??
Surprisingly good, fluffy – I ate the pancakes just as they were because they tasted so good!! Great with jam as well :)
Yum! Really filling and delicious! I used my own homemade yogurt and used whole wheat sourdough starter. I omitted the lemon zest though. Instead I made a berry sauce with lemon juice to top the pancakes ? This recipe is so good and easy to follow, it’ll be my go to when I make pancakes !
I let the dough sit for 10 minutes because I was so hungry and it still came out fluffy!
I substituted sour cream for the yogurt. Still delicious!
Is your sourdough starter fed or unfed?