Sourdough pancakes are light and tangy, perfect for adding luscious toppings like fruit or berry sauce. My daughter asked for chocolate chip pancakes and I will be making plenty of these so she can indulge as well as have some in the fridge for snacking.
People seem to make a huge deal out of sourdough. It’s fun to read about how granular some get about exact measurements, feeding, flours, and timing. Not to say that their sourdoughs aren’t spectacular, I just know myself and that sort of discipline takes the joy out of it for me. Cooking has always been my safe haven. I can’t have a lot of rules to follow because 1. I won’t and 2. I lose interest.
Storing Sourdough
My sourdough lives in an old beanpot in the cupboard. Well, for most of the year. In the winter, it’s much too hot in the kitchen, and fermented things like warm, but not woodstove + pellet stove heat. In the winter, I fill a quart jar with my starter and keep it in the fridge. When I am going to use it, I just take it out of the fridge to come to room temperature. I do set my alarm to remind me to feed it once a week. But I think making a recipe that uses a nice portion of starter is good to keep things “moving” so to speak.
Here is a simple sourdough pancake recipe that is a great introduction about understanding the consistency of your starter and how to work with it. Enjoy!
Sourdough Pancakes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional, but it helps with browning and flavor)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or water (only if your batter is too thick)
Instructions:
- In a bowl, mix your sourdough starter, egg, and oil or melted butter until well combined.
- Add the sugar and salt, mixing until everything is nicely incorporated.
- Just before you’re ready to cook them, sprinkle the baking soda over the batter and mix it in. If the batter feels too thick, adjust the consistency with a bit of milk or water—it should be pourable but not too runny.
- Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease it with oil or butter.
- Pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto the hot pan. Wait until you see bubbles forming on the surface and the edges start to look set, then flip. Cook until the other side is golden brown.
- Serve hot with your favorite toppings—maple syrup, fresh fruits, or even a dollop of yogurt. Our family loves fruit but we also enjoy buttered pancakes with a layer of brown sugar between each one.
I also make a sourdough English muffin that is *Chef’s Kiss… I can dig that up for you if anyone would like that recipe.
