Sourdough Pancakes

Written by
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Leah Maroney
Updated 05/08/20
Sourdough Pancakes

The Spruce / Leah Maroney
  • Total: 12 hrs 45 mins
  • Prep: 12 hrs 30 mins
  • Cook: 15 mins
  • Yield: 12 pancakes (serves 6)

Mix up your normal weekend morning pancake routine with these sourdough pancakes. They are soft, tender, and pleasantly chewy with a fluffy texture and sweet and tangy flavor. If you already have sourdough starter in your refrigerator, this recipe comes together easily. You do need to plan ahead, though, since the pancake batter has to sit on the countertop overnight. In the morning, simply mix in the other ingredients and begin cooking.

Serve these sourdough pancakes with some fresh berries and real maple syrup, or top them with powdered sugar, butter, or fruit syrups.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs (beaten)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter (melted and cooled)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Neutral oil (vegetable, canola) or butter for greasing the pan or griddle
  • Garnish: berries, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or melted butter

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Sourdough Pancakes
     The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  2. Combine the sourdough starter with the milk and flour in a large bowl that is big enough to allow the mixture to rise.

    Mix pancake batter
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter overnight; the batter needs to rise and continue to develop its sourdough flavor. This will be your overnight sponge, the base for the pancakes.

    Let the pancake batter rest
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  4. In the morning, add the beaten eggs, baking powder, sugar, and salt to the sourdough starter mixture. Whisk until combined and smooth.

    Add in the eggs
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  5. Whisk in the cooled melted butter and the vanilla extract. The batter will be very thick and almost bread dough-like after you are done mixing.

    Whisk the batter
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  6. Heat up a cast-iron skillet or griddle and add a little bit of neutral oil or butter. (If you use a griddle, you can cook several pancakes at a time.) Nonstick surfaces are best for cooking pancakes.

    Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the batter to the skillet, and cook for a few minutes until the bubbles start forming. You can make these pancakes as large or as small as you want.

    Cook pancakes on a cast-iron pan
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  7. Flip the pancake over and cook for another minute on the other side. It doesn't take as long on the second side, so watch carefully.

    Cooked sourdough pancakes
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  8. Serve with fresh berries, maple syrup, powdered sugar, and melted butter.

Tips

  • Make sure the melted butter is completely cooled before adding to the batter. If the warm butter combines with cold ingredients it will solidify into clumps.
  • It's important to keep the heat low while cooking these pancakes. Because the batter is thicker than typical pancakes, they take a little time to cook through and can burn easily if the heat is too high.

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