Sourdough Pancakes

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
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
Updated on 04/9/21
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni
on 03/29/21
Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon. She has authored five cookbooks and contributed recipe testing to six additional cookbooks. Danielle has worked as a staff editor and writer for the Oakland Tribune and Eater Portland, among others. Danielle has been writing for The Spruce Eats since December 2018. 
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Recipe Testing Panel
Sourdough Pancakes

The Spruce / Leah Maroney
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Ferment Time: 12 hrs
Total: 12 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Yield: 14 pancakes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
433 Calories
20g Fat
58g Carbs
8g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 433
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 25%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Cholesterol 97mg 32%
Sodium 394mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 58g 21%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 28g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 7mg 35%
Calcium 136mg 10%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 207mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Mix up your normal weekend morning pancake routine with these sourdough pancakes. They're 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 for a quick breakfast.

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

1:20

Click Play to See These Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes Come Together

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"Those who maintain sourdough starter for bread baking are always looking for ways to use the discard. These pancakes had a delicious depth of flavor thanks to the starter, and their texture was amazingly tender and light. I got 14 pancakes out of 1 batch of batter, using a 1/4 cup measure." —Danielle Centoni

Sourdough Pancakes Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 large eggs, beaten

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil (or butter), for greasing the pan or griddle

  • Berries, garnish

  • Maple syrup, garnish

  • Powdered sugar, garnish

  • Melted butter, garnish

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 and the base for the pancakes.

    Let the pancake batter rest
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  4. In the morning, add the beaten eggs, sugar, baking powder, 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 like a slack bread dough after you are done mixing.

    Whisk the batter
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  6. Heat up a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and add a little bit of neutral oil or butter. Turn the heat down to medium-low and ladle 1/4 cup batter to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes until bubbles start forming on top and the pancakes are browned on the underside.

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

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

    Cooked sourdough pancake
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  8. Serve the pancakes with fresh berries, maple syrup, powdered sugar, and/or melted butter.

    Sourdough pancakes

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Tips

  • Make sure the melted butter is completely cooled (but still liquid) before adding it to the batter. If warm butter combines with cold ingredients, it will solidify into clumps.
  • If you use a griddle, you can cook several pancakes at a time. Nonstick surfaces are best for cooking pancakes.
  • It's important to keep the heat low while cooking these pancakes. Because the batter is thicker, these pancakes take more time to cook through than typical recipes. If the heat is too high, the pancakes can burn on the outside while remaining uncooked on the inside.

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