These light and fluffy sourdough pancakes are super easy to make, call for simple ingredients that you probably have in your pantry, and whip up in a flash!
Sourdough pancakes are my most requested breakfasts around here… I mix up plenty of starter the night before making these, because it’s the main ingredient!
You’ll love this recipe because it’s so easy to make and comes together in a flash!
Key Ingredients
In this recipe, each ingredient plays a unique role in creating a delightful balance of flavors and textures. The sourdough starter is the star, providing a sour and complex flavor profile, while the other ingredients work together to create a harmonious, fluffy, and delicious pancake experience.
Sourdough Starter: The heart and soul of this recipe, the sourdough starter provides a tangy flavor, and unique texture. The sourdough starter helps the pancakes rise. It contributes a complex depth of flavor that sets sourdough pancakes apart from regular ones. Learn how to make a sourdough starter here.
Flour: I like to use fresh ground whole grain, but all purpose flour works great too. The flour serves as a structural component, giving the pancakes their fluffy and tender texture. It combines with the sourdough starter to provide the necessary structure for a successful pancake.
Egg: The egg is a binding agent that helps hold the pancake batter together while providing moisture and richness to the final product. It contributes to the pancakes’ golden color and helps them rise slightly.
Honey: Honey adds a touch of sweetness and depth of flavor to the pancakes. It balances the sourness of the sourdough starter and complements the other ingredients with a subtle natural sweetness.
Baking Soda: Baking soda acts as a leavening agent in this recipe. When it reacts with the sourdough starter, it produces carbon dioxide gas, causing the pancakes to rise and become light and fluffy.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract infuses the pancakes with a delightful aroma and a hint of sweetness. It enhances the overall flavor profile, making the pancakes more inviting.
Milk: Milk provides additional moisture to the batter, making the pancakes tender and slightly creamy. It’s a key component in achieving the right consistency.
Tips & Tricks for the Fluffiest Sourdough Pancakes
This recipe is incredibly easy, a few key secrets will ensure your pancakes are perfectly light, airy, and full of that wonderful sourdough tang every single time.
The Star Ingredient, Your Sourdough Starter: The secret weapon in this recipe is unfed sourdough discard (starter that hasn’t been fed recently).
Don’t worry about feeding it! Unlike making bread, you want your starter to be dormant (unfed) when you mix the batter. This is why these pancakes are a fantastic way to use up your discard before your next feeding, making them zero-waste!
Active Starter is OK, too! If your starter is active and bubbly, it will work just fine, but the pancakes might rise a little faster and have a slightly stronger flavor. The great part about this recipe is its flexibility!
Batter Consistency and Baking Soda: The baking soda is what gives these pancakes their incredible rise, so how you mix it is crucial.
Look for the Magic Fizz: Once you whisk the baking soda into the wet ingredients, the starter’s acid reacts immediately, creating bubbles! This is why you need to use the batter immediately after mixing. If you let it sit for too long, the bubbles (and the fluffiness) will deflate.
No Over-Mixing: Mix your ingredients just until everything is combined. A few small lumps are perfectly fine! Over-mixing develops the gluten in the flour, which leads to tough, chewy pancakes instead of light, fluffy ones.
Getting the Griddle Temperature Just Right: The difference between a perfect golden-brown pancake and a burnt one is often just a degree or two on your skillet.
The Water Test: To check if your pan is ready, flick a few drops of water onto the heated surface. If the water immediately sizzles and evaporates, the pan is too hot. If the water sizzles and forms tiny, dancing balls that roll around, the temperature is perfect (medium heat is usually ideal).
The Bubble Cue: Don’t rely on a timer for the flip! Wait until you see plenty of small air bubbles breaking the surface of the pancake and the edges look set. This indicates the underside is golden and the inside is mostly cooked, making for an easy, clean flip.
FAQ’s
Diving into sourdough can sometimes bring up a few questions. I’m here to make sure your pancake-making journey is as smooth and fluffy as possible!
Q: What is “sourdough starter discard,” and why do I use it?
A: Think of discard as your unfed sourdough starter—it’s the portion you remove before you feed your starter. We use it here because it is wonderfully acidic, and that acid is essential! When it reacts with the baking soda in the recipe, it creates an explosive burst of carbon dioxide (bubbles!) which gives these pancakes their incredible, airy fluffiness. Plus, it’s a great way to use up starter that would otherwise go to waste!
Q: Do I need to feed my starter before I make these pancakes?
A: Nope, absolutely not! That’s the beauty of this recipe. It’s designed to use unfed discard straight from your jar or the fridge. If you do happen to use an active, recently-fed starter, that’s fine too—just know your batter might be slightly more bubbly, and the pancakes might be a little thicker.
Q: My pancakes aren’t fluffy! What went wrong?
A: This is usually due to one of two common mistakes:
Waiting Too Long: The moment you add the baking soda, the chemical reaction starts. If you let the batter sit for 10-15 minutes, the bubbles deflate! You must cook the batter immediately after mixing.
Over-Mixing: Whisking too vigorously or for too long develops the gluten in the flour, making the pancakes tough and flat. Mix only until the flour streaks disappear—a few lumps are totally okay!
Q: Can I prepare the batter the night before?
A: Unfortunately, no, not with this particular recipe! Because this recipe uses baking soda for its primary leavening, the action happens right away. If you mix it the night before, all the bubbles will be gone by morning.
If you prefer overnight pancakes, you’ll need a different recipe that relies on the natural fermentation of the starter (without baking soda) to rise.
Q: My pancakes are burning on the outside but still gooey inside. Help!
A: Your griddle is definitely too hot! The high heat is searing the outside before the heat has time to cook the inside. Turn your heat down to Medium (or even Medium-Low on some stoves) and give the pancakes a full 2-3 minutes on the first side. This ensures a beautiful golden crust and a soft, fully cooked center. Remember the water test!
Serve Sourdough Pancakes With
Don’t forget the best part of any great pancake breakfast: the toppings! We’ve made it super easy to improve your breakfast with some bright, homemade goodness. I absolutely love serving these fluffy sourdough pancakes with a generous dollop of freezer jam—you can quickly whip up batches of Apricot, Blackberry freezer jam, sugar free strawberry, or even Raspberry!
I want to know what YOU think, please review the recipe card!
Fluffy Sourdough Starter Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups sourdough starter
- 1 cup flour
- 1 egg large
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup milk
- Butter and Syrup or freezer jam, for topping!
Instructions
Prepare the Batter (1 minute)
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sourdough starter, flour, egg, honey, baking soda, vanilla extract, olive oil, and milk.
- Vigorously whisk all ingredients together until they are just combined. A few small lumps are perfectly fine! Do not over-mix.
- The batter should immediately start to look bubbly as the baking soda reacts with the starter. Use the batter right away.
Preheat the Griddle (3–5 minutes)
- Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over Medium Heat.
- The pan is ready when a drop of water sizzles and immediately evaporates.
Cook the Pancakes (4–5 minutes per batch)
- Pour 1/3 cup of batter onto the hot skillet for each pancake, making sure they are spaced apart.
- Cook for approximately 2 to 3 minutes on the first side. Wait until small air bubbles start breaking the surface and the edges of the pancake look set and dry.
- Flip the pancakes and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes on the second side, until they are golden brown and cooked through.
Serve
- Transfer the cooked pancakes to a plate.
- Immediately spread a small amount of softened butter over the top of the stack.
- Serve hot with syrup, strawberry freezer jam, or your favorite toppings!
Notes
Nutrition
About Juliea
Juliea is a mother of six, a sourdough baker, and a homestead builder living in Idaho. Alongside her husband and their horse, Dude, she manages a busy farmhouse and shares her love for scratch-cooking and simple homemaking. Through her blog and YouTube channel, she helps millions of families every year master the art of the handmade home.
2 comments
Timber
This recipe is so easy to follow and delicious!! The pancakes are fluffy and quick!
Pancake Munich
Pancake lovers, rejoice! This is the place to be for the fluffiest and most delectable Pancakes. Your taste buds will thank you!