As I started my sourdough journey, I looked for ways to use the discard when feeding my starter. It seemed a shame to throw out perfectly good leftover sourdough starter, so I worked on sourdough discard recipes. Let’s start with this Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes from Discard Recipe.

The fluffiest pancakes you will ever eat made with your sourdough discard

In my quest to use my discard, I have sourdoughed every recipe I have created, LOL. Some, like this one, with great success, and some, not so much! I’ll keep working on those LOL.

Who wants to start the weekend with something other than a Saturday morning stack of fluffy sourdough discard pancakes? Not me, I’m all in. Golden brown, melted butter oozing over the sides and our favorite, hot maple syrup with fresh blueberries.

Adding sourdough discard to pancakes makes them extraordinary. They are extra fluffy, have amazing flavor, and are easy to digest. This will become your BEST go-to Sourdough Pancake Recipe.

How to Make the Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes From Discard:

Ingredients:

Sourdough Discard (or hydrated starter, either works)
All purpose flour
baking powder
sugar
salt
milk
eggs
melted butter

What Makes a Good Fluffy Sourdough Pancake:

Tip #1

Sourdough Discard. 1 full cup of starter is used up here. Discard or active sourdough starter, both work: When combined with baking powder (tip#3) you get the FLUFFY.

Tip #2

Your liquid-to-flour ratio. The batter should be bubbly and thick but pourable. Too much flour will result in doughy (possibly uncooked centers) and overly thick pancakes. Too much liquid results in thin and chewy pancakes. I get it, some of you like them that way, and that’s cool. My goal here is soft, fluffy and thick. Sourdough pancakes that melt in your mouth.

Tip #3

Baking Powder. The addition of baking powder makes fluffy pancakes. otherwise, they will be thick and dense, and as I said before, the centers may not cook before the outsides get blackened. You could also fold in a couple of stiffly beaten egg whites. I use them in my waffle recipe, but it’s an extra step, and they are lovely without the egg whites.

Batter Consistency:

Your sourdough pancake batter should be thick and bubbly, not runny. If it’s too thick to pour, add a tablespoon or two of whole milk. If it’s too thin, add flour, a tablespoon at a time.

Homemade is Best – Why Make Pancakes from Scratch?

My #1 reason – so I know what’s in them. We try to eat healthy, and knowing what you are eating is important. I’m not into a dry premade batter with a 3-year shelf life. You can make this batter the night before and let it ferment overnight in the fridge for use the next day. The starter’s natural acids will help break down the gluten, making these gut-friendly too.

Tools You will need:

Large pourable mixing bowl – I love this one.
Whisk or hand mixer
Good quality cast-iron skillet or griddle – we use a large HexClad non-stick frying pan
Spatula for flipping
Ladle if your mixing bowl isn’t pourable.

three large sourdough discard pancakes on a white plate with blueberries, strawberries and maple syrup

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREATING THE FLUFFY SOURDOUGH DISCARD PANCAKES:

Place 2 tablespoons of butter into a microwave-safe bowl and heat until melted – set aside to cool slightly.
Add all the liquid ingredients (including the cooled melted butter) to the large bowl and whisk until blended. Mix the dry ingredients in another bowl and then add them to the liquid, mixing until blended. DO NOT OVERMIX. Let the batter sit for 10 – 15 minutes. It will expand and get super bubbly.
You can use the batter now or put it in the fridge overnight to ferment and cook in the morning.
Heat your pan to medium-low heat and add a tablespoon of butter, olive oil or coconut oil to stop the pancakes from sticking.
Pour or ladle a cup of batter into the hot griddle.
Cook the pancakes on the first side for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned, then flip. Watch the top of the pancake for bubbles to appear and the surface to become dry-looking. These are both indications that it’s time to flip.
Cook the second side for an additional 1-2minutes, using your spatula to lift the edge and check to see if it’s golden brown.
Transfer to a covered dish to keep warm while you cook the rest of the batch.
Serve warm with butter, hot maple syrup, fresh blueberries, or whatever toppings you like. Bananas are my favorite and Ian loves fresh strawberries, blueberries, hot syrup and whipping cream.

Adding Toppings and Flavors:

Adding a mashed banana to the wet ingredients makes for lovely pancakes.
Add cinnamon and vanilla for added sweetness
Kids love chocolate chips in the batter
This recipe is very forgiving and you can add pretty much anything you like.

FAQ:

Can I let the sourdough pancake batter ferment overnight?

YES – it will ferment and break down the gluten overnight, making it easier to digest. Then, the next morning you get amazingly delicious pancakes with a great tangy flavor.

Can I use whole wheat flour to make these sourdough pancakes?

Yes, use whatever flour you have, but remember, each flour is different, so you will need to tweak the recipe a bit by adding a bit more milk to get the right consistency for the batter.

Can you use this recipe for Sourdough Waffles?

Yes – I use this recipe for both, however, I fold in 2 stiffly beaten egg whites for waffles to help them crisp up.

STORAGE:

Cooked sourdough pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Then can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Visit my AMAZON STOREFRONT for my list of baking tools I like to use

Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes from Discard Recipe

Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes from Discard Recipe

Use up your sourdough discard by whipping up these fluffy sourdough pancakes. They will quickly become your favorite Saturday morning treat.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy breakfast, sourdoug recipes, sourdough discard recipes, brunch recipes

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Servings: people 2 large pancakes each

Author: Sandi

Ingredients

1 cup sourdough starter or discard (236 g)
2 cups all-purpose flour (125 g)
1 tbsp white sugar (15g)
1 tsp salt (5g)
1-1/2 cups 3% milk (374g)
2 large eggs
2 tbsp melted butter (28g)

Instructions

Place 2 tablespoons of butter into a microwave-safe bowl and heat until melted – set aside to cool slightly.
Add all the liquid ingredients (including the cooled melted butter) to the large bowl and whisk until blended. Mix the dry ingredients in another bowl and then add them to the liquid, mixing until blended. DO NOT OVERMIX. Let the batter sit for 10 – 15 minutes. It will expand and get super bubbly.
You can use the batter now or put it in the fridge overnight to ferment and cook in the morning.
Heat your pan to medium-low heat and add a tablespoon of butter, olive oil, or coconut oil to stop the pancakes from sticking.
Pour or ladle half a cup to a cup of batter into the hot griddle.
Cook the pancakes on the first side for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned, then flip. Watch the top of the pancake for bubbles to appear and the surface to become dry-looking. These are both indications that it's time to flip.
Cook the second side for an additional 1-2 minutes, using your spatula to lift the edge and check if it's golden brown.
Transfer to a covered dish to keep warm while you cook the rest of the batch.
Serve warm with butter, hot maple syrup, fresh blueberries, or whatever toppings you like. Bananas are my favorite, and Ian loves fresh strawberries, blueberries, hot syrup, and whipping cream.

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