Sourdough discard pancake recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Elizabeth Marek · This post may contain affiliate links · 22 Comments

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I absolutely love making these sourdough discard pancakes. They taste WAY better than regular pancakes, they don't leave you with that heavy feeling in your stomach and only take 5 minutes to make! They are light, fluffy and a great way to use up that sourdough starter discard! If you love sourdough pikelets, you'll definitely want to try this recipe!

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When I was growing up, we never had pancakes. We had pikelets. They are very similar to pancakes but not as sweet. More like fried dough.

I have never liked pancakes. They make me feel bloated and I'm STARVING a few hours later.

Recently I decided to dive into making sourdough starter so I could make my own fresh bread at home. When making a sourdough starter, I discovered that you end up with a lot of sourdough discard (the part you throw away).

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Not wanting to waste precious flour, I looked up a lot of sourdough discard recipes.

This one is AMAZING. I couldn't believe how delicious these sourdough pancakes were! Surprisingly, they don't taste like sourdough at all, just fluffy, delicious pancakes. But these do not make you feel bloated.

Probably because sourdough is one of the healthiest types of bread you can eat. As the yeast goes through fermentation, it breaks down gluten, making it easier to digest and minimizing discomfort.

What Is Sourdough Discard?

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Sourdough discard is the part of the sourdough starter that has been broken down by yeast after it has been fed and discarded. Not sure what sourdough starter is? Check out my sourdough starter recipe.

Protip - You can save sourdough discard and use it later! Just wrap it up and put it in the fridge for up to two days. Any l longer and it starts to develop too much flavor and can taste bitter.

Discard recipes are a great way to use up that discard instead of throwing it away! Discard can have a varying degree of flavor to it depending on the sourness of your sourdough starter.

What Ingredients Do You Need For Sourdough Pancakes?

All you need are some basic ingredients to make sourdough discard pancakes. Most importantly, you need discard! I usually have about 1 cup of discard but the amount you add is not really important. Think of the discard as "flavoring" for your pancakes.

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Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 - Place your skillet (I like to use a cast-iron skillet for even browning) on the stove and heat it on medium-low heat for 15 minutes. We're shooting for a temp of 300ºF for cooking pancakes.

Protip - Low and slow is better for pancakes to ensure a nice golden brown crust and a soft and fluffy interior.

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Step 2 - Combine all your ingredients in one bowl and mix until combined. No worries if it's lumpy.

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Step 3 - Melt a teaspoon of butter in the skillet. Butter adds some delicious crispiness to your pancakes.

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Step 4 - Pour about ½ cup of batter into the skillet and cook for 5 minutes or until the edges of the pancake start to look dried out and you can see some holes forming on top.

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Step 5 - Flip your pancake over and cook for another 3 minutes.

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Enjoy! I slather mine in more butter but my daughter Avalon prefers hers with cinnamon and sugar. So good!

Relevant Recipes

Sourdough Starter Recipe
Sourdough Bread Recipe
Sourdough Pikelets

Recipe

Sourdough discard pancake recipe (12)

Sourdough Discard Pancake Recipe

How to make light, fluffy, and delicious sourdough pancakes from your discard. These pancakes come together in less than 5 minutes and fly off the griddle in my home! A great way to use your discard and start the day with a delicious breakfast.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 pancakes

Calories: 226kcal

Author: Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces all-purpose flour about 2 cups spooned and leveled
  • 1 cup sourdough discard more or less is ok
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 14 ounces milk about 1 ¾ cups
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat your skillet over medium-low heat for 15 minutes

  • Combine all your ingredients together in a bowl and mix until it's combined. It will be lumpy and thats ok.

  • Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in your hot skillet

  • Add about ½ cup of your batter into the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until the edges of your pancakes start to look dry and you start seeing holes on top of the pancake

  • Flip your pancake and cook for another 3 minutes

  • Serve immediately with more melted butter and syrup!

Video

Notes

  1. Low and slow is perfect for pancakes. I use a thermometer to check the temp of my skillet. You're shooting for 300ºF or just set your temp to medium-low
  2. Do not over-mix your batter or it will become tough. Just mix it until it's cohesive
  3. Use your batter right away for the best results
  4. You can save sourdough discard and use it later! Just wrap it up and put it in the fridge for up to two days. Any l longer and it starts to develop too much flavor and can taste bitter.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pancake | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 468mg | Potassium: 222mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 148IU | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Sourdough discard pancake recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you do anything with sourdough starter discard? ›

You can always use this discard by directly mixing it into a dough for baking. Your discard, as long as it's in good shape, will leaven any bread dough just as well. The discard is just like a levain you would make for a recipe. The only difference is it's the same makeup as your starter.

How do you know how much sourdough starter to discard? ›

Experts recommend feeding a starter twice daily. And at each feeding, you hold onto 1/2 cup of your original starter, discard the rest, and then add its same weight in water and flour. With this schedule, you'd discard almost a cup of sourdough starter every day.

Why is my sourdough starter like pancake batter? ›

What Should Sourdough Starter Look Like? A healthy starter should look nice and bubbly after it's been fed. It will have the consistency of thick pancake batter. It should be able to be poured out of your container, but it won't just fall out readily.

Why are my sourdough pancakes gummy? ›

Gummy sourdough pancakes are usually due to cooking issues. Be sure to fully cook the pancakes all the way through.

Does sourdough discard go bad? ›

You can store mature sourdough discard in the refrigerator indefinitely. As long as there is no mold, it is good to use. It may develop a grayish liquid on top called “hooch” which can be poured off before use or stirred in. If you stir it in, the flavor will become more sour.

When should you throw out a sourdough discard? ›

I recommend keeping sourdough discard for about one week, but I do know others who keep it for much longer. After one week, there is a higher risk of mold or bad bacteria growing on the discard.

Can you use 2 day old sourdough discard? ›

Can I Use Old Sourdough Discard? You can use old sourdough discard if it's been stored in the fridge, however, you really want to use it up within a week - 2 weeks max. It's better to use "fresh" discard in a sweet sourdough discard recipe.

How much starter should I keep after discard? ›

Room-temperature starter should be fed every 12 hours (twice a day) using the standard maintenance feeding procedure: discard all but 113g, and feed that 113g starter with 113g each water and flour.

How do I know if I killed my sourdough starter? ›

How to tell if your sourdough starter is dead?
  1. Even after 5 refreshing periods the starter isn't bubbling or showing signs of activity.
  2. If the starter smells rotten. ...
  3. If mold is growing.
May 18, 2021

What consistency should sourdough starter be for pancake batter? ›

Consistency of Sourdough Starter

When starting to build your starter you can leave it a bit thinner but once you start making bread you will want it THICK, You want your sourdough starter to be the consistency of thick pancake batter. if it's too thin add a scoop of flour.

What do sourdough pancakes taste like? ›

TASTE: Just a word to the wise, these taste like pancakes from your favorite restaurant. Thick, fluffy, soft, and delicious! They do NOT have a sour flavor, and most likely no one would know you used your sourdough starter when making them!

What does dead sourdough starter look like? ›

Unless you can see mold on your sourdough starter or it has visible signs of pink or orange, your sourdough starter is not dead! Even if it has thick, dark colored liquid on top - it can still be brought back to life!

Will sourdough pancake batter keep in the fridge? ›

Yes! This batter can be prepare and stored in the fridge up to 2 days in advance. Note that your sourdough pancakes may not be as fluffy if you make the batter in advance.

Why are my sourdough pancakes tough? ›

Overmixing develops the gluten in pancakes and can make them gummy or “tough”. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until they are combined. The consistency of your batter is key. It should be thick enough to hold its shape but thin enough to pour easily.

How long can sourdough discard stay in fridge? ›

Sourdough discard will last indefinitely when stored in the fridge, but the longer it sits, the sourer it becomes. Therefore, I like to use my discard within 2 weeks.

Do I have to keep discarding sourdough starter? ›

Do I have to discard my sourdough starter? It would be best if you discarded some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used “food” (flour and water) that's been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period.

Can chickens eat sourdough discard? ›

You can feed unused sourdough starter (sourdough discard) to your chickens. It's a great way to introduce fermented foods into their diet and a better alternative than yoghurt (chickens aren't good with dairy).

Can you dry sourdough starter discard? ›

Any excess, also called the discard, can be dried and ground to powder. It can then be used for multiple purposes.

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