Here’s my guide for making classic Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes from Discarded Starter for a tasty breakfast or brunch. In this recipe, buttermilk and sourdough discard combine to create tender, fluffy, and delicious pancakes! Sourdough discard and a genius egg mixing sequence sets these tender pancakes apart from the rest.
You can make this recipe on the same day, or whip it up the night before for an easy morning.
Classic Pancakes with Sourdough Discard
If you have a sourdough starter to make sourdough bread, then you may keep discard on hand for sourdough discard recipes like sourdough discard banana bread, fluffy sourdough banana muffins or sourdough discard biscuits. Incorporating discarded sourdough into recipes creates flavorful and tender baked goods with terrific keeping qualities.
This recipe is written for same-day classic sourdough discard pancakes with buttermilk, but it can also be made overnight with just a few tweaks to the mixing sequence. I’m including both methods on the recipe card so you can make them on your schedule.
This Recipe Is
- made same day or overnight
- tender, fluffy and flavorful
- freezer friendly
If you make sourdough discard recipes and love pancakes, you’ll enjoy this pancake recipe.
Gather Your Ingredients
While most are pantry staples, two ingredients stand out for adding SO much flavor to these classic pancakes.
- Cultured Buttermilk: adds a tangy flavor and also helps create tender and lofty pancakes. I tested this recipe with whole milk, plant milk and buttermilk and while the others were okay, nothing could beat the flavor of buttermilk.
- Sourdough Discard (leftover sourdough starter): adds tangy flavor, tenderness and moisture. This recipe calls for 100% hydration sourdough discard. If you need a sourdough starter, I have a handy sourdough starter guide on the blog.
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How to Make Homemade Sourdough Discard Pancakes
step by step – same-day pancakes
Pro Tip: after whisking the wet ingredients, banish the whisk! Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a silicone spatula, leaving pockets of flour visible and the batter lumpy. Overmixing results in tough, chewy pancakes.
Creating Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes (with genius tip)
I’ve been working on perfecting my classic homemade sourdough pancake recipe for several years. A recipe that’s not vegan, isn’t gluten free and made without oats like my other sourdough discard pancake recipes you may have seen on the blog.
I tested all the tips and tricks out there but still couldn’t quite get my sourdough pancakes to the light and fluffy texture I was looking for. So this recipe sat… until…
I came across a pro tip on Food52 from Dana Velden. I learned that separating the egg, first mixing only the yolk with the wet ingredients, folding in the dry ingredients, and then folding the egg white into the batter (unwhipped) creates loftier pancakes. I tried this method. And suddenly, right before my eyes, it worked!
“Those were absolutely the lightest fluffiest delicious perfect sourdough pancakes I have ever made. My family loved these.”
Patty
Tip: After mixing, let the batter rest for at least 20 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax and the flour to hydrate, creating tender pancakes.
Take Your Pancakes Over the TOP!
While the batter rests for 20 minutes, whip up a tasty topping:
- sweet cherry compote: luscious and indulgent. These pancakes will taste like dessert!
- stewed apples: tender, cinnamon spiked. They’re so good with chopped pecans.
- stewed pears: tender and with a hint of maple and brown sugar. Perfect for cozy season.
- Maple Rhubarb Conserve: sweetened with maple syrup, infused with orange and lemon, with walnuts and raisins, this condiment is a seasonal delight and such a treat on sourdough pancakes.
- blueberry compote: lightly sweetened and with a touch of lemon. SO good on these pancakes!
Or share simply with butter, sliced bananas and pecans. Classic. Delicious!
Traci’s Tips
- Test to see if the griddle/pan is hot enough by flicking a few drops of water on it. If the drops sizzle and evaporate fast, it’s ready. You can also make a tiny test pancake.
- Low and Slow: cook your pancakes on medium low heat, in a skillet or 300-325F if using a griddle. Cooking slowly allows the center to cook thoroughly while keeping the edges and underside from getting too dark. Adjust the heat as needed.
Fluffy Sourdough Discard Pancakes with Buttermilk
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (210 grams) All Purpose Flour
- 2 tablespoons Organic Cane Sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder non aluminum
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 large Egg separated
- 1 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (325 grams) Cultured Buttermilk not low-fat
- 3/4 cups (195 grams) Sourdough Discard 100% hydration, it should be runny, straight from the refrigerator is fine
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter melted, warm to the touch
For Serving:
- Real maple syrup, butter, sliced bananas, chopped pecans or other toppings (see below)
Instructions
For Same Day Pancakes
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: in a medium mixing bowl whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients (excluding the egg white): in a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolk, buttermilk, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract until smooth. Then whisk in the melted butter until no streaks remain.
- Combine the Ingredients: add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all at once. Using a silicone spatula (do not whisk), gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until barely combined. The batter will be lumpy with some dry patches of flour remaining (don't worry!). Next, add the egg white. Fold in the egg white until it mostly disappears into the batter – the batter will be somewhat thick. Set the batter aside at room temperature for 20 minutes. The batter will become puffy and relax.
- Cook: Preheat the oven to 200 Fahrenheit and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Put the sheet pan in the oven. Cook on either a cast iron skillet or non stick cooking surface (a griddle makes quick work). If using a cast iron skillet, add about 1-2 teaspoons of unsalted butter to the pan to fry one pancake at a time. Wipe out the pan between pancakes. Otherwise, if using a non stick surface, butter/oil is optional. Preheat your griddle to 300-325 Fahrenheit or cast iron on medium to medium low. Using a 1/3 cup measure, scrape the batter onto the griddle and use your spatula to ease the batter into about a 4 inch circle. If the pancake scorches/gets too dark, reduce the heat. Cook for about 3 minutes or until small bubbles form around the edges and center of the pancake and the undersides are golden brown. Gently flip the pancake and cook for just about 1-2 minutes more. The center should spring back when gently pressed and the underside should be golden when done. Transfer the pancakes to the warm oven and repeat until no batter remains.
- Share with real maple syrup, butter, chopped pecans, sliced bananas or any additional toppings such as Sweet Cherry Compote, Stewed Apples, Easy Stewed Pears or Blueberry Compote.
I have been looking for a good fluffy sourdough discard pancake recipe. I had tried another one that was most definitely NOT fluffy. The technique in this recipe intrigued me. I only had active starter and old discard on hand. I mixed then together to get the amount I needed and made your same day version of this recipe. It is FANTASTIC!!! I think it’s fluffier than my regular pancake recipe.
Thank you very much. This will be our go-to recipe now!
Amazing! Thank you for your note and giving a new sourdough pancake recipe a go, Rachel! I loved reading your note about mixing the two sourdoughs together and that these are fluffier than the regular! It’s that egg technique that was a game changer for me. SO glad you’re enjoying the pancakes.
thank you for this recipe. I made it exactly as written and loved them. I am always trying new pancake recipes to try to find a favorite. This one will be a repeat! We loved these and found the instructions very clear and easy to follow.
Love hearing this, Renee! Thank you for giving the pancakes a go, and your feedback. Day made!
It looks like there are some mistypes that will become a problem once one is in the middle of the preparation. Could you clarify? How to fold in an unwhipped egg white? Also, the recipe says to mix “wet ingredients” before saying to add the egg white, so a lay reader will take that literally and will add the egg white with the other wets. TIA.
Hi June! Notice in the ingredient list the egg is “separated”. This invites the reader to read what to do with the separated egg. Once you get to the bolded paragraph header “mix wet ingredients”, the instructions indicate to add the “egg yolk.” I will add an additional note for clarification. Fold the egg white in just like you’d fold any other ingredient into a mixture: use a silicone spatula to gently cut into the center of the batter, scoop up and fold the batter over the top of itself. Repeat this all the way around, while turning the bowl until the egg white mostly disappears into the batter.
Those were absolutely the slightest fluffiest delicious perfect sourdough pancakes I have ever made. My family loved these. Thank you
Best news ever, Pattie! Thank you for your note and giving a new pancake recipe a go!
These pancakes are delicious! I didn’t have buttermilk, but had some plain 2% yogurt which I thinned with some milk. They turned out great!
Love hearing this Deb! Thank you for your note and tip on the 2% yogurt, thinned with milk.
Best sourdough pancakes I have ever had! So easy to make and totally yummy. No having to wait overnight…my new go to!
Hi LaVona! Thank you for your note and giving the pancakes a go (first comment)! SO excited!
Can you use whey from making yogurt in place of the sourdough discard?
Hi Jane! I’m afraid I have no experience with whey. If you experiment, please keep us posted!
will do!