Sourdough Pancakes (Using Leftover Sourdough Starter Discard)

These sourdough pancakes are my family’s favorite breakfast, hands down! It’s the sourdough discard that gives these pancakes their amazing taste, and light & fluffy texture. They’re quick & easy, cheap to make, and can even be made vegan!

While I’ve been mastering the art of sourdough – includingwhole wheat sourdough bread, no-white sandwich sourdough bread, sourdough biscuits and even sourdough crackers – there’s always been the issue of dealing with the discard.

Do you really HAVE to throw it away?

Doesn’t it seem strange to save money on yeast, only to throw the starter away?

After all, that sourdough starter is made up of flour which you paid good money for, out of your grocery budget, right?

Surely there’s SOMETHING we can do with it?!

Good news – there is!

You can officially stop throwing away your extra sourdough starter because this sourdough pancake recipe specifically needs that sourdough discard!

And the fact that this recipe has quickly become my family’s all time favorite pancake recipe makes me want to keep feeding our starter, just so I have discard on hand at all times!

Here’s why you’ll love my sourdough pancake recipe:

• They’re light & fluffy and packed with the tang and sour flavor known for sourdough
• Quick to make and fast to cook
• ZERO added sugar and no yeast
• Works with any whole grain flour
• Great for big batches and freezer-friendly
• If you have a waffle iron, this mixture doubles as batter for sourdough WAFFLES!

Key Ingredients

• Sourdough starter
• Flour (I use whole grain einkorn because my daughter is sensitive to gluten)
• Vanilla
• Unsalted Melted Butter
• Large eggs
• Milk (not buttermilk)

A complete list of ingredients with the amounts you need (teaspoons, tablespoons, etc.) is located in the recipe card below.

Ingredient Notes

Sourdough Starter

As I mentioned, you can’t make sourdough pancakes without sourdough starter, so you need some leftover starter.

• Personally, I don’t discard any of my sourdough starter. I pour it into a jar and keep the jar in the fridge instead. That way I’m not wasting any of the money I’ve spent on flour. Plus, it means I’m halfway to pancakes before I even start cooking!
• This sourdough pancakes recipe needs just over one cup of STIRRED starter, preferably unfed. (Which means you haven’t fed it in the past 4 hours or so and you stirred the starter before measuring.)

Flour

• I’ve tested these sourdough pancakes with both einkorn all-purpose flour and freshly milled einkorn whole wheat flour. You can use regular all-purpose, whole grain flour, or any combination of the two. (I recommend any of these).
• Generally speaking, the pancakes will be lighter and fluffier the more all-purpose flour you use.
• Even when I make whole grain sourdough pancakes, my family still cleans their plates and begs for more. Don’t be afraid to use whole grains!

Vanilla

• If you don’t have vanilla extract, you can use any of these 15 vanilla extract substitutes, or another flavored extract.
• I have maple extract in the pantry because of these maple pecan blondies, and that would be SO GOOD in this pancake recipe.

A Quick Note on Einkorn Flour

I’ve done some digging and as of this writing, the best deals for einkorn all-purpose flour are from Ancient Grains and this seller on Amazon. I usually look them both up before choosing the one that has the better price per ounce.

The best price for whole einkorn berries is also a toggle, between Ancient Grains and Jovial Foods. You can save 10% off all items in the store with exclusions on special promotional items such as cookbooks and new harvest oil when you use coupon code DWCRUMBS. Also, there’s free shipping over $99.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1. Start with the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl or large bow, melt the butter and let it cool slightly. Then whis in the eggs, milk and vanilla.

Step 2. Add the sourdough starter and stir well.

Step 3. Then add the remaining dry ingredients (including the baking soda and baking powder) and stir well. Let the pancake batter sit, covered, for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the griddle to medium-low heat.

Step 4. When the batter is ready, gently stir and ladle 1/3 cup of batter onto the hot griddle. Let the pancake cook for 2-3 minutes, until the edges are showing signs of being cooked and there are bubbles on the top.

Step 5. Gently flip the pancake to its second side and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until it’s golden brown. Repeat this process with the remaining batter.

Step 6. Serve hot with your desired toppings. We like butter and pure maple syrup.

FAQs

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Personally, I don’t discard any of my sourdough starter, ever. I pour it into a large jar and keep the jar in the fridge instead. That way I’m not wasting any of the money I’ve spent on flour AND I’m halfway to pancakes before I even start cooking!
• If you have more starter, you can easily double or triple this recipe. (You can even intentionally MAKE extra “leftover” starter by feeding your starter more flour and water the two prior feedings.)
• If you’re making sourdough pancakes for two or sourdough pancakes for one, you can halve this recipe. 
• To freeze sourdough pancakes<, let them cool to room temperature and then place them on a baking sheet or baking pan on a single layer and freeze for 2 hours. Then remove to a freezer-safe storage bag.
• Don’t have a griddle? Use a cast iron skillet or follow this tutorial for sheet pan pancakes that are baked in the oven!

Also decide how big you want your pancakes to be!

We made these using a variety of measuring cups…

• ½ cup batter was too much
• ¼ cup batter was too little
• 1/3 cup batter was just right!

I love sourdough, but there’s still so much for me to learn.

My friend Wardee at Traditional Cooking School has been practicing sourdough for YEARS and has a really great resource you may find helpful, Sourdough A to Z.

Or check out these posts:

• How to Make an Einkorn Sourdough Starter
• How to Make a Gluten-free Sourdough Starter
• Simple Sourdough Bread

More Easy Pancake Recipes

• Chocolate Pancakes
• Almond Flour Pancakes
• Sheet Pan Pancakes
• Blender Protein Pancakes