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 are my sourdough pancakes gummy? ›

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.

How long is sourdough pancake batter good for 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.

Does sourdough discard go bad? ›

The simple answer is, you can keep sourdough discard in the fridge indefinitely, however the quality and flavor of the discard will change and even deteriorate over time.

Can I use day 3 sourdough discard? ›

Remember, you can't use the discard from your homemade sourdough starter for the first 7 days. You can use sourdough discard in all kinds of sourdough discard recipes, including these no wait sourdough recipes, overnight sourdough discard recipes and sourdough discard recipes that use up a lot of discard.

What happens if you forgot to discard starter before feeding? ›

Not discarding will also help build up that sour flavor. So if you want your bread to be a little more sour, try not discarding a feed or two.

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

Keep feeding your starter, and you'll see normal activity (bubbles) return in a few days. If your starter has a bit of dark liquid on top, it's not dead! It simply means it's hungry and that it's time to feed it. Unless your starter has a pink or orange hue or is beginning to mold, you probably haven't killed it yet.

Can you feed starters without discarding? ›

How to increase a starter. If your recipe calls for more than 227g (about 1 cup) of starter, feed it without discarding until you've reached the amount you need (plus 113g to keep and feed again).

Is sourdough discard healthy? ›

The acidity of the sourdough discard helps prevent tough gluten strands from forming. This results in tender and moist baked goods! When discard is coupled with a long ferment, it can aid in digestion and help the nutrients to be more bioavailable to our bodies.

Can you still eat gummy sourdough? ›

It's not until you slice the sourdough and see the crumb structure that you realise it's under fermented. The great thing is that generally, unless it's completely raw inside, you can still eat an under fermented sourdough bread.

What to keep sourdough discard in? ›

If you are going to use the sourdough discard for future baking (within one week), store the discard in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This could be in a sealed jar (I love these Weck jars) or container.

Can you reheat sourdough pancakes? ›

Another great difference I've noticed with this recipe in comparison to others is that sourdough pancakes keep really well in the fridge and they reheat almost as good as the day you make them.

Why does my sourdough look like a pancake? ›

It might be cold dough. One of the most common mistakes is having a dough temperature that's too low for the starter to feed on all the flour in the dough, resulting in a crumb that's dense, with fewer openings.

Can I use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour for pancakes? ›

So, what happens when you skip all-purpose iterations and use alternative options, instead? Replacing the former with a softer choice, like pastry flour, will yield a thinner, less tender pancake. Bread flour, on the other hand, will deliver a fluffy, but chewier result.

Is sourdough discard good for you? ›

Yes, there are actually several health benefits to using sourdough discard in your cooking and baking. Sourdough discard is rich in probiotics, which can help promote a healthy gut microbiome and improve digestion.

How long can sourdough starter discard sit out? ›

I left my sourdough discard out at room temperature for a few days. Is it okay? As long as your kitchen isn't too warm (I'd say 78°F or higher) your starter/discard will be fine stored at room temperature for at least a few days without feeding. The flavor will get more acidic the longer it sits.

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