How to Make the Fluffiest Sourdough Discard Pancakes Ever

Breakfast for dinner is a crowd pleaser in this family. Has been since I was a little girl for me. Sometimes regular pancakes can just seem kind of blah. Syrup-covered flour. Not anymore! Try this sourdough discard pancakes recipe for the fluffiest and filling pancakes ever!

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What is sourdough?

If you’re already into all the sourdough things, then scroll on down. This is speaking to my sourdough newbies for a minute.

Sourdough is a mixture of flour and water that ferments by lactic acid and wild yeasts. It develops a tangy flavor and is a welcome addition to many recipes.
Since the yeast goes through the fermentation process, it breaks down the gluten which makes digestion easier. Those with Celiac’s disease should do as their health care provider suggests when it comes to anything related to gluten. But some people with gluten sensitivities can tolerate non-commercially produced sourdough bread.

Why add sourdough discard to pancake batter?

I ask why not? When working with sourdough to make the switch away from grocery store breads like this quick sandwich bread, you’ll find you have plenty of “discard” to do something with. The discard is the part of the sourdough feeding process which you throw away.

Waste not, want not! So folks for years have been figuring out ways to use the discard as not to waste precious flour. This sourdough discard pancakes recipe is one way to do so. Be sure to check my blog and the bottom of this post for more discard recipe ideas!

What if I don’t have time today to use my sourdough discard?

SAVE IT! Simply cover your discard and store in the fridge to use later. Use it within 2 days for the best flavor. Any more time than that and the discard will continue to change flavor which could lead to a bitter tasting discard. No thanks!

Is there a wait time with this sourdough discard pancakes recipe?

No. Most sourdough discard recipes have the discard ready to use with little to no wait time. This recipe is no exception. Just mix in all your ingredients while your stove top is warming up and it’ll be ready to pour once ingredients are well incorporated.

Sourdough Discard Pancakes Ingredients List

• 1 cup of sourdough discard
• 1 cup of milk
• 3/4 cup of buttermilk (or regular milk if yo don’t have buttermilk)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons of avocado oil (or oil of choice)
• 2 cups of organic, unbleached all-purpose flour, leveled (I like this brand found at Wal-Mart, not sponsored)
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt (Redmond’s real salt is my favorite)

Sourdough Discard Pancakes Step By Step

Step 1

Low and slow is the way to go with this recipe. Go ahead and heat your stove top now to medium-low. Place your skillet on the eye to heat while you mix your batter. Using a cast iron skillet is a great option if you have one.

Step 2

Mix your sourdough discard, regular milk and buttermilk if you have it, eggs, and oil together. Then, in the same bowl, add in the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar. Use a whisk to mix it all together well. If there are lumps in the batter, that is fine but I have found smoothing the lumps as best you can makes the batter even better.

Step 3

Next, grease your skillet with a tablespoon of butter. My personal favorite “greaser” is leftover bacon grease! It gives your breakfast-for-dinner pancakes extra love and a kick of flavor. 🙂

Step 4

Pour about 1/3 of a cup of batter into your hot skillet. Allow the pancake to cook on one side for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the surface is mostly bubbles. Then flip your pancake and allow it to cook on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown to your version of perfection.

Step 5

Serve the fluffiest sourdough discard pancakes immediately with warm homemade butter and either organic maple syrup or homemade strawberry jam. If you can’t serve immediately, place a dinner plate in your oven on its lowest temperature. Put your cooked pancakes on the plate to warmly wait while you cook the rest of the batter.

MORE SOURDOUGH DISCARD RECIPES

If you liked this sourdough discard pancakes recipe, here are a few of my sourdough discard favorites currently:

3 Ingredient Crackers

A Johnson Home NC Pinterest Board favorite: Graham Crackers!

Overnight Bagels

What if I can’t eat eggs but I love pancakes?

I’ve got you, friend! When there was the rising egg costs of 2022, I was looking for ways to save our hens precious eggs for more protein heavy meals instead of as ingredients in baking. Try this eggless pancake recipe.

Pin this for later!

Thank you for being here and reading this blog post. If I’m honest, I haven’t always loved cooking and I’m terrible at following recipes. Something about getting the recipe book out, finding the recipe I need, and then doing what it says just doesn’t sit well with me most days. My brain works faster than my hands so I prefer to memorize my recipes. Not always the best option as my brain has failed me many times.

BUT, I do take the time to review my recipes, try them again, and take note so that I can bring them to you here. Sharing is caring and knowledge is power. When we share our recipes and skills we’ve learned, we get to empower others to do the same and discourage gatekeeping.

Please feel free to pin this to your Pinterest board, share it on social media, give me a follow on Pinterest for all my newest recipes, Instagram, and YouTube for short video kitchen hacks! @johnsonhomeNC on all of those platforms.