There’s no way around it: These are hands down my best sourdough pancakes (in fact, a version of these is also in my cookbook). This recipe has been here on The Perfect Loaf for years with little to no modifications. In my eyes, it’s a classic. I’ve made these pancakes countless times, and aside from bread, this is probably the recipe I’ve used the most since I started baking sourdough bread over a decade ago.
These pancakes rely on sourdough starter discard to bring extra tenderness and flavor. Adding a sour component to pancake batter—in this case, our ripe sourdough starter—brings a touch of tanginess and helps highlight and amplify the flavors of all the other ingredients (this is why buttermilk is so good in pancakes too).
My sourdough pancakes can be made quickly and easily on a whim; you need very little pre-planning to whip them up (isn’t that exactly what you need on lazy weekend mornings?). I’ve riffed on this core recipe a dozen different ways, adding extra ingredients based on what’s in season: pumpkin in the Fall for pumpkin pancakes, fresh blueberries in the summer, and ricotta, well, any time of the year. If you’ve made pancakes before, you know just how versatile they can be.
You can use cold sourdough starter discard from the refrigerator in these pancakes, too. If you keep a sourdough starter, discard the cache in the refrigerator like I do, ripe (and flavorful!) starter is ready at a moment’s notice.
Before we jump into the recipe, let’s look at a few tools to help you make perfect pancakes.
Tools for the Best Sourdough Pancakes
Griddles and Pans For Cooking Pancakes
I’m lucky that my stove has a built-in steel griddle in the center. But before I had this stove, I made terrific pancakes in my Lodge Carbon Steel pan (see my Instagram Reel above), which is incredibly affordable and durable. In fact, to this day, I’ll sometimes use this pan alongside the griddle to make extra pancakes if the griddle is full.
Speaking of griddles, this Nordic Ware Stovetop Backsplash Griddle would be my next choice. It has a raised backsplash, just like my stove, that makes flipping pancakes easier and cleaner, and because it’s made from cast aluminum, it has excellent heat transfer.
The Best Flour For Sourdough Pancakes
Over the years, I’ve used all manner of grain and flour in these sourdough pancakes. From wheat to spelt to einkorn to blue corn flour—just about anything in your kitchen will work wonderfully in this recipe.
A few of my favorite grains for these pancakes are:
- Whole wheat flour (or a delicious type-85 flour) and blue corn flour (a 90/10 mix)
- Spelt flour and all-purpose flour (a 50/50 mix)
- Whole wheat flour (100% whole wheat)
- All-purpose flour and buckwheat flour (a 95/5 mix)
See the variations at the bottom of this sourdough pancakes recipe for measurements.
Tips For Making Great Sourdough Pancakes
For Lighter Pancakes, Let the Batter Rest
When making same-day pancakes, after mixing all the ingredients, let the pancake batter rest for at least 15 minutes, and preferably up to 30 minutes. Letting the batter sit helps the flour thoroughly hydrate, which results in pancakes that have a fluffier texture. If you’re making the overnight pancakes, this rest will happen already!
Do Not Overmix the Pancake Batter
When adding the flour and the other dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, don’t over-mix them. Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet until there are no dry streaks. In the presence of water, mixing develops the flour’s gluten, resulting in overly tough pancakes.
Flip the Pancakes at the Right Time, and Only Once
When cooking, let the pancakes cook on the first side until bubbles form on top that keep their shape and don’t close. You’ll also know the pancakes are ready to flip when the edges turn slightly darker than the rest of the batter. Quickly and decisively, flip the pancakes and let them finish cooking on the other side—no more flipping!
For the Best Color, Use Butter
Like with sourdough pie crust, butter is the key. If I put a small pat of butter on the griddle (or pan) just before dropping the pancake batter for cooking, the pancake will get the best color and texture on top. The butter sizzles and releases its water content as the pancake batter is cooking, which helps create that speckled, uneven coloring on the surface (see above).
Can You Freeze Sourdough Pancakes?
Yes, these pancakes freeze exceptionally well. After cooking them and allowing them to fully cool, stack them in a plastic freezer bag and freeze them. If frozen when they’re thoroughly cooled, they won’t stick together. To eat, take one or two out, microwave them for 10 to 20 seconds, then heat them briefly in a toaster (this keeps them from getting soggy).
I usually double this recipe and make two batches of sourdough pancakes on the weekend. Then, I freeze half after they’re cool, and we can enjoy fresh pancakes at a moment’s notice throughout the week.
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My Best Sourdough Pancakes
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 pancakes
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch
- Cuisine: American
Description
These are the fluffiest and most flavorful pancakes, thanks to the addition of ripe sourdough starter discard. I’ve provided two cooking options below. The first is for same-day pancakes requiring little planning. The second option is for overnight, long-fermented pancakes that require a little planning the night before but result in even more flavor and tenderness.
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggs
- 250g (1 1/2 cups, stirred down) ripe sourdough starter
- 245g (1 cup) whole milk
- 60g (1/4 cup) plain whole-milk yogurt, Greek or regular (optional)
- 4g (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract (optional)
- 180g all-purpose, einkorn, whole wheat flour, or a mix (see notes above or in Variations below)
- 50g (1/4 cup) sugar
- 6g (1 teaspoon) baking soda
- 4g (1 teaspoon) baking powder
- 5g (1 teaspoon) fine sea salt
- 56g (1/2 stick) melted unsalted butter, plus more for cooking and serving
- Chopped fresh fruit, for serving (optional)
- Maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
Same-Day Method
- Separate the eggs into two medium bowls, one with the yolks and one with the whites. Lightly beat the egg yolks and add the sourdough starter, milk, yogurt (if using), and vanilla (if using). Stir well.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the sourdough starter mixture and stir until no dry streaks remain. Stir in the melted butter until just combined. Let the batter rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
- For the lightest pancakes, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Alternatively, if you don’t feel like whisking (I get it), skip it. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter until just combined (be careful not to over-mix).
- Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Add a small pat of butter and let it melt. For each pancake, drop about ¼ cup of the batter onto the griddle and cook until bubbles start to form and remain open and the edges of the pancakes start to darken, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until well-colored on the bottoms, 4 more minutes.
- Serve the pancakes warm and top with chopped fresh fruit (optional), a thin pat of butter, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Overnight Method
- The night before, in a medium bowl, combine the sourdough starter, milk, yogurt (if using), flour, and sugar and stir well. Leave out on the counter to ferment overnight.
- In the morning, add the vanilla (if using), baking soda, baking powder, salt, and melted butter.
- Separate the eggs into two medium bowls, one with the yolks and one with the whites. Lightly beat the yolks. Whisk the whites to stiff peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg yolks and beaten egg whites into the batter until just combined (be careful not to over-mix). Cook and serve the pancakes as directed above.
Sourdough Starter Pancake Variations
- Wheat and blue corn pancakes: Substitute 20 grams of the flour for blue or yellow corn flour.
- Spelt and all-purpose flour pancakes: Use 90 grams whole grain spelt flour and 90 grams all-purpose flour.
- Whole wheat pancakes: Substitute all of the flour for 100% whole grain wheat flour.
- All-purpose and buckwheat pancakes: Substitute 10 grams of the flour for buckwheat flour.
Notes
Save sourdough starter discard (which is essentially ripe sourdough starter) for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, then use it straight from the fridge to mix this sourdough pancake batter.
Adjust the amount of milk depending on the stiffness of your sourdough starter and your preferred batter consistency. The above ingredients work well for my 100% hydration starter; if you’re using a stiff starter, you might want to add around 1/2 cup more milk.
In my cookbook, I don’t talk about letting the pancake batter rest before making pancakes. I find that extra 30-minute rest for the Same-Day Method helps you get fluffier pancakes if you have the time.
To make these sourdough pancakes vega, swap out the butter for Earth Balance vegan butter, the eggs for “flax eggs”, and the dairy yogurt for coconut or nut-based yogurt (or instead of yogurt, simply use a full-fat nut milk).
My Best Sourdough Pancakes FAQs
Can I use sourdough starter straight from the fridge for pancakes?
Yes. You can use sourdough starter discard that’s been saved in the fridge for up to two weeks.
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.
Will sourdough pancake batter keep in the fridge?
I prefer using pancake batter within an hour of mixing in the baking powder and baking soda to ensure they are at full strength for the lightest and fluffiest pancakes.
What’s Next?
I consider these sourdough starter pancakes one of my top 3 sourdough discard recipes. They’re incredibly easy, use a large portion of sourdough starter discard, are fluffy, tender, and delicious.
Not in the mood for light and fluffy pancakes this morning? Try my sourdough starter discard waffles for the crispier side of breakfast.
Or, see my collection of other sourdough starter discard recipes for cakes and more!
94 Comments
Hi, definetely going to try this recipe. I'm also curious about the earlier question from Ava about leaving the milk/yoghurt out of the fridge overnight: Is it safe to leave this out of the fridge and does this have to do something with the starter?
Been going that a long while and it's been just fine, but you can always do this and stick it into the fridge. It'll still ferment overnight!
I should also say, if your kitchen gets very hot, like over 75F, I would definitely do the fridge.
How would I adapt the recipe for waffles ?
Usually for waffles my batter is a little thicker. I might leave out some of the liquid in this recipe to make that work. Or, use my sourdough waffle recipe !
You have a typo in the text, vega. Instead of vegan.
Fixed, thank you Leela!
Using the overnight method, do I need to cover the bowl as the mixture ferments overnight?
Yes, I would.
Could I substitute extra-creamy oat milk for the whole milk and plain whole-milk yogurt?
Absolutely, Nico.
Delicious! I used allulose as a substitute for the sugar (for my mom’s dietary reasons) and skipped the vanilla extract because I didn’t have any on hand and it still came out fantastic. Icelandic yogurt (skyr) goes very well with the sourdough. Very happy I can put my sourdough discard to use.
Thank you! 🙂
Amazing, nice swaps Agnes!
Can you use the discard straight from the refrigerator or should you wait until it's warmer?
Straight from fridge is just fine.
Is there any substitutions for the sugar like honey?
Yes, you can swap out sugar for whatever you'd like (honey, monkfruit, etc.)
I made these this morning, not only did the taste wonderful, they smelt so so good cooking, 10++ recipe.
Thanks Lisa!
Hi Maurizio,
I am eager to try this recipe tomorrow morning. I do have one question. I understand the need to add baking powder and soda if using discard, but why is it necessary if using a ripe starter? Thank you. I'm also joining The Baker's Corner today!
Hey there! Adding the other leaveners ensures a strong rise in the pancakes! Using starter alone wouldn't get them to quite the same rise. Thanks for joining the membership, great to have you 🙂
This is the only sourdough pancake recipe you will ever need. They will never be any better than these. I always do the overnight method, and absolutely love them. Even my best friend, who makes the best pancakes I've ever had (non sourdough) said "omg these are amazing". For my sugar I always use rapadura sugar but otherwise make it as written. I often add blueberries, choc chips, chai spice, or make them like Mcgriddles with a swirl of maple baked in. Always perfect.
Amazing, thanks so much for the feedback, Cat! I make them every single weekend here, too 🙂
Enjoying these pancakes right now. I had 2 starters peaking late last night so made the overnight version with what I would have had to discard-1/2 regular starter & 1/2 a thick one with dark rye. For the liquid-1 cup whole fat buttermilk & 1/4 whole milk & used raw turbinado for the sugar, Buckwheat flour was 53 grams of the total flour. Before cooking, the cup of blueberries hanging out in the fridge, went into the mix. Very delicious.
Only made those changes because it was an overnight preparation & to use what I had on hand.
Changes sound just fine to me, Diane. Glad they turned out well for ya! Love the add of buckwheat, I do this from time to time, too.
These pancakes were great! Kids who usually have one, maybe two pancakes if they’re hungry, had 3! I like to add lemon zest to the batter. Then I customize each pancake by dropping chocolate chips or blueberries on the batter right after having put the batter on the griddle. Give the chips or blueberries a little push to incorporate them into the pancake. Delicious.
So glad you all liked them, Jennifer!
Hello! Can the left over cooked pancakes be frozen/refrigerated after? Thank you
Yes, I always do this! I place them into a freezer bag and freeze. Then just reheat one by one 🙂
Is it possible to add protein powder to these? If so, do I need to make any adjustments?
You absolutely can. You might need a touch more liquid to offset the powder. I'd go by feel (and I do every time I mix these up!).
I am new to this bread making process and I only have 200 gr of starter discard – how can i get more discard if i need 250 gr for this pancake recipe? thank you
If you run out of starter, just add equal parts flour and milk (or water) for the remainder. For example, if you are 50g short, use 25g milk/buttermilk/water and 25g flour.
I have made theses pancakes several times, and they NEVER disappoint! I am from TN, and have always made “Southern buttermilk pancakes”, but now, this is the ONLY way I make them (I still use my cast iron griddle)! I have also substituted almond extract for the vanilla and have also used berries in the batter (mashed bananas added to the batter right before cooking is also yummy). My 85 y/o mother loves them!
Dang. Those sound amazing, Melissa! Thank you 🙂
Has anyone tried adding ricotta? How much do you add to a single batch?
I haven't but this is a GOOD idea!
Holy amazingness….
Never post a comment…. But THESE pancakes are THE pancakes. Made tonight for dinner… thought “nutritious”… milk, eggs, starter made with organic flour, add eikhorn, whole wheat…. All nutritious stuff. And wow…. Amazing. Thank you!
After over 8 yrs these are still my fav pancakes… As indicated in the recipe title 🙂 Glad you liked em!
Brilliant and Delicious, stirred in fresh blueberries right before the batter hit the griddle. They cooked perfectly and topped with Real Michigan Maple syrup. Sooooo good, served them with bacon for dinner. Best recipe I’ve found so far. No more trying SDPancake recipes, this is the one and only. Thank you!
Thanks so much Edy!
Beginner here. I was confused about the recipe mentioning ripe sourdough starter but I thought this recipe was for discard??
Ripe starter is discard!
Will reducing the sugar amount affect the overnight fermentation or the fluffiness? Sorry very beginner questions.
Nope, should be fine to do that.
Hi! We loooove pancakes and I have tried one other sourdough version … A vague hotcake recipe from an old Alaskan book… It was delicious! I’d love to try this, esp the overnight method, but I have a question about that… How can you safely leave the milk and yogurt out of the fridge overnight? Does this have something to do with the starter? Thanks so much for sharing all your work!!!
The best pancakes I’ve ever made. Thanks for this and all your other recipes Maurizio. I’ve been making sourdough for 15 years here in Australia and I’ve now bought the Sourdough Home and it’s changed the way I keep my starter. I’m now off to buy the proofer and your book. The attention to detail in your recipes is a credit to you. Thanks again!
Thank you so much Meaghan, means a lot to hear all that. Happy I can help! (If you’re like me, these pancakes kind of ruined all other pancakes, now I make these every weekend!)
Hi Maurizio! I live in jemez springs (New Mexico) and am at an elevation over 6,000. I am doing your starter now, but have noticed even in my Zojirushi bread machine the bread cooks differently. Any tips on the how to make the best sourdough this high up? Thank you! Also, the starter I purchased instructions do not say to discard starter but to make “pancakes” with it, and feed the rest once a month in fridge. Pancakes as in shaping them for use later, not breakfast recipe. Not sure what this step means..thank you! —…#perfectloafneoohyte
Hello fellow New Mexican! Check out my guide to high alt baking, it’ll help:
https://www.theperfectloaf.com/how-to-bake-sourdough-bread-at-high-altitude/
Can I use this mixture to make waffles?
Yes, you can! Or, check out my sourdough waffle recipe:
https://www.theperfectloaf.com/my-best-sourdough-waffles/
If using 50% freshly milled spelt, should it be sifted?
Got you answered in the membership, but for others, I would say use the spelt whole grain (not sifted)! More flavor 🙂
They were very good!
The search is over … these are the best pancakes. Not too sweet, but also not plain! I did the same-day method. I used the 50/50 mix of whole wheat and AP flour that I use to feed my starter (because … it was already on my counter). Unlike with some recipes, I felt like the whole wheat enhanced the flavor of these pancakes. I didn’t have enough starter ready to match the recipe amount, but it didn’t seem to matter. I also happened to have vanilla flavored greek yogurt instead of plain. I Did whip the egg whites. Very worth the non-effort, ha ha. (Thank goodness for stand mixers). Am very glad I made a double recipe. Along with your “best sourdough bread” recipe (which I make on the regular), this is going into my kitchen rotation for sure. ALSO: I love your cookbook! Thanks for sharing your expertise!
Amazing, so glad you liked these—and my cookbook—MK! Great subs you did there, too. Enjoy!!
I love these pancakes! Hands down the best pancakes I’ve made using sourdough discard. I used your overnight method and used spelt and AP flour. I also used buttermilk instead of the yogurt (what I had on hand). So flavorful and fluffy. I ate too many and froze the rest for when I get another hankering for pancakes. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Right on, Michelle! Happy you liked these. I often switch between buttermilk and yogurt, depending on what I have on hand—both are excellent. Enjoy!
I made these this morning. I did the overnight method and I substituted raw kefir for yogurt. My children loved them. They were so delicious, I won’t make any other pancakes.
You and me both 🙂 Glad you guys enjoyed them!
These are the best pancakes I’ve ever eaten! I topped them with sunflower honey. My husband kept trying to tell the kids they are no good so there would be more for him. 😂 I am sure these will get made often.
Hah! That’s the way to do it. So happy you guys liked these!
The pancakes are divine!!! This was my first recipe using discard, and it worked perfectly…and I ate more than my fair share. Thank you for such an easy-to-follow recipe.
So glad you liked them, Cindy!
what are subs for the butter? oil or a solid like vegan butter or coconut oil?
PS . . . . cookbook is awesome.
. . . . . . I used vegan butter and these were, as always. . . . awesome, awesome, awesome. I need the whipped egg whites to get my super fluffy pancakes. . . . and they are super fluffy!!!!
Thank you Marcy! I would use a vegan butter alternative like Earth Balance.
Ah, where is the old recipe? It was divine & easy! I don’t want to whisk my whites to stiff peaks lol
You don’t have to whisk, that’s totally optional 🙂 This is essentially the same recipe!
Just updated the recipe to indicate whisking not required!
Could I replace whole milk with oat milk or will that just give the starter more starches when it really needs a fat? Love your book by the way!
Hey, Georgia! Yes, you can absolutely do that swap, I should have listed that in the recipe. So glad you’re enjoying my cookbook—happy baking 🙂