Basic Sourdough Discard Pancakes


Ingredients:

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 tbsp sugar

  • ½ tsp salt

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • Sourdough discard (about 1–1¼ cups)


  • This uses your sourdough starter discard instead of tossing it!

    There’s something a bit sad about throwing sourdough discard away — especially when you know how much love goes into keeping a starter alive. So on those mornings when you’re feeding your starter and wondering what to do with the leftover, this is one of the easiest (and tastiest) little rituals you can turn it into: soft, fluffy sourdough pancakes.

    Start by grabbing a mixing bowl and adding your dry ingredients — flour, a little sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Give them a quick stir with a whisk or fork, just enough to break up any lumps. This helps everything rise evenly later, which means lighter pancakes instead of dense, doughy ones.

    Now comes the star of the show — your sourdough discard. It doesn’t need to be bubbly or active for this recipe, straight-from-the-fridge discard works just fine. Stir it into the dry mix until you have a thick but spoonable batter. If it feels too stiff, add a splash of milk or water to loosen it slightly. Pancake batter should slowly pour off the spoon, not plop like dough.

    Here’s a little trick that makes a big difference: let the batter rest while you heat your pan. Even five to ten minutes gives the flour time to hydrate and the sourdough flavour to soften and mellow. It also helps the baking soda and baking powder start doing their thing, which means better rise in the pan.

    Heat a frying pan or skillet over medium and lightly grease it with butter or oil. You don’t want it too hot — sourdough batter browns faster than regular pancake mix. When the pan is ready, spoon in your batter and let the pancakes cook slowly. You’ll see little bubbles forming on the surface and the edges starting to look set — that’s your cue to flip.

    Turn them gently and cook the other side until golden and cooked through. They should feel light and springy when you press the centre, not heavy or wet.

    Serve them warm, straight from the pan, with whatever feels like a treat that day — butter and honey, maple syrup, fresh fruit, or even a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. They’re soft, slightly tangy, and the perfect reminder that sourdough doesn’t have to be complicated to be beautiful.

    And the best part? What used to go in the bin just turned into breakfast. 💛