Sourdough discard pancakes

Sourdough discard pancakes turn leftover starter into a tender, slightly tangy breakfast in about 20 minutes. The trick to a fluffy stack is mixing the wet and dry parts separately, then folding them together with a light hand. This recipe uses 200 g of discard and makes roughly eight pancakes for two to three people.

You can use cold discard straight from the fridge. It does not need to be active or bubbly, so this is a good home for the portion you would otherwise pour out when feeding your starter.

Ingredients

Weigh everything in grams if you can. Volumes drift; a scale does not.

• 200 g sourdough discard (100% hydration, equal flour and water by weight)
• 120 g all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg (about 50 g)
• 180 g milk
• 25 g melted butter, plus more for the pan
• 12 g sugar
• 4 g baking powder
• 3 g baking soda
• 3 g fine salt

If your discard is stiffer or wetter than 100% hydration, the batter will be a touch thicker or thinner. Adjust with a splash of milk at the end.

Steps

1. In a large bowl, whisk the discard, milk, egg, and melted butter until smooth. A few small lumps are fine.
2. In a second bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Tip the dry mix into the wet and fold with a spatula until just combined. Stop while you still see a little dry flour. Overmixing builds gluten and makes the pancakes chewy instead of light.
4. Let the batter rest for 8-10 minutes. It will thicken and bubble at the surface as the baking soda meets the acid in the discard.
5. Heat a nonstick or cast iron pan over medium-low. Add a thin film of butter. The pan is ready when a drop of water dances and disappears, roughly 175C (350F).
6. Pour about 60 g of batter per pancake. Cook until bubbles form across the top and the edges look set, around 2-3 minutes.
7. Flip once and cook the second side for 1-2 minutes, until golden. Resist pressing down with the spatula.
8. Hold finished pancakes on a wire rack in a low oven at 90C (200F) while you cook the rest. Stacking them on a plate traps steam and turns them soft.

Timings are estimates. Every pan and stove runs differently, so judge by color and by the bubbles, not the clock.

Tips

• Rest matters. That 8-10 minute pause lets the flour hydrate and the leavening start, which is most of where the rise comes from.
• Medium-low, not high. Discard pancakes have sugar and dairy, so they brown fast. A lower heat cooks the center before the outside scorches.
• Tang control. Older, more sour discard makes tangier pancakes. If you want them milder, use discard that is only a day or two old.
• Extra fluff. For a taller stack, separate the egg, fold the whisked white in last, and add 30 g more milk if the batter feels stiff.

Make ahead and storage

The batter holds in the fridge for up to a day, though it loses some lift as the baking soda reacts; give it a gentle stir before cooking. Cooked pancakes keep three days in the fridge or a month in the freezer. Reheat in a toaster or a dry pan rather than the microwave, which softens the edges.

Want to use even more discard? A thicker batter works for waffles, and a thinner one (closer to 70% on the hydration calculator) makes crepes. Same base, different ratios.