Sourdough Pancakes — Light, Fluffy, and Ready in Minutes

Sourdough pancakes are one of the best things you can do with starter discard — and one of the fastest. The starter adds a subtle tang that lifts the flavour well above regular pancakes, and the natural fermentation in the discard creates a lighter, fluffier texture without any extra effort. This recipe works with fresh discard or discard that's been in the fridge for several days.

Why Sourdough Discard Makes Better Pancakes

The lactic acid in sourdough discard does two things: it adds a mild, pleasant tang (like buttermilk pancakes), and it reacts with the baking soda to create extra lift. The result is a pancake that's fluffier on the inside and slightly crispier on the edges than a standard recipe. The flavour is more complex — not sour, just richer and more interesting.

Ingredients

Makes 8–10 pancakes (serves 2–3)

• 200g sourdough starter discard (unfed, any consistency)
• 120ml milk (full-fat or reduced-fat — both work)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp neutral oil or melted butter, plus extra for cooking
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 120g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• ¼ tsp fine salt

Method

1. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the discard, milk, egg, oil or butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
2. Add dry ingredients: Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined — a few small lumps are fine. Don't overmix or the pancakes will be tough. The batter should be thick but pourable.
3. Rest the batter: Leave for 5 minutes. You'll see it puff up slightly as the baking soda activates.
4. Cook: Heat a non-stick pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Brush lightly with butter or oil. Pour approximately 60ml (¼ cup) of batter per pancake. Cook until bubbles form across the entire surface and the edges look set — about 2–3 minutes. Flip and cook for a further 1–2 minutes until golden.
5. Keep warm: Place cooked pancakes on a rack in a low oven (80°C) while you finish the batch.

Tips for Perfect Sourdough Pancakes

• Don't overmix: Stir until just combined. Overmixed batter develops gluten and makes pancakes chewy rather than fluffy.
• Medium heat is key: Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks. The batter should sizzle gently when it hits the pan, not immediately brown.
• First pancake test: The first pancake of a batch is always a test — adjust the heat up or down based on how it cooks.
• Rest the batter: Even 5 minutes makes a difference — the baking soda needs time to start working.

Variations

• Blueberry: Scatter fresh or frozen blueberries onto the batter immediately after pouring into the pan — don't mix into the batter or they break and turn everything purple.
• Banana: Mash one very ripe banana into the wet ingredients.
• Lemon and ricotta: Replace 50g of discard with 50g of ricotta and add the zest of one lemon.
• Chocolate chip: Fold 60g of dark chocolate chips into the batter just before cooking.

What Is Sourdough Discard?

Discard is the portion of starter you remove at each feeding before adding fresh flour and water. Rather than throwing it away, you can use it in recipes like these pancakes, crackers, banana bread, and more. See our What Is Sourdough Discard? article for a full explanation. To get a starter to produce discard from, browse our sourdough starter kits.

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