Fluffy Sourdough Discard Pancakes Recipe

One morning, driven by a desire to make the most of my sourdough discard, I ended up creating the fluffiest, most irresistible pancakes I’ve ever made. Spontaneous I know! Light, pillowy, and with a subtle tang from the sourdough, these pancakes have officially become my go-to whenever the craving hits. If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly way to use up your discard, this recipe is it.

What You’ll Need

All purpose flour
Baking soda
Granulated sugar
Salt
Milk
Cinnamon – for flavour (optional)
Coconut oil (vegetable oil can be used)
Sourdough discard (unfed, however mine was very active)
Butter/oil- for cooking
Maple syrup- for eating
Whisk/fork
Wooden spoon
Spatula
Frying pan/griddle

You’ll Love These Pancakes

I’ve already told you these pancakes are fluffy, no seriously I don’t usually make fluffy pancakes when I make them from scratch. Let’s be honest I may have being doing it wrong, my ratios are off, it could be anything. Then here comes Fred (my sourdough) to the rescue. The sourdough adds a unique taste that I really appreciate in my pancakes.

I also love this as a great way to use up my discard. I can make a large batch and freeze for daily use. Yes, these pancakes freeze perfectly and once reheated in the oven it’s as if it was just made fresh. These pancakes are also budget-friendly and you know, your girl is on a budget so any little bit helps.

How To Make Them

250g ap flour
3g baking soda
1-2g or about 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
250g discard
340g milk
3g salt
30-40g sugar
25g coconut oil

Method:

Combine flour, baking soda and cinnamon together, mix.
In a separate bowl combine and mix everything except the sourdough discard.
After step 2 is fully combined, add discard and mix until lumps have dissipated.
Once discard is fully incorporated, add the flour mixture into the liquid and mix.
Fold and gently stir until flour is fully mixed in.
The batter will look thick but is very pourable and will have a few bubbles.
Heat your pan/griddle on medium to low heat, use oil or butter in pan to cook.
Scoop a spoon full of batter into heated pan and cook. It should take a few mins for bubbles to be appear on surface.
Once bubbles appears, pancakes can be flipped using a spatula.
Cook on each sides for 2-3 mins, until golden brown.

Things to Note:

Cinnamon adds a nice flavour to these pancakes, you can experiment with other additions like chocolate chips or fruit like blueberries. These pancakes are very customisable.
The amount of sugar depends on your taste, I find the sweet spot is about 40g for me but I’ve also made it with 30g and the pancakes are just as delicious and not sweet.
Do not over mix. Overmixing will cause a tough product which we don’t want. mix gently.
Coconut oil is optional, any neutral oil can be used such as vegetable oil or grapeseed oil.
Sourdough discard used in this recipe is unfed, and was kept in the fridge. However my discard itself is very active even while in the fridge. That has a lot to do with how fluffy the pancakes come out.

Storage & Reheating

Sourdough pancakes can be stored in fridge for up to 3-4 days. (depend on your fridge temperature) in an air tight container.
If you make a large batch, freeze cooked pancakes between parchment paper in a Ziploc bag or freezer safe bag/container to prevent sticking and for easy access. I like to freeze 3-4 at a time to make things easier for me.
Reheat in oven. I find I get the “freshly” made taste and feel this way. The microwave can make these pancakes a bit tough, but the oven warms it perfectly.

I know that making anything sourdough can feel intimidating at first, but I genuinely encourage you to give it a try. It doesn’t matter where you start, just step in. You might be surprised by what you create. Even if it doesn’t turn out perfect, I promise it’ll still be delicious ask me how I know lol. When I first made these pancakes, I grabbed my phone mid-bite to tell my friend how excited I was by the recipe. It felt like I had stepped into a grandma’s kitchen, warm, nostalgic, and full of love.

If you try this recipe or have any questions, feel free to comment below! I’m learning right alongside you and love sharing this journey together. I actually made these pancakes during my live sourdough Bake-a-thon, oh yes, live baking chaos and all. It was such a fun way to connect with my subscribers. You can watch the full chaos unfold and bake with me in real-time. Check it out!

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