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These sourdough pancakes have a deeply tangy, slightly sweet taste. I love them with or without the soaked oats. They are so flavorful, that I doubt you will opt for an overly sweet syrup as a companion. Try adding blueberries – fresh or frozen – to the batter for even more depth. These sourdough pancakes will leave you full and satisfied throughout the day… true nourishing food for your brain as well as your soul.
Sourdough with Whole Grains
Sourdough is a way to make bread using the natural yeast found in a “starter” (combination of fermented flour and water) rather than added commercial yeast. I used to think this meant it would yield a “sour” taste but that isn’t always true. There are ways to exemplify the sour tang, if desired. In something like a sourdough English muffin, I love that, but for pancakes… I do prefer a sweet flavor-forward profile.
I only bake using freshly milled, whole grains. Simply put, I grind grains into flour using a home mill just before I want to bake. This ensures that the nutrients remain intact. To read more about why you should mill your grains at home, check out my full post Homemade Flour from Whole Grains.
Soaked Rolled Oats
I soak oats overnight to make porridge and love them in smoothies. One morning, I decided to experiment with adding them to our sourdough pancakes and was pleasantly surprised by the results. I have the oats listed as “optional” in the recipe, because you still end up with a beautiful result even if you omit them.
If you are not familiar with soaking oats overnight, watch Sally Fallon in this tutorial. To aid in digestion, rolled oats should be properly prepared. Sally teaches in her book Nourishing Traditions to soak the oats overnight using warm water and an acid (like buttermilk, yogurt, kefir, lemon juice, vinegar, whey, etc.). The acid activates the enzymes in the oats as they soak. You then cook them the next day.
Prep for the Pancakes the Day Before
There are two simple steps that need to be done the day before you want sourdough pancakes (I do this in the evening as I’m cleaning the kitchen).
#1 Feed your sourdough starter enough flour so that you have two cups for the recipe in the morning as well as a few tablespoons to save for the next use. Do this by adding roughly 2 cups of fresh milled flour along with filtered water (around 1 cup of water… enough to make a mixture thicker than soup but thinner than paste) to your starter.
#2 Soak the rolled oats in warm water and an acid. For this recipe, use 1 cup of oats, 1 cup of warm water, and 1 tablespoon of acid (whey, yogurt, buttermilk, etc.).
Cover the oats and the sourdough starter with a towel and leave them out on the counter overnight or at least for 6-8 hours.
How to Make Sourdough Pancakes
In a large measuring cup or bowl, mix together 2 cups of the fed sourdough starter, melted butter, honey, egg, vanilla bean paste, and salt. All ingredient measurements are listed in the recipe below.
Once everything is blended well, stir in the baking soda until it’s incorporated throughout. Make certain the baking soda is distributed evening… there’s nothing worse than getting a bite full of baking soda. Finally, add the soaked oats (if using).
Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Melt enough butter to coat the bottom of the pan for cooking the pancakes (roughly 2 tablespoons). Pour the batter in the pan, forming 4 inch rounds.
Cook the pancakes until bubbling and then flip them. (If using cast iron, you may need to adjust the heat lower as the pan warms throughout cooking.)
Once the pancakes are golden brown on both sides, remove them from the pan and serve warm. We love them topped with grass fed butter and a fried egg. They pair great with maple or date syrup, honey, jam, fresh whipped cream, or goat cheese.
Leave a comment below letting me know if you tried this recipe and what you thought! What’s your favorite pancake topping or added ingredient?
Sourdough Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups Fed Sourdough Starter*
- 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted plus more for cooking pancakes
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- 1 cup Rolled Oats soaked overnight** optional
Instructions
- In a large measuring cup or bowl, mix together the fed sourdough starter, melted butter, honey, egg, vanilla bean paste, and salt.2 cups Fed Sourdough Starter*, 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted, 2 tbsp Honey, 1 Egg, 1 tsp Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, ½ tsp Salt
- Once everything is blended well, stir in the baking soda until it's incorporated throughout. Finally, add the soaked oats (if using).½ tsp Baking Soda, 1 cup Rolled Oats soaked overnight**
- Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Melt enough butter to coat the bottom of the pan for cooking the pancakes (roughly 2 tablespoons). Pour batter in the pan, forming roughly 4 inch rounds.
- Cook until bubbling and then flip. (If using cast iron, you may need to adjust the heat lower as the pan warms throughout cooking.)
- Once pancakes are golden brown on both sides, remove them from the pan and serve warm. We love them topped with grass fed butter and a fried egg. They pair great with maple or date syrup, honey, jam, fresh whipped cream, or goat cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
