Fluffy Sourdough Pancake Recipe

Pancakes are one of our favorite all time breakfasts, and they’re even better with this fluffy sourdough pancake recipe!

We’ve made a lot of pancakes, from pink beet pancakes, and coconut flour pancakes for the grain-free among us, but these sourdough pancakes are our favorite.

The big perk of sourdough is better digestibility, and the second is incredible flavor.

But there is a drawback that many people run into when making sourdough pancakes in particular; flat, or rubbery cakes.

Nobody wants that.

So this recipe is specifically formulated to create soft, tender, fluffy pancakes, just like you love them, but with the added advantages of sourdough.

It’s not a secret, and almost any good recipe for sourdough pancakes uses it: and the “it” is baking soda.

Yeah, that’s right. Baking soda. You were probably expecting baking powder, but I’ve had much better results with soda.

So what are the other ingredients you’ll need?

Pretty much what you expect:

• Flour
• sugar
• Salt
• Sourdough starter
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Oil or melted butter
• Milk or buttermilk

I will say that buttermilk is nice, but not actually necessary to make these fluffy. The sourdough starter and baking soda do the job fabulously.

Substitutions and FAQs

I like to include a list of substitutions for my recipes to give you options, but of course, pancakes are pretty simple already.

But there are a few.

• Flour. You can use whole wheat flour in place of some of the all purpose flour. I recommend no more than half, in order to keep the pancakes fluffy.
• OIl. You can use your preferred oil, such as light olive oil, or melted coconut oil, but by far, my favorite is to use melted butter. The flavor is just so good!

Can I add chocolate chips/blueberries/nuts/etc.?

Yes! Add them in at the same time you add the baking soda, or sprinkle them on top as you pour them onto the griddle.

Is this a sourdough discard recipe?

Yes – and also no.

You can choose to use any active starter you have. But I don’t recommend using a cold, inactive starter. You want it to work on fermenting the flour in your pancake batter overnight, and the best way for it to do that is if it’s already actively fermenting.

So you can use your sourdough starter discard, but it should be active, rather than having been stored in the refrigerator. 

How to make this sourdough pancake recipe

1. First, whisk eggs, then stir in milk, melted butter, vanilla, and lastly, sourdough starter in a large bowl
   
2. Add dry ingredients except for baking soda, and stir together well
   
3. Cover, and refrigerate overnight
4. In the morning, when ready to use, remove batter from the fridge, and sprinkle baking soda over the top
   
5. Stir together briefly, but thoroughly. Try not to overmix, as that is what ends up creating rubbery pancakes
   
6. Heat griddle over medium heat, and grease well
7.  Ladle batter using between 1/3-1/2 cup per pancake onto a hot griddle or cast iron skillet
   
8. Cook on griddle until pancake is brown on the bottom, and bubbles on top pop, and don’t immediately fill back in, flip, and cook until second side is brown.
9. Serve as desired. I’m always a fan of the traditional maple syrup and fresh berries, but my kids love butter and homemade strawberry syrup! These are also great served with homemade breakfast sausage.

Leftovers and freezing

One of my great joys as a mom is making leftovers on purpose. In this case, you can make a double batch, and store the leftovers in an airtight container for the next day, or use this as a bonafide freezer cooking session.

For freezer pancakes, I would make them on the smaller side – about 1/3 cup of batter per pancake, so that they can fit into your toaster for reheating.

When completely cool, place the pancakes into an airtight container, such as a ziplock bag, and place in the freezer.

To use, take them directly from the freezer to the toaster, or onto a cookie sheet to heat in the oven at 350º. You can also reheat them on the griddle.

More sourdough recipes for you:

• Overnight sourdough cinnamon rolls
• Flaky sourdough biscuits
• How to make sourdough waffles
• Sourdough Cranberry Walnut Bread
• Easy sourdough discard pie crust

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