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Ever since Michael Pollan’s four-part series Cooked debuted on Netflix in February, my sourdough bread post gets more traffic than anything else on here, followed closely by this post on Eleanor, my sourdough starter. If you too have caught the sourdough bug, you have probably become familiar with The Sourdough Baker’s Dilemma: what do you do with all that discarded starter?
When you feed your sourdough starter, you remove 80 percent of it from its jar and feed the remaining 20 percent fresh water and flour. Because your starter requires regular feedings—but only if you want to keep it alive—the discard piles up quickly. Don’t toss it! In fact, we probably shouldn’t call this stuff discard. You can make all kinds of delicious food with it, including these pancakes.
I make these pancakes at least a couple of mornings a week. Aggie of the blog Aggie’s Farm first gave me her recipe and I’m so glad she did. Of all the recipes I’ve made with discarded starter, pancakes both use up the most discard and require the least amount of work. Most importantly, they taste good.
My daughter prefers fluffy pancakes. I like them thin and crêpe-like. If you prefer fluffy, add a bit of flour to the batter. For thin, omit it. I top my pancakes with maple syrup or fruit and yogurt. Because they contain no added sugar, they go well with savory toppings as well.
Ingredients
Yields two pancakes
- 1/2 cup unfed sourdough starter, straight from the refrigerator (recently fed also works)
- 1 heaping tablespoon flour of any kind (optional—for fluffier pancakes)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Directions
1. If using additional flour for fluffy pancakes, combine it with the starter in a small bowl. Whisk in the egg.
2. Melt the butter or oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and swirl it around to coat the pan. Pour the butter or oil into the sourdough-egg mixture, leaving enough in the pan so that your pancake won’t stick to it.
3. Add the salt and baking soda. Wait a couple of minutes for the batter to puff up a bit.
4. Pour half of the batter into the pan. Flip after bubbles have formed on the pancake. Remove from the pan once the pancake is golden-brown.
5. Grease the pan if necessary and repeat.
6. Top as desired before scarfing down.
You make starters look adorable. This all looks yummy and guilt-free.
Thank you! I love my starters. They are my babies 😉
I asked my partner, who has been making sourdough for months now, if he discards part of his starter, and he says no, he is just using it every day. But we will definitely try these pancakes, they sound yum.
Your partner must bake every day (lucky you!). I hope you like these. They taste delicious and require little effort. (I love easy…)
This is one of my favourite uses for the excess starter! I feel it legitimizes my pancake + maple syrup eating. I’ve made pancakes probably 1000s of times in my life and sourdough are some of the best, with the most complex flavours, and also very tender. I will try out your recipe – I like that you don’t add that much extra flour to make the batter. I actually just finished making your cracker recipe 🙂
It’s my favorite too. If we didn’t eat so many pancakes, I think we would have drowned in starter long ago. I hope you liked the crackers 🙂
I’ve never understood the throwing out the starter. The only time I remove starter from my batch is when I bake with it. I bake 1-2 times a week and the starter lives in the fridge. I feed it when I’ve used it and there is never so much that I need to discard any. I only feed it 1-2 tablespoons of flour and equal water.
Hi Jo. Well that’s just how I learned to do it. I know there are different ways to make sourdough. When mine lives in the fridge, it doesn’t seem as perky. Even out on the counter, I wish she was perkier, but she does make good bread so I shouldn’t complain.
I love your site and have been trying many of your creations! I’ve discovered a nice combination that I thought you might appreciate in pursuit of zero waste: I put a tablespoon of the ginger from my ginger bug into my sourdough starter pancake batter. It adds nice flavor and texture, and keeps the ginger bug at steady state. I hope you try it and like it!
OMG Mark. I’m going to try that. On the weekend, while I made ginger beer I tried simmering my discarded ginger for it, in the hopes I could use that in addition to the plain ginger I was simmering at the same time. It tasted revolting! Luckily I tasted it BEFORE doing anything rash…ginger beer saved. I think the ginger bug might give my starter the kick I’ve been looking for. Thanks so much! ~ Anne Marie
I love that this only makes 2, every time my BF makes me pancakes he makes way too many and they are so filling we end up feeding all the flatmates & some for dinner haha! Going to try these now 🙂
I just made these and am eating them right now. I added a bit of flour, as suggested, but I could see how this could be more crepe-like without it. Delicious! Thanks so much for this recipe. Now I won’t feel so wasteful with my sourdough starter.
I’m glad you like them Becca. I love to make the pancakes because they use up the discarded starter quickly and they are SO easy to make. As you know it’s a constant battle to keep the discard pile at bay!
[…] so you’re not making too much, or there are plenty of recipes for using the extra — pancakes and crumpets are good starting […]
tried this a few days back. Worked very, very well, but I think I’d like it best as crepes. Tried it half way inbetween: used 1/2 TBSP of flour, butter, a 9″ iron skillet, and got 4 thinner pancakes.
[…] used this recipe from the ZeroWasteChef for the pancakes, and then added a dollop of yoghurt and some stewed […]
Made these for dinner last night – I added chopped walnuts and cinnamon. My bf and I loved them! Thanks so much for the recipe (we also love the sourdough crackers). I think I’ll try them with blueberries and pecans next time. Or add a mashed banana. Your blog is so so great. Keep up the good work 😉
Hi Margaret. Mmmm, that all sounds so good! I’m glad you liked the pancakes. I eat them several mornings a week. Thanks for reading my blog 🙂 ~ Anne Marie
I was able to make these vegan by using banana in place of the egg. I don’t always like banana taste in my baked goods, but I had some bananas that were past my preferred ripeness for eating, but perfect for smashing. I added some pumpkin pie spice as well. They did want to stick a bit in my cast iron, so I might add a little extra oil next time, in place of the almond milk I used to thin out the batter.
Thanks for the recipe! I’m a new sourdough mom, and these are a great way to use up discard on a Saturday morning!
Hi Andria,
Thanks for the info. Those sound delicious. I have some very mushy bananas I think I’ll try this with tomorrow morning. Enjoy your new motherhood! I love being a sourdough mom 🙂
~ Anne Marie
Fantastic recipe thank you, I made these this morning and they were delicious! I doubled the recipe and all four came out prefect. Definitely bookmarked for next time 🙂
Great! I’m glad you liked them, Lulu 🙂 ~ Anne Marie
I just finished my first batch of sourdough pancakes from my first sourdough start. Thanks for the recipe. Turned out great!
A friend gave me a starter last week so I tried these pancakes this morning. FANTASTIC! I like how it makes 2. I ate both and can’t wait to teach my grandson how to make these. I watch 3 of my grands during summer break and this summer I are focusing on teaching them to cook breakfast meals. This recipe was quick and easy and sooooo good. I’m happy I stumbled upon your website. I’ve already pinned a few of your recipes to try.
Hi Connie, I’m glad you like the pancakes. I eat them a few times a week. They are SO easy and delicious. What a great idea to teach your grandkids to make these. They are very simple. Oooh, you might like this post for an activity also, although you already have a starter: https://zerowastechef.com/2015/10/08/kitchen-science-for-kids-sourdough-starter-lesson-plan/ Enjoy your time with your grands 🙂 ~ Anne Marie
Can anyone tell me how much 1/2 cup of discard is in grams please?
Around 150 grams. I measured my starter in a liquid measuring cup and feed it 50/50 white and wheat flours so your may be lighter or denser depending on your blend.
Picture me in the morning, it’s time to feed the starter and I see I have too much in the jar I start to sweat I get nervous and I start doing pirouettes in the middle of the kitchen. I start talking to myself. Should I dump it out, should I save it and try to find someone that wants it or should I bake bread today…
It’s stressful to me. To much anxiety.
But now, I can make some quick and easy pancakes. Today I chose the fluffy recipe. I didn’t know what to expect. Of course I had to sacrifice the first pancake for the very important taste test. They are awesome. My wife and I both loved them and I will continue to use my extra starter for pancakes. Thank you, great web page.
Steve
Hahaha! I’m glad you liked them Steve. I had that same what-am-I-going-to-do-with-all-this-starter panic. Now I use it up quickly with these. That was good of you to sacrifice the first one like that :p ~ Anne Marie
I am making these pancakes over a 3 months almost every weekend. Such a great recipe and sometimes I put different things either! Thanks for the recipe and for saving my discard sourdough 🙂
Can I store my discarded starter in a jar in the fridge and continue to add more discarded starter to that until I have enough to make pancakes? If so, would I need it to come to room temperature before using? Thanks!
Hi Jen,
Absolutely you can keep adding starter to your jar in the refrigerator and you can use it straight out of there for your pancakes. You don’t need to let it warm up first.
Enjoy!
Anne Marie
[…] Recipe from The Zero Waste Chef: pancake recipe […]
Can fresh blueberries be added to these pancakes before cooking, and if so, what measure of berries to the recipe
These turned out great! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Dostoyevskiy… nice touch:) is this recipe inspired by blinichki?
Hi Gergana,
Thank you. I love Russian literature. Am sort of obsessed with it. I have never tried blinichki but I just looked it up and now much try to make those! I have tried to make kvass with leftover sourdough bread though 🙂 Thank you for the idea.
~ Anne Marie
it is I who should thank you: very explicit article, answered most of my questions:)
🙂 and so you know Master and Margarita by Bulgakov and 12 chairs etc. of Ilf and Petrov:) the very best:) Glad to share the pleasure of it
I can’t thank you enough for this recipe! What a great way to use up all the starter! I make einkorn flour sourdough, so I expected that I probably have to moderate the ingredients/ratios, but it came out so light and fluffy with a perfect chewiness. My family likes them, too. It’s a win win pancake recipe!
But these are not real sourdough pancakes, I have not made them like you describe with just starter right to the grill and not starter in batch overnight. I would use this starter for overnight then make the pancakes and not have to take a cup out of that batch just use it all. I like the no waste and keeping the take out into another jar. I have used the quick batch with package yeast for 48 hours then one more for cakes or bread. I am currently using creative carrot method but I like to have a cup or two of starter always around. I dont like taking so much out and left with just a little seed to keep going.
My starter’s name is 46 Willys. Thanks
[…] Sourdough pancakes: More sourdoughy, yum yum […]
Yum yum yum! I just made pancakes following the recipe and they were delicious! Thank you so much for sharing
[…] is the discarded starter. Store it in the refrigerator and bake something with it later, such as pancakes, waffles or crackers. Do not feed this starter. Let it […]
[…] is the discarded starter. Store it in the refrigerator and bake something with it later, such as pancakes, waffles or crackers. Do not feed this starter. Let it […]
[…] is the discarded starter. Store it in the refrigerator and bake something with it later, such as pancakes, waffles or crackers. Do not feed this starter. Let it […]
[…] 薄煎饼， 威化饼 要么 […]
[…] is the discarded starter. Store it in the refrigerator and bake something with it later, such as pancakes, waffles or crackers. Do not feed this starter. Let it […]
Spectacular. I am new to the world of sourdough, finally having time abundance due to COVID19. I love that your started is of a more manageable size and that you have uses for the starter discard. Although my baby starter is not ready to make sourdough bread yet (or maybe that’s me), this morning I enjoyed two fluffy and delectable sourdough pancakes! This payoff makes it easy to nurture my little one— next I’ll save up for the crackers– I plan to add finely chopped rosemary when rolling out. Thank you!
I just tried these. Delish! I had a tablespoon or two left of blueberry muffin batter, so I added the starter, egg, etc., to that and the pancakes turned out great.
Sorry, I’m new in this…how many times has to be feed the starter to use in this or others “discard” recipes??
Hi Rosaura,
Welcome to sourdoughing! If you have a new starter, the first discard won’t be very sour or lively so I would wait until you have about a week’s worth of discards in your jar. It should be quite sour by that point.
Enjoy!
Anne Marie
These are amazing! I doubled the recipe and made for my partner and I this morning topped with some blueberry compote, banana and maple syrup. Will definitely be saving this recipe.
Thank you!!
I like that the recipe is for 2 pancakes and that you don’t have to start the night before! I made one batch. Made a test and added a little flour to make them puffy. Then added a bit of sugar so that we wouldn’t need so much syrup. But hey, that’s what pancakes and syrup are for! Right?! My husband liked them. So then I made batch 2 so that we could enjoy our pancakes together. I’ve read the comments and think I will make crepes next time and fill them with something yummy. Maybe sweet, maybe savory. Thanks for your recipe!
Finally a sourdough recipe that doesn’t use a huge amount of flour. I’ve been searching for awhile for small batch recipes for two or four people. Could you please direct me to more recipes that use less flour. I’m new to the sourdough community and small amounts would help me practice different recipes without wasting my ingredients or money. I hope you can help.Thanks
Hi Anita,
I don’t usually add extra flour to these. If I have nut or seed pulp leftover from making milk, I’ll add a spoonful of that. I have a bunch of discard recipes here (you have to scroll down a bit): https://zerowastechef.com/sourdough/ Of all of them, the pancakes use the least amount of flour. I hope you find some of them useful.
~ Anne Marie
I second Anita, this recipe is very welcome. Frankly, a recipe to use up discard that calls for an additional cup of flour seems self defeating! Thanks for the flour-lite/free recipe!
[…] Pannenkoeken zijn ook altijd een goed idee, dit recept geeft een recept voor twee pannenkoekjes. […]
Is it possible to make it without egg? I am looking for sourdeigh pancake without eggs. Thanks
Hi Monika,
Yes, it is! I have a vegan version here: https://zerowastechef.com/2020/02/19/vegan-sourdough-pancakes/
~ Anne Marie
My son really loves these pancakes. I make them each time I feed my starter. It sits in the fridge all week waiting for me to use it in the weekend. As I feed it more often before I make a sourdough bread, he gets more pancakes out of it
I’ve been making 100% discard pancakes using my starter and two of my nephews starters (one all purpose, one whole wheat); just pour out the starter (fed 18-20 hours previously), sift a small patch of ground cinnamon on top, upon which salt, baking powder, and baking soda are placed (the cinnamon keeps them separate from the acidic starter till mixed). When my lightly greased Lodge Combo Cooker shallow skillet sizzles droplets of water flicked into it I quickly stir the discard and other ingredients together; they ‘foam’ up and are poured into the hot skillet, the burner is turned off, and the skillet is covered with the flat lid from a pot which fits. This produces a steamy environment which keeps the skillet-sized pancake from drying and hardening up, and the pancake’s first side is primarily baked with the residual heat adjusted if needed. When a peek underneath shows a decent degree of browning the pancake is turned and a bit more heat is applied; lower heat allows longer baking/steaming out of the moisture in this LARGE pancake without burning (I charred a few working this out). The result is a 1/4th inch plus thick pancake of fairly ‘robust’ texture that my nephews, nieces, and myself like with any typical pancake topping.
Not your traditional ‘fluffy’ cakes, but it does allow you to truthfully say “I only had one.”
THIS IS SO GOOD. thank you 🙂
I wanted to love these. I’ve been searching for a good recipe for my starter castoff but these were not good. No fluff. No taste. Would a touch of sweetener help maybe?
Thank you so much for your recipe!
I just LOVE this pancake recipe, they taste deliciously after sourdough, I make a batch every other week and eat them for breakfast or as dessert with chocolate chunks.
The boyfriend and I started making sourdough bread following your recipes two, two and a half years ago, and we’ve never looked back since. We bake 4 loaves in one batch every 5 to 7 days, we both learned all of the steps so we can help each other out for all the different steps depending on who has time. Homemade sourdough bread is just the best. The last few months we have made a lot of walnut bread, a friend gave us 100kg (!!) of walnuts. Best bread I’ve ever eaten!
Hi Celine,
I’m glad you like the pancakes. What a great idea to add chocolate chunks for dessert. I’m about to make some pancakes and am going to add chocolate chips to this batch!
That’s a lot of walnuts! The bread must taste amazing. I’m glad you’re enjoying your sourdough baking so much.
~ Anne Marie
Thank you for this recipe! And for all of your words of wisdom on keeping starters. The King Arthur flour recipe for sourdough pancakes requires an overnight wait – such a bummer if you wake up wanting pancakes! Giving this recipe a try as we speak 🙂