Sourdough Discard Pancakes

Sourdough pancakes are the best way to use sourdough starter discard! With whole grain flour and tangy sourdough discard, these one-bowl pancakes are healthy, delicious, and great for reducing food waste! (dairy-free option)

If you keep an active sourdough starter, you probably have your fair share of discard hanging around. If not, you should, because all that flour is not to be wasted! Discard can be made into all kinds of delicious treats - from English muffins to cinnamon rolls, even granola! One of the easiest ways to use sourdough discard is in pancakes. They're low effort and high reward on a weekend morning!

What is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough starter discard is the excess starter that you remove from the jar (and no longer need) when feeding your starter. In order to maintain a small size and an efficient feeding routine, you remove about half before adding more flour and water to the jar. You could pour that discard down the drain, which ends up being a lot of wasted flour. OR you can collect it in its own jar and store it in the refrigerator until you have enough to use in a recipe such as this one.

Why You'll Love These Sourdough Pancakes

Two of the main components of pancake batter are flour and liquid. Sourdough starter discard replaces part of both components in the batter and adds a nice tang to the pancakes, balanced out by just a touch of butter and sugar. Buttermilk and the traditional leavening agents provide quick lift for fluffy, delicious, whole grain pancakes.

How To Make Sourdough Discard Pancakes

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. Add the wet ingredients and whisk to combine, careful not to over-mix.
3. Pour batter by ⅓ cup onto a preheated griddle or skillet and cook until bubbles appear and the edges start to dry.
4. Flip and cook an additional 1 minute or so, or until the bottom is golden.

Tips and Recipe Variations

• For a dairy-free version, replace the butter with neutral oil or melted coconut oil and replace buttermilk with club soda or seltzer water for extra fluffiness.
• Omit the sugar for baby-friendly pancakes.
• I like to use white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour, but you can also use all-purpose flour if you prefer.
• Careful not to over-mix the batter. You want it just blended. It's okay if it's a little lumpy.
• You may need to add more buttermilk depending on the consistency of your starter discard and your buttermilk (buttermilk tends to get thicker the longer you have it). Add less liquid for thicker pancakes.
• Feel free to add any add-ins, such as blueberries or chocolate chips!

If you've got more sourdough discard than you can handle, try these other delicious Sourdough Discard Recipes!

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