Sourdough pancakes are a great way to use up some of the sourdough starter you would ordinarily throw away when feeding your starter.
This recipe has been handed down from generation to generation on Mr. Stone Soup’s side. The men on Mr. Soup’s side get together once a year at their cabins in Idaho for the annual fishing trip and whip these up for breakfast at least a couple of times for every trip. It’s a great recipe–easy and straightforward. The only thing you have to remember is that the starter will need to be put together in the evening and let to ferment overnight. And in the morning–don’t forget to pull your starter out! The men learned a long time ago to 1) not wash the starter-keeper jar and 2) to leave it on top of the bowl of starter/batter in order to remember to pull out the starter. In the worst-case scenario where you forget to pull out your starter, the unwashed starter jar is sometimes enough of the starter to bring it back to life–hence, the ritual of leaving the starter jar unwashed.
These are substantial cakes. If you like your cakes a little thinner or more delicate, add a little more milk. I like to make them on a cold, inclement morning–there’s something about those crispy edges and substantive texture that makes you cozy on the inside when it’s blustery outside.
During my experimentations starting in the summer of 2025, I have been using a combination of whole wheat and bread-flour-fed starter, which has become my favorite, however any type of starter will be fine.
Sourdough Pancakes
Ingredients
Instructions
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The batter for this is mixed up the night before so the sourdough can bloom. Place the cup of sourdough starter, 2.5 cups of bread flour and lukewarm water in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. The mixture will be thick and lumpy. Cover bowl and place in warm spot overnight.
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In the morning, the mixture should have bloomed and you will see small holes and the mixture will have expanded.
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Take out one cup of starter.
To the remaining starter in the large bowl, add 1 well beaten egg, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 1/4 cup milk and mix well.
Mix the 1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 2 tablespoons sugar together and fold gently into the batter mixture. Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes.
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Heat a cast iron griddle (or large cast iron skillet), other griddle or large skillet and add 2-3 tablespoons of butter. Once the griddle or pan is well-heated, but not smoking, add the batter to the grill. This batter is pretty thick, so the cakes are going to be nicely misshapen and rustic. Make any sized cakes you prefer, but be mindful of cooking them all the way through. A good medium-high heat will give the cakes those nice, crispy edges, but you may need to turn the heat down to medium to make sure the cakes are cooked through. Also, pay attention to the amount of butter that the cakes soak up--you will want to have more butter at the ready to add if needed.
Serve the pancakes immediately in order to enjoy those crispy edges! I like mine with just the butter from the griddle, but have warm syrup at the ready for those who like a more traditional take on their griddle cakes!
Note
This recipe makes a nice, thick pancake. Add more milk for a little thinner batter if you prefer.
I used my rye starter and whole wheat flour for my last batch of sourdough pancakes. They were very good, but much more hearty and rustic than I was used to. They would be GREAT in the setting of a snowy cabin in the woods!
For a more refined take on pancakes, use regular all-purpose or bread flour for the overnight starter process.
