24 Apr Thick and Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes

I’ve been playing a lot with my infant sourdough starter lately. It still fascinates me how incredibly versatile this thing is. Although I have big plans for my starter, making sourdough croissants, pizza, brioche, and biscuits, I’ve decided to start with something a bit more simple and familiar. Yes, I’m talking about scrumptious sourdough pancakes. This recipe is very easy and straightforward. The only thing is it takes some time to make. You’ll need to prepare an overnight sponge and leave it covered with plastic wrap for the night. The next morning you’ll mix in a few more ingredients, and your batter will be ready to go. Not complicated at all, it just takes some time and patience.

In Ukraine, we love pancakes, oladki, and crapes, and I wanted to create something inspired by my childhood memories of crispy, thick, and light kefir pancakes. It turned out beautifully! My sourdough pancakes were fluffy, slightly chewy, crispy outside, and with large air bubbles inside. The flavor is slightly tangy and complex, and will mostly depend on your starter. I’ve been told that his exact recipe will make excellent waffles. I’m certainly going to give it a try. I served these pancakes drizzled with some local wildflower honey, and I’m telling you, every bite tasted heavenly good. But I’m sure your favorite jam or maple syrup will work wonderfully as well. Enjoy!

Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes

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Ingredients

  

• 1 cup sourdough starter unfed
• 2 cups buttermilk or kefir room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil or clarified butter for frying
• honey for serving

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup sourdough starter, buttermilk, flour, and sugar. This will be your overnight sponge. Cover it with a plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight, or for about 10 hours.
• Then, whisk the eggs, melted butter, and salt in a small bowl. Pour in the egg mixture and 1 teaspoon baking soda into your overnight sponge and stir well to combine. The batter will start to bubble, but that’s what we want. You’ll get a sticky and quite thick batter.
• Preheat 1/3 cup of the oil on a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Drop a scoop of the batter into the hot frying pan and cook over medium heat until the bottom is crispy and golden brown and the top is not runny anymore, about 3 minutes, then flip on the other side and fry for 2 to 3 more minutes, or until crispy and golden. Transfer to a warm oven or platter. Repeat using the remaining oil and cooking the remaining batter.
• Additional Info
• To serve these pancakes with savory toppings, such as smoked salmon or caviar, add 2 tablespoons sugar instead of 3.