The quickest and most satisfying use of sourdough discard. Fluffy, slightly tangy pancakes that are ready in under half an hour. Perfect for weekend breakfasts or when your starter needs feeding.
Ingredients
- 200g sourdough discard (unfed starter)
- 120g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 150ml milk
- 2 tbsp melted butter (plus extra for the pan)
Method
- Whisk together discard, egg, milk, and melted butter.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined (lumps are fine — don't over-mix).
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Butter lightly. Pour approximately 60ml of batter per pancake.
- Cook until bubbles form and edges look set, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook 1–2 minutes more.
Allergens: contains wheat (gluten), milk and egg.
How old can the discard be?
Older discard makes tangier pancakes, and that is the only real difference. Straight from a jar you fed this morning it is mild and barely sour; after a week in the fridge it has a proper edge to it. A layer of dark liquid on top — hooch — is normal and not a problem: pour it off for a milder batch, stir it back in for a sharper one.
What does not belong in the pan is discard that smells of nail polish remover rather than yoghurt or beer, or that shows any pink, orange or fuzzy growth on the surface. That goes in the bin and the jar goes through the dishwasher.
Storing and freezing
Cook the batter within about half an hour of mixing. The baking powder and bicarbonate start working the moment they meet the wet ingredients, so a batter left standing loses most of its lift. Cooked pancakes are a different matter: they keep two days in the fridge and freeze for two months. Freeze them flat on a tray first so they do not fuse into a block, bag them once solid, and reheat straight from frozen in the toaster on a low setting.
Frequently asked questions
Can I mix the batter the night before?
Not as one bowl — the raising agents will be spent by morning. Instead, whisk the discard, egg, milk and melted butter together and refrigerate that overnight, keeping the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate, sugar and salt in a separate bowl. Combine in the morning and cook straight away. It saves five minutes and costs nothing in lift.
Why are my pancakes flat rather than fluffy?
Three usual suspects. Over-mixing knocks the air out and develops the flour, so stop while there are still small lumps. Old baking powder loses strength after about six months once opened — drop half a teaspoon into hot water, and if it does not fizz energetically, replace it. And a pan that is not hot enough lets the batter spread before it sets; wait for a drop of water to skitter across the surface.
Can I make these dairy-free?
Yes. Swap the milk for oat or soya milk and use a dairy-free spread or a neutral oil in place of the butter, both in the batter and in the pan. The texture is very slightly less tender and the flavour a touch plainer, but they cook identically. They will still contain wheat (gluten) and egg.
How much discard does one batch use up?
200g, which is roughly what accumulates over a week if you keep a 100g starter and feed it twice. If you have more waiting, the batter doubles cleanly — and anything you do not want to cook now is better frozen as finished pancakes than as batter.
Bake this with our shelf-stable lab-verified San Francisco sourdough starter — activates in 2 hours, so you can bake your first loaf the same day.
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