Sourdough Discard Pancakes
If you keep a sourdough starter on the counter, you know the ritual: feed it, and you've got discard. Most people pour it down the drain. These pancakes are what to do instead. The starter brings flavor that you can't buy—a subtle fermented tang that plays against butter and syrup—and it gives the pancakes a softer, more complex crumb than anything made with commercial yeast.
Your starter doesn't need to be perfect
Discard pancakes work with starter at any point in its cycle—freshly fed, a few hours old, even sluggish starter that didn't rise as much as you hoped. You're not relying on it to rise the batter dramatically; you're using it for flavor and a small amount of lift. Use it as is.
- large mixing bowl
- whisk
- griddle or skillet (cast iron works best)
- spatula
- measuring cups and spoons
What goes in.
- 1 cupsourdough discard, unfed (room temperature)
- 3/4 cupall-purpose flour
- 2 tbspsugar
- 1/2 tspsalt
- 1/2 tspbaking soda
- 1egg
- 1/2 cupmilk (whole milk or buttermilk)
- 1 tbspmelted butter or neutral oil, plus more for the griddle
Why the baking soda goes in at the end
Baking soda reacts with the acid in sourdough starter the moment it meets it. If you mix it in with everything else, the bubbles start forming right away and escape into the air before the batter hits the griddle. Whisk the dry ingredients first, beat the wet ingredients, combine them gently, then sprinkle the baking soda on top and fold it in just once or twice. You'll see the batter puff slightly—that's your signal to get to the griddle immediately.
The method.
Heat the griddle
Set it to medium or medium-high. The surface should feel hot when you hold your hand 2 inches above it for about 3 seconds. If it's too cool, the pancakes will spread and stay pale; too hot, they'll burn on the outside before cooking through.
Whisk the dry ingredients together
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Break up any lumps in the flour by whisking for about 30 seconds. Set aside.
Mix the wet ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, egg, milk, and melted butter until smooth. It should look like a loose batter already.
Combine wet and dry
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. The batter should still have small lumps—don't overwork it. Overmixing makes tough pancakes.
Add the baking soda
Sprinkle the 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda over the top of the batter and fold it in gently, just two or three folds. You'll see the batter puff and lighten. This happens fast. Get to the griddle within the next 30 seconds.
Butter the griddle
Use a pastry brush or paper towel to coat the hot surface with a thin layer of butter. You'll hear it sizzle slightly.
Cook the pancakes
Pour batter onto the griddle using a 1/4-cup measure or ladle. They'll start to spread immediately. Wait until the top surface loses its shine and you see small bubbles form around the edges—about 2 to 2.5 minutes. Flip once. Cook the second side until it's golden and set, about 1.5 minutes. You're looking for deep golden brown, not pale.
Transfer to a plate
Stack the cooked pancakes on a warm plate. If you're making a full batch, you can keep them warm in a 200°F oven while you finish cooking the rest.
Other turns to take.
Buttermilk version
Swap the milk for buttermilk. The extra acidity means you might need to reduce the baking soda slightly to 1/4 teaspoon, or leave it at 1/2 teaspoon for a more aggressive rise. Buttermilk pancakes will be tangier and slightly more tender.
Add-ins
Fold in blueberries, mashed banana, or chocolate chips after the batter is combined but before the baking soda. About 1/2 cup of add-ins per batch. They'll sink slightly, which is fine—that's how pancakes work.
Extra tang
If your starter is mild or you want more fermented flavor, use a slightly older discard (one that's been in the fridge for a few days or one that's been sitting at room temperature for 4+ hours after feeding). The flavor will be more pronounced.
Whole wheat or spelt
Replace up to half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat or spelt flour. The pancakes will be denser and nuttier. You may need to add an extra tablespoon of milk since whole grains absorb more liquid.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Don't skip the baking soda or try to replace it with baking powder. Baking powder contains both a base and an acid; you need the base to react with the acid in the starter. Baking powder alone won't give you the same rise.
If your batter seems too thick after mixing, add milk one tablespoon at a time. It should pour easily but hold its shape briefly when it hits the griddle.
Cast iron is ideal because it holds heat evenly and won't cool down when you pour cold batter on it. A regular nonstick skillet works too, but you may need to adjust the heat between batches.
These pancakes are best eaten right off the griddle. If you need to hold them, a 200°F oven keeps them warm without drying them out.
Leftover pancakes can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently in a toaster oven or skillet with a little butter.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I make the batter the night before?
You can mix the dry ingredients the night before and store them in an airtight container. For the wet ingredients, it's better to mix them fresh because the starter will continue to ferment slightly overnight, which can throw off the balance. If you do mix everything together, refrigerate it and add the baking soda right before cooking, just as you would fresh batter.
What if my pancakes spread too thin?
The batter is too thin. Add a tablespoon of flour at a time and whisk it in gently. It should be thicker than crepes but thinner than American pancakes made with baking powder. The consistency should pour slowly, not run.
Why didn't mine puff up as much as the recipe suggests?
A few reasons: the baking soda wasn't fresh (baking soda loses potency over time), the griddle wasn't hot enough, or too much time passed between folding in the soda and cooking. Baking soda works fast and furiously for about 30 seconds. If the batter sits, it deflates. Also, if your starter is very mild or sluggish, the base acidity might be lower, so the reaction with baking soda will be less dramatic.
Is there a way to use this discard if I don't have baking soda?
Not really. Baking powder won't give you the same result because it's designed to work with neutral batters, not acidic ones. You could make sourdough waffles or a sourdough cake instead, which rely on the starter's fermentation for part of the rise and work fine with baking powder or no chemical leavener at all.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes. Double all the ingredients. The only adjustment is to add the baking soda in two increments (1/4 teaspoon at a time) so you don't shock the entire batch at once. Or just do two single batches back-to-back—they cook so fast that doubling isn't necessary.