Servings: 12 pancakes
Calories: 240kcal
Ingredients
- Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups 250 g all-purpose flour (or swap up to 1 cup for whole wheat flour)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar or maple syrup / honey
- 1 tsp salt
- Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup 240 g sourdough discard, room temperature
- 1½ cups 360 ml milk (or buttermilk, oat milk, or almond milk)
- 1 large egg room temperature, beaten
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or melted butter or coconut oil
- Optional Mix-Ins
- ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt until evenly combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir together sourdough discard, milk, beaten egg, and oil until smooth.
- Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula or whisk until just combined — stop as soon as no dry flour remains. The batter should be lumpy; lumps are correct. Do not overmix or pancakes will turn out tough.
- Rest the batter. Let the batter sit 5–10 minutes. This gives the leavening agents time to activate and relaxes the gluten — the key step for extra fluffy pancakes.
- Heat the pan. Warm a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. It is ready when a drop of water sizzles on contact. Grease lightly with butter or a small amount of oil.
- Cook the pancakes. Pour about ⅓ cup of batter per pancake onto the hot skillet. Cook 2–3 minutes on the first side until bubbles form and pop on the surface and the edges look set.
- Flip once. Slide a thin spatula under each pancake and flip confidently in one motion. Cook 1–2 more minutes on the second side until golden brown. Flip each pancake only once — flipping multiple times deflates them.
- Serve immediately with your favorite toppings for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
Do not overmix — a few lumps in the batter are exactly what you want; overmixing builds gluten and makes pancakes flat and chewy.
Rest the batter — this 5–10 minute wait is the easiest trick for maximum fluffiness; don't skip it.
Sourdough discard: Use it at room temperature for best results. Runny discard is perfectly fine. The older the discard, the tangier the pancakes.
Buttermilk swap: Replace milk 1:1 with buttermilk for an even deeper tang and fluffier texture.
Extra fluffy tip: Separate the egg; whip the white to stiff peaks and fold it into the finished batter just before cooking for an even lighter result.
Pan temperature matters: Medium heat is ideal — too high burns the outside before the center sets; too low makes them pale and dense.
Mix-ins: Fold blueberries or chocolate chips in just after combining wet and dry — 2–3 gentle folds only.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pancake | Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 380mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g
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