Praise the heavens! These pancakes were two weeks in the making. And it all started with.. well.. forgive me.. a starter.
It turns out that a sourdough starter, a mixture of flour, water, bacteria and yeast, makes some pretty stellar pancakes. The cakes came out slightly thin, nicely browned and light as air. The starter and baking soda combination created insanely porous and light pancakes. The flavor? Combine sourdough bread and pancakes. Delicious. Super delicious. The slightly sour pancakes are perfectly complimented with maple syrup and sweet strawberries.
If you’ve followed along with me on my starter adventure, I hope you’ll try these pancakes. Jump on over. There are a few things you should know about this wacky pancake mix.
If you have no idea what’s going on, here’s a link to a link to all the sourdough starter madness.
It would seem that many things having to do with sourdough starters are an overnight process. These pancakes are no exception. For weekend pancakes, you’ll need to start you batter on Friday or Saturday night.
When combining a cup of starter with additional water and flour for the pancake, use a bowl with plenty of room. Your starter will grow a few times during the pancake making process. Make sure your bowl is made of glass or plastic. Metal does funny things that don’t agree with your starter.
Once you’ve removed the necessary amount of starter for the pancake batter, feed your original starter with a cup of water and a cup of flour, stir, cover and return to the fridge for your next sourdough adventure.
Heat a griddle and grease as you normally would for cooking up pancakes. I have to admit, it took me several rounds of pancake mistakes before I got the knack of cooking these beauties. My batter was pretty thin, maybe because my starter was thin, so it took a bit of practice to get a handle of the cooking. Not to worry, this recipe produces enough batter for a few rounds of mistakes.
Go on! Enjoy some pancakes. Let me know what you think?
I think it’s time for the real deal. Sourdough bread will be next.
Sourdough Pancakes
recipe from Glass House
Night before:
Mix 1 cup of starter, 1.5 cups warm water, 2.5 cups flour (a mix of white and wheat is good) cover with foil and let stand overnight. I put mine in the oven with the light on; it’s the perfect temp. The next morning:
Mix 1 egg, 2/3 cup milk, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Whisk into the mixture from the night before, let stand for five minute and drop onto griddle. Try them served with warm maple syrup and fresh strawberries and blueberries.
September 24th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
As a San Franciscan, sourdough speaks to me. These puppies are screaming! Sunday breakfast will never be the same.
September 24th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
i have been following along with your starter adventures with some envy. now, though, i am truly jealous!
September 24th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
I guess sourdough is just very forgiving. We started like you, with a pretty big bowl of starter. Then we pared it down and only keep about a half cup in the fridge. We feed it the night before (3 c.water, 3-3/4c flours) then we put a bit back in the morning, but never measure. We add water if it seems too thick. I’ve quit trying to understand how the pancakes can work out when the amount of starter can vary that much, but then I’ve also heard that pioneers carried just a tiny thimbleful around with them. Will be eating your recipe this Sunday and am eager to learn how to make bread too.
My recipe for pancakes or waffles:
starter
3 eggs
3T oil for pancakes or 6T for waffles
3/8 c. dry milk
1-1/2 T sugar
1-1/2 t. baking soda
1-1/2 t. salt
September 24th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
I know just how good they are. We made these when I was growing up. The flavor is unsurpassable. Kudos to you for mastering the sourdough!
September 24th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
oh those look sooooo good!
September 25th, 2008 at 4:29 am
I hope that with all that work you are using real maple syrup!! Good for you.
Looks yummmy.
September 25th, 2008 at 4:56 am
I made these too and my batter was thin as well. I experimented with added a little bit more flour, but was not happy with with results. Any suggestions for next time joy?
September 25th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Beautiful pancakes! What a great way to start the day!
September 25th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Joy, your breakfasts are always soooo delicious!
September 25th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Those look amazing! Just looking at them has made my belly start growling quite fiercely. Not a good sign when dinner is still hours away…
p.s. I hope you don’t mind but I “tagged” you today (check out my blog). I’ll totally understand if you don’t have time to play along but I think you’re other readers will agree, we’d love to learn more about you!
September 25th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Love it! I have a huge baking project this week and then I am going to get my starter going. I love these kind of pancakes! Thanks for sharing so I don’t have to think too hard!
September 25th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
i have been waiting for these pancakes to make an appearence! yum!
September 26th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Those look delicious. I’m excited for the bread.
September 26th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
I’ve never had sourdough pancakes, but how I’d love to try these beauties!
September 28th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Finally had time for a leisurely breakfast. We’ve had sourdough pancakes for years, but our recipe is different so we enjoyed trying yours. The batter was thin, like you said, but they made for a nice textured pancake. I added fresh blueberries which was good too. I may have used too much whole oats in my “flour” ratio because they didn’t all dissolve overnight. Overall: the kids each ate about six, my husband likes your recipe better than ours, and I didn’t taste much difference but loved them both. Can’t wait to make bread next.
September 29th, 2008 at 1:09 am
Way to make great use of the sourdough starter!
September 29th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Sourdough! I have grown up on this! It takes some work, but you can maintain the starter for quit awhile. Every week add equal parts lukewarm water and flour. You also have to make sure the mixture can breathe. I have the same container I use every time with screwdriver holes on the lid. And the possibilities are endless! I think sourdough donuts and rolls are my top two.
September 30th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
[...] Forgive me. I realize I’m a complete maniac about pancakes. Not only did I post about pancakes just a few days back, but those pancakes were nearly two weeks in the making. [...]
September 30th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I still haven’t started my starter! Shame on me, cause I’d sure like some of these pancakes right now!
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:24 am
Thank you, Joy! You’ve inspired me to start my very first starter; I’m really excited about the pancakes, and am going to start researching other sourdough recipes.
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I made sourdough pancakes a few months back and loved them! I don’t know that I’d make them my regular “go-to” pancake recipe, but I love pancakes so much that it’s nice to throw something different into the mix!