Sourdough Discard Pancakes
Never waste your sourdough discard again. It's so easy to turn that discard into a delicious gluten-free breakfast!
I can’t tell you how many times the topic of sourdough discard comes up when conversing with other chefs, no matter if they’re gluten-free or gluten-loaded chefs. It’s been decided by so many that this a legit conversation that needs to happen, so that millions of us, world-wide, stop wasting good quality (and expen$ive) ingredients! It’s absolutely worth our/your while to think of that discard as a VERY VALUABLE ingredient. It’s alive and ready and honestly, I’ve tapped into this mindset and am currently creating some very nice creations.
Maybe you’re reading this, but you’re not sure what a sourdough starter is? I’ll quickly explain. Authentic sourdough bread is made with a sourdough starter. It’s been this way for centuries, all around the world. Unlike convenient commercial yeast, a live culture (the starter), is made from flour and water. This starter will be used to cultivate the natural, wild yeasts in the flour and water mixture, helping give the bread a rise. In gluten-free bread, which is minus the gluten, the starter will provide cohesiveness and strength to the dough. When you make a sourdough bread, you will never have to add any commercial yeast to your bread. Sourdough bread is much more easily digestible and nourishing since the fermentation period breaks down any phytic acids (found in the hull of the flours), offering friendly bacteria to your gut.
Wondering how long it takes to make wild yeast? The whole process usually takes seven days. Once you get your initial flour and water mixture started, you will need to feed it daily, with more flour and water. You will also need to discard a portion of the existent starter, however, I keep my discard, so that I can turn it into sourdough pancakes, muffins, donuts, etc…
Okay, now let’s get back to the pancakes for a minute. The first time I made these generously fluffy and bouncy pancakes for my family, they were ecstatic and requested them everyday, actually, for an entire week, lol, so I gave them what they wanted. One day with fresh pear slices (pictured), another day with blueberries, another day with mashed banana, etc… I can confidently say they are a crowd pleaser. Melting some butter and warming up maple syrup to drizzle all over your pancakes is a must.
Alrighty Friends, my pancake recipe is down below. I always look forward to getting your thoughts, so please do share any feedback with me, after you make these. Never hesitate to connect with me if you have any questions!
~Lori
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Makes: 6 large / 8 medium / 12 small
If you make these pancakes, tag #purefreshdaily so I can feature you in my Instagram stories!
Ingredients
220g to 300g (1 to 1½ cups) of milk (less milk for a thicker pancake, more milk for a thinner pancake)
265g (1 cup) of gluten-free sourdough discard
3 tablespoons of oil (I use grass fed beef tallow, avocado or coconut oil)
2 whole eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, optional
235g (1½ cup) of all-purpose, gluten-free flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon of sea salt
Also: you’ll need a bit more oil for cooking the pancakes
Optional: Fresh fruit, such as berries, bananas, stone fruit, etc, if desired. Here I used fresh pear slices.
Instructions
Warm up your skillet over medium to low heat.
Add all the ingredients into a medium bowl. Use a whisk to stir, thoroughly combining and blending all of the ingredients, until a smooth batter is achieved.
Drizzle a teaspoon (more if needed) of oil into your skillet. Swirl the skillet to evenly coat.
Depending on the size of pancakes you want to make, use either a ¼ (small) ⅓ (medium) or ½ (large) sized measuring cup, to drop the pancake batter into the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes before flipping to the other side. Repeat the steps until you’ve used all the batter.
Drizzle with warm maple syrup and butter. Serve immediately.