Sourdough Discard Pancakes

Before you start

Discard pancakes work because the starter brings two things a pancake batter wants: acidity and flavor. The acid reacts with baking soda at the last minute for a quick lift, while the fermented flour adds a mild buttermilk-like tang. Leaving discard, flour, water and a little sugar to sit overnight at room temperature makes the flavor rounder and the pancakes noticeably more tender.

The dairy and egg go in only in the morning, so nothing perishable sits out overnight. Fold the batter gently once the soda is in; it will turn bubbly and pillowy, and overmixing at this point knocks out the gas. If you do not have time for the overnight sponge, the same-day variation below still works with discard straight from the refrigerator.

Ingredients

• Overnight sponge240 g (1 cup) sourdough discard (100% hydration)
• 120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
• 120 g (½ cup) water — room temperature
• 25 g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
• Morning120 ml (½ cup) milk
• 1 large egg
• 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter — melted and slightly cooled, plus more for the pan
• ½ tsp fine salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder

Method

1. The night before, stir the discard, flour, water and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Cover and leave on the counter for 8 to 12 hours. By morning it should look bubbly and smell pleasantly sour.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the milk, egg, melted butter and salt. Pour it into the sponge and stir just until smooth.
3. Heat the skillet over medium-low heat for 3 minutes. A drop of water should sizzle and skitter, not vanish instantly.
4. Sprinkle the baking soda and baking powder over the batter and fold gently 8 to 10 times until no streaks remain. The batter will puff and lighten within a minute.
5. Lightly butter the skillet. Pour ¼-cup portions of batter, leaving room between them. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles open on the surface and the edges look matte.
6. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until golden underneath and springy in the center. Keep finished pancakes warm on a rack in a 95°C (200°F) oven while you cook the rest.

Tips for success

• Use the batter within 20 minutes of adding the leaveners; the bubbles fade the longer it stands.
• The first pancake shows whether the heat is right. If it browns before bubbles appear, lower the heat a notch.
• A thicker batter makes taller pancakes. Thin it with 1 to 2 tablespoons milk if it barely spreads.

Substitutions

Milk

Buttermilk gives an even more tender, tangy pancake; add an extra pinch of baking soda. Plant milk works and makes a slightly flatter pancake.

All-purpose flour

Up to half can be whole wheat flour. The pancakes will be heartier and a bit denser.

Butter

Neutral oil works in the batter, though you lose some buttery flavor and browning.

Variations

Same-day pancakes

Whisk 240 g discard straight from the refrigerator with 120 g flour, 180 ml milk, the egg, butter, sugar and salt. Rest 10 minutes, fold in the leaveners and cook.

Blueberry pancakes

Scatter a few blueberries over each pancake right after pouring rather than stirring them into the batter.

Troubleshooting

Pancakes are flat and gummy

The leaveners went in too early or the batter was stirred hard after adding them. Add soda and powder last and fold gently.

Too sour

The discard was very old or the sponge sat too long in a warm room. Shorten the sponge to 6 hours or add 1 tablespoon more sugar.

Dark outside, raw inside

The pan is too hot. Cook over medium-low and wait for open bubbles before flipping.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked pancakes for up to 3 days or freeze between sheets of parchment for up to 2 months. Reheat in a toaster or a 175°C (350°F) oven. Do not hold the finished batter with egg and milk at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Safety notes

Do not taste the raw batter; it contains raw flour and raw egg. Contains wheat, milk and egg.