Fork-tender, crispy edge pancakes made with sourdough discard. The combination of sourdough discard and buttermilk brings a beautiful, tangy depth of flavor to this pancake recipe. They will melt in your mouth while still having a slight crispiness. They are the perfect pancake.

These pancakes aren’t perfectly round, even colored. I prefer them to be more irregularly shaped with dark golden bubble patches throughout. This batter is on the thin side, so the pancakes aren’t thick and sturdy. It’s a more delicate and tender pancake.

some tips for pancake success:

Do not overmix your batter. Some lumps are fine.
If time permits, let the batter rest before cooking.
Be patient. It’s best to go low and slow rather than hot and fast to ensure pancakes are fully cooked in the middle.
The first pancake is usually a flop so don’t get discouraged. It’s a little chef’s treat. The skillet will have a more consistent heat throughout after the first pancake is cooked.
Cook your pancakes in a cast iron skillet to get the edges nice and crispy. A pancake with crispy edges is always superior.
This batter is naturally very bubbly, so when cooking look for the larger bubbles that form. Once those begin to pop that’s your sign to flip.
Avoid flipping the pancake too early and more than once. This will cause your pancakes to deflate and will in turn create a flatter, sad pancake.
Adjust the heat as needed. You will probably need to turn down your heat during the cooking process if the pancakes start cooking too fast.
Since it takes a while to cook the batches of pancakes, place each done pancake baking on a sheet pan and transfer to a warm oven.

Serve pancakes with extra butter and maple syrup. Feel free to top with fresh fruit – I love sliced bananas and fresh berries when in season.

sourdough discard buttermilk pancakes

Recipe by Laura Cherry

Fork-tender, crispy edge pancakes made with sourdough discard. The combination of sourdough discard and buttermilk brings a beautiful, tangy depth of flavor to this pancake recipe.

Ingredients

2 eggs
240g (1 cup) sourdough discard
440g (2 cups) buttermilk
4g (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
120g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
50g (1/4 cup) sugar
6g (1 teaspoon) baking soda
4g (1 teaspoon) baking powder
5g (1 teaspoon) fine sea salt
56g (1/2 stick) melted unsalted butter, plus more for cooking and serving – about a whole stick

Directions

In a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients – eggs, sourdough discard, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Add the remaining dry ingredients – flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk gently until ingredients are just incorporated, then fold in melted butter. Gently mix until a pourable batter forms (some lumps are fine).
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and add a small pat of butter (about a tablespoon) to melt.
When the butter gets bubbly, ladle 1/4-1/3 cup of batter into the pan. If your pan is large feel free to make two at once. Once the bubbles start popping on the surface, flip, about 2-4 minutes. Be patient here, flipping too early will cause flat pancakes. Cook for another minute or two. Place the pancakes onto a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm while you cook the rest or place the pancakes on a sheet pan and place in the oven on a warm setting.
Repeat the cooking process until finished with the batter. After the first pancake, you will probably want to adjust your heat to medium-low. Use a paper towel to wipe out any stray pancake bits as needed. If the pan gets too dry at any point, add more butter.