The Best Sourdough Pancakes

These fully fermented sourdough pancakes are fluffy and tender with irresistible, crispy edges. Made with six simple ingredients, they are not only easy and quick, but also so delicious when topped with butter, maple syrup, raw honey, or fruit topping.

These fluffy sourdough pancakes are deliciously light and fluffy with a little bit of crispiness at the edges and the tangy, delicious flavor of sourdough. Our family is already a huge fan of pancakes, and it’s easy to see why this particular recipe is a family favorite. Add toppings like homemade blueberry sauce or homemade whipped cream with a sprinkling of chocolate chips or fresh berries to make an extra special weekend morning treat. 

And while butter, maple syrup, and fresh fruit are always excellent options, you can even go for savory toppings, like an over-easy fried egg or crumbled sausage. Eggs, sausage, and pancakes all pair wonderfully with maple syrup!

If you’re familiar with sourdough, you’re aware that fermented sourdough recipes require some waiting to allow for the fermentation. Recipes like my English muffin recipe, sourdough cinnamon rolls, or sourdough Italian bread are pretty typical examples. It’s always worth the time invested!

If you’re not familiar with sourdough, I have plenty of resources on how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch, how to maintain your starter, and how to use sourdough starter. 

However, this delicious recipe requires no waiting. There is no added flour, just the fed, fermented, active, and bubbly starter and a few other ingredients to make the perfect pancakes. As long as you have two cups of starter that was fed in the last 12 hours, you’re good to go!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Simple ingredients – With a mature starter and simple pantry staples, you have the tools for the best homemade sourdough pancakes.

Delicious sourdough flavor – The fed and fermented sourdough starter provides that subtle sourdough taste that works so well in baked goods.

Chewy, fluffy texture – These pancakes are thick and fluffy, perfect for absorbing butter and syrup. Sourdough also yields a chewier texture than regular pancakes.

Ingredients

Sourdough starter – Use a bubbly, active starter that has been fed within 4-12 hours of starting the recipe. While you could use leftover sourdough discard, the pancakes won’t be very fluffy.

Oil – Use a neutral oil or swap it out for melted butter. To make these pancakes dairy-free, stick to a neutral oil.

Honey – You can use sugar or brown sugar in place of honey, if you prefer.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Make Sourdough Pancakes

Step 1: Mix the sourdough starter, eggs, oil, honey, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the baking soda last and watch the starter foam up.

Step 2: To achieve those crispy pancake edges, preheat a tablespoon of oil or butter in a cast-iron skillet on medium heat. After it is hot enough to produce a sizzle, pour 1/2 cup of batter right onto the hot oil. At this point, turn the stove down to medium-low heat so that the pancake can cook through without the bottom burning. Remember the “flip only one time” rule.

Step 3: After the top is nice and bubbly and no more bubbles are being produced, give the pancake a flip. The first side may take 2 to 3 minutes. After flipping, cook for another 30 seconds to a minute on the second side, until cooked through and golden brown.

Step 4: Keep the cooked pancakes in a warm place as you finish the rest of the batter. You can use a heat-safe dish in the oven on the lowest heat setting. Serve warm with your favorite pancake toppings and enjoy! Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days.

Tips

• The key to those crisp edges is cooking the pancakes in a preheated cast-iron skillet or frying pan with melted oil or butter. Cook on one side for about 30 seconds, flipping only when the top is bubbled. You should only flip once!
• If you plan to add blueberries or chocolate chips, place them into the uncooked side while the cakes are cooking. I find that if the chocolate or blueberries actually make contact with the skillet, the pancakes tend to stick. This is why I don’t stir them into the batter.
• You can prepare this batter the night before, but I recommend waiting until the next morning, just before cooking, to add the baking soda. It’s a great way to get a jumpstart on a healthy and tasty breakfast.
• The first pancake rarely turns out well. No worries. This is the time to adjust the heat to make sure it is not too hot or too cool.
• You can tell a pancake is ready to flip when all the bubbles have popped and no more bubbles are forming.
• If you need a gluten-free option, try this recipe for sourdough buckwheat pancakes. 

Recipe FAQs

More Sourdough Recipes from the Farmhouse

• Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls
• Sourdough Cinnamon Star Bread
• Sourdough Croissant Bread
• Sourdough Bundt Cake
• Baked Sourdough Donuts

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.