These sourdough blueberry pancakes are a fluffy, delicious breakfast! They're made with sourdough discard, milk kefir (or buttermilk), flour and fresh or frozen berries.
My husband grew up eating pancakes on Sunday mornings.
I did not carry on this tradition, because I'm more of a "sleep as long as possible" person instead of a "get up early to make breakfast" person.
Until now, that is.
Recently, I've been making lots and lots of pancakes with sourdough discard. We've made sourdough oatmeal pancakes, sourdough pumpkin pancakes and (of course!) these sourdough blueberry pancakes.
And guys, they're the lightest, fluffiest pancakes ever!
These sourdough blueberry pancakes are delicious enough to get me out of bed to make breakfast. That's really saying something!
Want more sourdough? Try making Dutch oven sourdough bread, sourdough cinnamon bread or this rosemary garlic sourdough bread.
Easy Sourdough Discard Recipe
Are you maintaining a sourdough starter? Don't waste the discard!
Instead of "discarding" it, use it to make light and fluffy pancakes. You can also freeze the discard and use it to make pancakes when you have time.
Love fermented foods? Try making fermented garlic, Instant pot yogurt, fruit vinegar, hard kombucha, homemade milk kefir and water kefir.
Where Can I Get A Sourdough Starter?
I use this milk kefir sourdough starter or this kombucha sourdough starter for an extra-quick, no-waste starter.
If you prefer, try making a traditional sourdough starter, get starter from a friend, or simply buy a sourdough starter.
Can I Make These Blueberry Pancakes Without a Sourdough Starter?
No.
To follow the recipe as written, you'll need sourdough discard.
Looking for breakfast recipes that don't use sourdough? Try making French crêpes, apple French toast or coconut waffles.
Can I Make These Gluten-Free?
Yes!
To make them completely gluten-free, you will need both a gluten-free sourdough starter and all-purpose gluten-free flour.
That said, if you're simply wanting to eat less gluten, you could use a gluten-containing starter and gluten-free flour. But don't serve them to a guest and call them gluten-free if your starter contains gluten.
I tested a gluten-free version of these pancakes with a rice flour starter and Cup 4 Cup.
Be aware that the gluten-free flour may thicken the batter more than traditional all-purpose flour, so you may need to add more liquid.
Make sure to check out my gluten-free sourdough pancakes too!
Can I Use Milk (or Non-Dairy Milk) Instead of Kefir or Buttermilk?
Yes, but you'll need to store the pancake batter in the fridge instead of at room temperature.
You can also make homemade buttermilk with (dairy) milk and white vinegar. See the recipe notes for details.
How to Make Sourdough Pancake Batter
Ferment the Batter
Start by mixing together the sourdough discard, flour, milk kefir or buttermilk, and a little sugar or honey.
Try not to overmix the batter at any point, because it will make the pancakes less fluffy.
Cover the batter and let it rest at room temperature for at least two hours.
You'll see tiny bubbles forming in the batter.
If you want a stronger sourdough flavor, let the batter rest overnight. If you ferment it overnight, the batter will be extra bubbly the next morning!
I prefer the overnight ferment, because I can prepare it before bed and then breakfast is already started!
Finish the Batter
When you're ready to make the pancakes, add eggs and melted butter (or oil). Gently whisk them in.
Next, add a little salt and baking soda.
The baking soda is going to make the batter get extra-bubbly and foamy!
Make the Sourdough Blueberry Pancakes
Preheat a griddle or pan.
I use the griddle that's built into my oven, but if you don't have one on your oven, I recommend this Lodge cast-iron griddle.
Once the griddle is hot, scoop on the batter. I use a ⅓ cup measuring cup to add batter, and then use the bottom of the cup to help shape the pancakes if needed.
Add blueberries to the pancakes.
If you're a frequent pancake maker, you might typically look for bubbles settling on the pancake to know when it's time to flip.
That technique won't work here, because the batter is already so bubbly! Instead, watch for the bottom edges of the pancakes to begin to pull away from the griddle.
At this point, you can use a flexible spatula to test the pancakes.
When the bottom is golden, it's time to flip!
Cook until both sides are golden and then repeat.
And repeat. And repeat.
I like to store the pancakes in a warm oven while I finish cooking.
Serve these tasty blueberry pancakes while they're still warm, along with a little extra butter and some maple syrup or honey.
Sourdough Blueberry Pancakes
Ingredients
Sourdough Ferment (2 Hours or Overnight):
- 1 cup sourdough starter (unfed, discard) Use gluten-free starter if needed, see "gluten-free pancakes" in Recipe Notes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (~8 ounces, measured by weight) Use gluten-free all-purpose flour such as Cup 4 Cup if needed.
- 2 cups milk kefir (plain) or buttermilk See recipe notes
- 2 tablespoons sugar or honey (optional)
Remaining Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons melted butter, slightly cooled Or use 3 tablespoons oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, plus more to serve (amount approximate)
- oil spray (or more melted butter) for griddle, optional
- maple syrup or honey (to serve)
- extra butter (to serve)
Instructions
Fermenting the Batter:
- Remove the sourdough discard from your starter. Go ahead and feed your sourdough starter after removing the discard.Add the discard, flour, kefir (or buttermilk) and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until incorporated and fairly smooth.
- Cover the bowl with a lid or a towel.Short Ferment: Let the batter rest for at least 2 hours at room temperature (70°F -75°F). You'll begin to see bubbles rising up in the batter.Longer Ferment (for Stronger Sourdough Flavor): Let the batter rest for 12 hours or overnight at room temperature (70°F -75°F). The batter will rise somewhat as it rests and become very bubbly. After a long ferment, gently deflate the dough with a spoon or whisk.
Finish the Batter:
- Whisk the eggs and melted butter in a small bowl. Make sure the butter has cooled slightly so that the eggs don't scramble.Gently whisk the egg and butter mixture into the batter.Add the salt and baking soda to the batter and gently whisk again until just incorporated. (Avoid over-mixing.) At this point, the batter will begin to bubble and rise.
Make the Pancakes:
- Preheat a griddle over medium heat. Spray with oil (or brush with butter) if not non-stick.Use a ⅓ cup measuring cup to pour batter onto the hot griddle, using the back of the cup to help shape the pancake into a circle if desired.Top the pancake with blueberries. (I like to use about 8-10 berries per pancake.)
- As the pancake cooks, the edges will begin to pull away from the griddle. Use a large, flexible spatula to test the bottom of the pancake and check to see if it's golden. If you typically watch for bubbles setting to know when to flip your pancakes, that technique won't work here, because there are bubbles in the batter.When the bottom of the pancake is golden, flip it. Cook until both sides are golden.Repeat with remaining batter and blueberries.
- Keep pancakes warm in a 190°F oven while you finish cooking the batter, or until ready to serve. Serve warm with extra berries, butter, and maple syrup or honey.Leftover pancakes: To freeze, wrap the pancakes in wax paper and store in an air-tight container for up to 2 months. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes, on a griddle until warm, or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.Pancakes can be stored for up to a day in the fridge, but the moisture in the blueberries tends to make them become soggy more quickly than pancakes without berries.
Notes
- This recipe is not completely gluten-free unless you use both a gluten-free sourdough starter and gluten-free flour.
- For gluten-free pancakes using AP gluten-free flour, you may need to add an extra ½ cup of milk kefir (or buttermilk). The xanthan gum in AP gluten-free flour will thicken the batter more than traditional AP flour.
- I've these tested gluten-free pancakes using a rice flour sourdough starter and Cup 4 Cup flour (and they were pretty delicious!).
Jan
Is the measurement of 1 cup sourdough starter before or after feeding? If it's 1 cup before feeding, how much fed starter should we use? Thank you.
Alisha Trenalone
Hi Jan! This recipe uses unfed starter. If you’re getting ready to feed your starter, normally you’ll discard a portion of it before feeding- this recipe uses 1 cup of that discarded starter.
(And this recipe isn’t super picky so this shouldn’t matter, but we use a ratio of 2 ounces starter, 2 ounces flour and 2 ounces water when feeding the starter.)
Hope this helps!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes