Sourdough Oatmeal Pancakes
These sourdough oatmeal pancakes are a fluffy, delicious breakfast made with sourdough discard, milk kefir (or buttermilk), flour and rolled oats. Add bananas or chopped nuts for even more flavor!
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Minimum Fermenting Time:2 hours hrs
Total Time2 hours hrs 35 minutes mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Servings: 10 people (2 pancakes each)
Calories: 181kcal
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
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (~4 ounces, measured by weight) Use gluten-free all-purpose flour such as Cup 4 Cup if needed.
- 1 cup old-fashioned or quick oats Do not use instant or steel cut oats. Use gluten-free certified oats 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
- oil spray (or more melted butter) for griddle, optional
- 2 bananas, thinly sliced (optional) or use ⅓ cup chopped nuts
- maple syrup or honey (to serve)
- extra butter (to serve)
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, oats, kefir (or buttermilk) and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until incorporated. 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. 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.Optionally, top the pancake with banana slices (or nuts). 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. Keep pancakes warm in a 190°F oven while you finish cooking the batter, or until ready to serve. Serve warm with more banana slices, butter, and maple syrup or honey.Leftover pancakes (Fridge): Wrap pancakes in foil and store for up to one day in the fridge. Reheat in a toaster, toaster oven or microwave until warm (about 30 seconds).Leftover pancakes (Freezer): 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.
Yields twenty 4" pancakes (when made with ⅓ cup batter per pancake).
For homemade buttermilk: Use 2 cups milk (2% or whole) and 2 tablespoons white vinegar. (1 tablespoon vinegar for each cup of milk).
To substitute milk: Store the pancake batter in the fridge overnight (instead of at room temperature).
Gluten-Free Pancakes:
- 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!).
Optional toppings (maple syrup and extra butter) are not included in the nutrition information.
Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 251IU | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 1mg