Back to postsSourdough Discard Pancakes (The Best Thing You'll Ever Do With Discard)

Sourdough Discard Pancakes (The Best Thing You'll Ever Do With Discard)

Can we talk about sourdough discard for a second?



Every sourdough baker I know goes through a guilt phase. You're feeding your starter, scraping out the discard, and watching it go into the trash like some kind of flour-and-water funeral. It feels WASTEFUL. Because it is.



These pancakes solved my discard guilt permanently. They're the first thing I make every Saturday morning, and honestly? They're better than any pancake I've ever made with commercial yeast or baking powder alone. The sourdough gives them this subtle tang that pairs INCREDIBLY with maple syrup and butter.



Ingredients




  • 1 cup (240g) sourdough discard (unfed, straight from the fridge is fine)

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 tablespoons melted butter (plus more for the pan)

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour

  • Splash of milk if the batter is too thick



The Method



This takes 15 minutes. Total. I timed it.



Whisk the discard, egg, melted butter, and sugar together. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Fold the dry into the wet until JUST combined. Lumps are fine. Lumps are GOOD. Overmixed pancake batter = dense, sad pancakes.



Here's the magic moment: when the baking soda hits the acidic discard, the batter will puff up slightly. That's the acid-base reaction doing its thing. Chemistry you can eat.



Butter your pan (or griddle) over medium heat. Pour about ¼ cup per pancake. Wait for bubbles to form on the surface and the edges to look set — about 2 minutes. Flip. Cook another minute.



That's it. That's the whole recipe.



The Discard Situation



Your discard doesn't need to be fresh. I've used discard that's been sitting in my fridge for a WEEK and these pancakes still turned out incredible. The older the discard, the tangier the pancake. Some people prefer that. I'm one of those people.



If your discard is really thick (like paste), add a splash of milk to thin the batter to a pourable consistency. If it's really liquid (like you just fed it), reduce the milk or skip it entirely.



What Went Wrong?




  • Flat pancakes: Your baking soda might be old. Test it: drop some in vinegar. If it doesn't fizz aggressively, buy new baking soda.

  • Too tangy: Use fresher discard (fed within the last day or two).

  • Dense/gummy: Overmixed. Stir less. Walk away sooner.



I make these every single Saturday. My neighbors have started showing up for them. I'm not joking — my neighbor Dave literally texts me at 8am: "pancake Saturday?" Yes, Dave. Always yes.