The first pancake I ever made (not counting crêpes) was a sourdough pancake. It was extremely fluffy and delicious. Of course, I made it again. However, here was my downfall: I never measured my ingredients. I made pancakes time and time again, with increasing successes, but there were some failures. I decided I should probably start measuring my ingredients for extra safety.
In the process, though, I learned a few things:
- Pancakes, as with many recipes calling for eggs, are not easily scalable. Nevertheless, substituting milk for the liquid needed from half an egg is completely fine. I would never recommend leaving eggs out altogether, however.
- A thicker batter means stronger structure, which results in fluffier pancakes. However, if the batter is too thick, the pancakes will be dense. The weight of itself will dampen the rise.
- Flip the pancakes as soon as you can after the bubbles appear. You want to trap the expanding air inside the pancake so that they fluff up. Otherwise, you’ll get dense, chewy pancakes.
I still get it wrong sometimes because I don’t like to measure my ingredients. The nice thing about pancakes, though, is that if the first one comes out poorly, you can adjust the rest of the batter.
My recipe is adapted from CulturesForHealth.com. This is a versatile recipe that works well with different spices. I’ve included my favorite below.
Ingredients
200 g sourdough starter, 100% hydration
80 g all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 heaping tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
about 1/8-1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp cardamom (optional)
pinch of nutmeg (optional)
about 4 tbsp butter, solid or melted, for frying
- Combine the starter and flour. Mix thoroughly and cover. Let rise overnight, at least 6 hours.
- Add egg, honey, and salt and mix until well combined.
- Add milk about 1 tbsp at a time, mixing constantly, until batter is the desired consistency. The batter should ooze but not drip off a spoon.
- Add the baking soda and stir vigorously. The batter should expand within about half a minute. If the rise is not evident, add a bit more baking soda and mix again.
- Stir in the cardamom and nutmeg, if using.
- Heat a pan on medium-low. Add butter and wait until it stops bubbling. Drop a few spoonfuls of batter and spread with the back of the spoon until about 1/4 inch thick.
- Flip when large bubbles break the surface. This should be before the edges have set, about 45 seconds max depending on the size of your pancake.
- Cook for about 1 min 40 s on the other side. If the bottom is browning too quickly, turn the heat down.
If you want crispy edges, use enough butter to puddle a bit in the middle of the pan and use a bit of a higher heat. If you want soft pancakes, use less butter and turn the heat way down. You’ll have to cook for about twice as long each side or even more. Personally, I like a crunch on my pancakes, so I use medium heat and lots of butter. They’re a not-so-healthy treat for me, I suppose.
I love these pancakes with walnut butter and maple syrup, though they’re great with plain honey and fruit too. I haven’t tried them with whipped cream and berries, but something tells me that would be intensely addictive. Try experimenting with other spices or mix-ins, like chocolate chip and cinnamon or even brown sugar in place of honey.