Super Fluffy Sourdough Pancake Recipe With Active Starter - Soil In My Roots (2024)

This sourdough pancake recipe is now our go-to-tried-and-true Saturday morning recipe. We had a family favorite non-sourdough recipe for years that we loved but I decided that I wanted to make the switch to more gut friendly pancakes. I’m happy to report that these are so crazy delicious my family doesn’t even want to go back.

I originally found this pancake recipe on the website Farmhouse on Boone. I’ve changed some ingredient amounts as well as mixing procedures because some of our family was sensitive to the baking soda taste in the original recipe. I’ve also played with my sourdough starter and method of mixing in order to come up with a pancake that has more height and “fluff”. The result is this tender and fluffy sourdough pancake recipe that has been declared the best pancake recipe of all time. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

How to make this sourdough pancake recipe

Step 1. Ferment your flour and starter overnight

The night before I plan to make pancakes I combine the starter with flour and water to ferment overnight. I mix about 1/4 cup of starter (the starter I had fed earlier that day and let sit out on my counter) with 1/2 to 3/4 cups of water and 1 1/3 cups of flour. This combination shouldn’t feel soupy or loose at all. When you mix you should feel some resistance against your spoon, but not so much resistance that it forms a ball. Everyone’s sourdough starter is a little different and that can affect the outcome, so I would recommend starting with 1/2 cup of water and if the mixture is still too dry add some more (up to 3/4 cup total). If trying to adjust the consistency sounds too complicated then don’t worry about it! It doesn’t have to be perfect.

I cover this and let it sit out on my counter overnight. When you get up in the morning your starter, flour and water should have risen. It will look nice and bubbly like this:

Step 2. Mix your pancakes

Now that you have fermented your flour overnight you can make your pancakes. Mix together the melted coconut oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Whisk it until it is thoroughly combined and then add it to the bubbly flour, water and starter that you prepared the night before. If you want to go the easy route just whisk all the ingredients together. If your heart is set on making sure you get that tall, fluffy texture you will want to take the time to fold your sourdough mixture into the rest of the ingredients. It may feel like it will never come together, but just keep folding and you will get a batter that looks something like this:

For best results let the batter sit for 5 to 10 minutes before making your pancakes. This ensures that the baking soda can do its thing.

Step 3. Cook over medium heat

Melt your coconut oil (or whatever oil/butter you’re using) in the pan over medium heat. Scoop the batter onto the pan (you may have to coax it into a round shape by pushing it around a little bit). If your batter isn’t scooping up easily because it’s so thick, don’t worry! That’s what you want.

If you want to put anything in your pancakes like chocolate chips or blueberries this is the point to do it. (Chocolate chips taste amazing in these by the way). Pop them in the uncooked batter while the pancake cooks and push them in so that the batter covers them. This prevents them from burning when you flip the pancake over.

The pancakes are ready to flip when they start to form little bubbles on the surface and the edges look like they’re cooked. To make sure I like to lift up an edge a little to look at the underside, and if the bottom side is golden brown I flip them. When the second side has turned golden they are ready to eat. Enjoy!!

In case you’re wondering…

Why does this sourdough pancake recipe leave the pancake starter to sit overnight?

Combining the flour and starter hours before making the pancakes ensures that the flour has plenty of time to ferment. Without this fermentation process we aren’t able to achieve the benefits of eating sourdough. The result is a pancake that is more flavorful and easier to digest. It won’t spike blood sugars like regular pancakes will, and it is more nutritious since the phytic acid (an “antinutrient”) has been broken down.

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or a health professional. This information is meant for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice.