Got starter? If yes, you’re likely all set to make the recipe I share this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon. If no, get some of my starter and get in on the fun! The 5th Annual Sourdough Giveaway runs through January 31. Learn how to get free starter here.
When I was gifted my original starter in 2014, it didn’t wake up quickly, like the dehydrated starter you’ll receive from me. It had been lurking in a refrigerator until it was in full hibernation mode. It lacked the rising power necessary for a loaf of bread. As I cared for it, the starter became stronger and bubbled more quickly. In the process, I removed weaker starter that wouldn’t power a loaf of bread but could be turned into delicious pancakes.
My starter has been going strong for nearly 8 years, but I still make lots of sourdough pancakes—sometimes because I haven’t used my starter for several weeks and it needs a feeding before it’s ready for breadmaking and sometimes just because the pancakes taste so good.
Learn more about using sourdough starter and get the complete recipe for Overnight Sourdough Pancakes in my column.
Make it, share it.
Tag @twiceastastyblog and #twiceastastyblog
Rehydrating Shared Starter
I’ve already sent 54 packets of my sourdough starter out into the world. As people begin to wake of their shared starter, I’ve received a couple of questions about how the starter looks as it rehydrates. Initially, it will be quite dense, but don’t worry—once you’ve completed the steps in my rehydration instructions, it should look like a thick, bubbly batter that’s barely pourable but not as stiff as bread dough.
These photos may help:
Your rehydrated starter will look much like this at the end of the first day (left) and later on, when it’s ready to use (right). These photos are actually from a forlorn starter that, as an experiment, I brought back to life after 2 years of dormancy. See shots from that whole process starting here.
You can find the answers to questions I’ve received from new sourdough bakers in past years by reading this blog post.
Twice as Tasty
Overnight Sourdough Pancakes are great when you need to feed your starter before bed so that it can slowly expand in cool overnight temperatures and be ready for baking another recipe the next day. But when you wake up thinking, “Why didn’t I start the dough last night? I want pancakes now,” you need another approach. My solution pairs two of my favorite pancake recipes—Overnight Sourdough Pancakes and Yogurt Pancakes—into a delicious, tangy blend you can whip up while you enjoy your first cup of coffee.
Overnight batter thickens as the starter absorbs the flour and milk, but the long fermentation time makes it quite flavorful. By whipping up a quick batch with starter and yogurt and cooking it immediately, you are relying more on the yogurt for the tang but the pancakes can be thinner—even to the point of labeling them crepes, depending on how much milk you add.
Ready to give it a try? Full details are in the recipe below, but here are the basics:
You need just 3 main ingredients plus some baking staples.
1. Mix the batter.
2. Cook the pancakes and enjoy.
Make it, share it. Tag your photos: @twiceastastyblog and #twiceastastyblog
Sourdough–Yogurt Pancakes
240 grams (about 1 cup) Fresh Yogurt
120 grams (about 1 cup) all-purpose and/or whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for cooking
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
240 grams (about 1 cup) milk or Cultured Buttermilk
In a large mixing bowl, combine the starter and yogurt, and then stir in the flour and sugar. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and melted butter; add it to the sourdough mixture. Stir in the cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Slowly stir in the milk until the batter is your desired consistency. Feed your remaining starter.
Heat a frying pan, coating it generously with butter. Scoop the batter into the pan, 1/4 cup at a time, and form pancakes. Cook the pancakes until done, flipping halfway through. Serve immediately, or serve as a batch by placing the pancakes in a single layer on a rack in a 200°F oven as they are finished. Makes about 12–18 medium pancakes, depending on the thickness of your batter.
Tips & Tricks
- For maximum flavor, I like to mix homemade yogurt and buttermilk with my sourdough starter. But store-bought versions work just as well. A thicker, Greek-style yogurt will give you more tang and slightly thicker pancakes. Using milk instead of buttermilk will mellow the flavor.
- Although I recommend a digital kitchen scale for measuring the key ingredients in most sourdough projects, pancakes and even waffles are quite forgiving. If you haven’t yet acquired a scale, go ahead and follow the cup measurements given here.
- I tend to use all-purpose flour for light, flavorful pancakes, but a blend with or full whole-wheat can be tasty too. You could even try mixing in some buckwheat flour and leaving out the sugar and cinnamon for a more savory crepe.
- Don’t feel wed to maple syrup on your breakfast treats; the tang of sourdough goes beautifully with fruit flavors. Roasted Raspberry Syrup and other fruit syrups have become so popular with my family members that they request them for Christmas each year. I slather thick pancakes with a layer of Grandma Tiny’s Chunky Applesauce, roll thinner ones with berries and cheese, and stuff savory ones with mushrooms, blini style.
Need starter? The 5th Annual Sourdough Giveaway runs through January 31, 2022. Get your free sourdough starter here.
Twice as Tasty 
I love that you do this each year. Last year, or rather 2020, I followed your instructions and dehydrated some of my starter and sent it to a niece. She was very grateful, since yeast was in short supply, and has been quite successful with it!
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Yay! I’m so happy to hear the dehydrating and sharing instructions worked successfully. I’ve sent out more than 80 packets of sourdough starter so far this year–so fabulous!
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