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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast & Brunch

    Mom's Sourdough Hotcakes (Sourdough Pancakes)

    Published: Apr 9, 2020 · Modified: Sep 16, 2022 · by Renée B. · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe
    Mom's Sourdough Hot Cakes (Sourdough Pancakes)

    Crisp, light, and slightly tangy, these delicious Sourdough Pancakes make a delicious breakfast or brunch. They're also an easy, practical way to use your leftover sourdough starter!

    Stack of pancakes on a flowered blue plate.

    One of the things that often surprises people when they first try sourdough pancakes is how light and fluffy they are. They have a slightly sweet, mildly tangy flavor, and are so worth the effort. Plus, not only are these hotcakes tender and delicious, but they are a perfect way to use up your sourdough discard too!

    Jump to:
    • What's the Story on this Heirloom Recipe?
    • What Goes into Sourdough Pancakes
    • How to Make this Sourdough Recipe
    • Top Tip: Make More Pancakes
    • FAQ
    • More Sourdough Recipes
    • Sourdough Pancakes

    What's the Story on this Heirloom Recipe?

    I guess I was around four the first time I remember having sourdough pancakes.

    We were staying up at Mister and Missus Houston’s vacation place up on the mountain between Rhododendron and ZigZag. When you stepped into their little cabin, the first thing you saw was the stone fireplace and the main room, about half the size of our living room at home. From the main room, you could go straight through into the kitchen and eating area, and then turn a corner to the Houston’s bedroom, and the extra bedroom beyond, where my parents slept; or you could go left and up the sturdy wooden staircase that led to the loft, where Karen and I stayed.

    Karen was the Houston’s daughter. She was about six or eight years older than me, but since I was the only other kid there, we got thrown in together.

    If I remember right, the cabin had been in Missus Houston’s family for many years; generations, even. It was old and snug, and I loved being there. Whenever I hear the song Grandma’s Feather Bed, the big feather bed that Karen and I shared up in the loft is the one I think of. 

    The Houston's cabin had no electricity or central heat, but Missus Houston had one of those big, old-timey wood cooking stoves, and she kept a fire going in it all the time. She would let it die down at night, and stoke it up in the morning. On crisp mountain mornings, the spot right by the stove was always the warmest place in the cabin. 

    I can remember smelling the sourdough pancakes long before I tasted them, their scent mingling with maple and sausage and strong black coffee as it wafted up the stairs to us. Karen and I followed the breakfast smells down to find our mothers in the kitchen, pouring pancake batter into a huge cast iron skillet and stacking thick, lace-edged pancakes on a big plate that set on the stove’s sideboard. 

    When I sat down to the table, and my mom gave me a plate stacked with three thick pancakes the size of my palm. Silver Dollar Hot Cakes, she called them. Then she turned her fork on its side and cut them into neat little triangles for me. Missus Houston asked if I wanted maple syrup or Marion berry, and like any good Oregonian, I chose Marion berry. There was so much to take in: the mountain and breakfast smells, the giant blue-speckled coffee pot percolating on the stove, the sounds of pancakes sizzling in the skillet and my mother laughing with her friend.

    My fork speared one of the little pancake triangle stacks and then the next, and I ate silently, pausing between bites only for a swallow of milk to wash it all down. 

    Mom's Sourdough Hot Cake Recipe on a plate with three stacked pancakes.

    Some years ago when my mother died, I ran across a stack of hand-written recipes while sorting through some of her things. There are a handful of them that I hope to eventually share with you, but her Sourdough Hotcake recipe comes first. Mostly, because I needed to make them. 

    Mama standing by the woodstove in her housecoat, spatula in hand, and the smell of sourdough hitting hot oil on cast iron, and the steam rising off the fresh stacks... one bite of these pancakes brings it all back like it was yesterday.

    What Goes into Sourdough Pancakes

    Rye sourdough starter in mason jar, with tiny bubbles forming.
    • Sourdough Starter (100% Hydration): Use unfed starter (i.e., sourdough discard) when making hotcakes. Unfed Starter is healthy, vigorous Starter that has not been fed for 12 hours or more. This is not the same as neglected Starter that hasn’t been fed in days. (See FAQs for more.)
    • Flour: Use all-purpose flour
    • Sugar: Use plain granulated sugar
    • Butter: Use salted butter
    • Milk: Use whole or 2% milk (Recipe has not been tested with skim milk.)
    • Egg
    • Baking powder
    • Baking soda
    • Salt

    See recipe card for quantities.

    How to Make this Sourdough Recipe

    Start with leftover starter (Discard) or Unfed Starter. Starter should be healthy, but should not have been fed in the last 12 hours. This recipe is very forgiving. Use one cup, more or less.

    Sift dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda) together into a medium bowl.

    Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients (e.g., sourdough starter, milk, egg, and melted butter). Whisk to thoroughly combine.

    The mixture should begin to bubble almost immediately.

    Pancake Batter ingredients in a crockery mixing bowl.

    Preheat griddle or skillet to 325°-350° F. When griddle is hot, spray it with cooking spray or lightly oil it with a neutral oil. (I use extra light olive oil.)

    Pour ¼ cup of pancake batter onto the preheated, oiled griddle or skillet.

    Flip pancakes over when the top begins to bubble and the bubbles do not fill in.

    Pancake Bubbling on Grill

    Cook pancakes for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until they cooked through.

    Sourdough Pancake on Griddle, Side 2

    Top Tip: Make More Pancakes

    I've reduced Mom's recipe so that it makes about ten 5-inch pancakes instead of twenty. I did this for couple of reasons; mainly, because I rarely have two extra cups of sourdough starter; and also because (these days) we just don't need to make twenty or so pancakes at one time.

    However, if you decide to double the recipe, you can add an extra egg if you want to. (Also, if you're keeping track, there are further directions on the back of the card about adding butter, etc.)

    FAQ

    Where can I get sourdough starter?

    If you do not yet have a sourdough starter, there are a number of ways to get one; including making a rye sourdough starter (ready to use in 5-7 days) or starting one from dried starter flakes (ready to use in 10+ days).

    What's the difference between Hotcakes and Pancakes?

    Pancakes, by broad definition, include any flat, pan-fried cake that is flipped in order to complete cooking. They are nearly always round (unless you're into fancy pancake art) and are cooked on an oiled griddle or frying pan. Pancakes may be leavened or unleavened, and can be sweet or savory; a list which includes everything from potato latkes to french crepes.

    Hotcakes are a specific type of pancake; however, from what I can tell, what you call your hotcakes depends a lot upon where you're from. In many parts of the United States, the terms pancakes, flapjacks, griddlecakes, and hotcakes are used interchangeably. 

    American hotcakes (or breakfast pancakes) usually include milk, eggs, flour, and fat (i.e., butter, oil, etc.), and they also always includes a leavening agent, making them rise and puff up when cooked. (In contrast, British pancakes are often unleavened and resemble a crêpe.)

    All that said, my mother was from Missouri, and was particular about things like this. She would tell you that the recipe shared here is for "Hot Cakes" (two words) and they look and taste nothing like their flat, thin pancake cousins. 

    Stages of a Healthy Sourdough Starter

    Use Discard or Unfed Starter for this recipe. 

    • Fed Starter – Fed Starter is active, healthy starter that has been fed within about 2 hours. By hour 2, it will be producing little bubbles on the surface. 
    • Active Starter – Starter is Active about 5 hours after feeding. By hour 5, you should be able to watch large bubbles actively rising through the Starter and making their way to surface.
    • Ripe Starter – Starter is considered Ripe about 8 hours after feeding. The volume has doubled, and the top is just beginning to show signs of sagging under its own weight. 
    • Unfed Starter – Unfed Starter is healthy, vigorous Starter that has not been fed for 12 hours or more. By hour 12, it collapsed after Ripening, and is ready to be fed again or put in the fridge until next time. (Note that this is NOT neglected Starter that hasn’t been fed in days.)
    • Discard – Sourdough discard is the portion of your sourdough starter that you get rid of when you do a feeding. It should be healthy and vigorous, with some small bubbling activity.
    Sourdough Pancakes for Brunch

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    Stack of pancakes on a flowered blue plate.
    4.86 from 7 votes

    Sourdough Pancakes

    Crisp, light, and slightly tangy, these delicious Sourdough Pancakes make a delicious breakfast or brunch. They're also an easy, practical way to use your leftover sourdough starter!
    Print Pin Add to Shopping List Go to Shopping List
    Course: Breakfast, Breakfast or Brunch
    Cuisine: American, Comfort Food
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time:10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time:5 minutes minutes
    Rest Time:5 minutes minutes
    Total Time:20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10 5" pancakes
    Calories: 101kcal
    Author: Renee
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Griddle or Cast Iron Skillet
    • Spatula
    • Whisk
    • Medium Bowl

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Metric
    • 1 cup Sourdough Starter (100% Hydration) Discard or Unfed
    • ¾ cup flour
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 large egg
    • ½ cup milk
    • 2 tablespoons melted butter

    Instructions

    • Start with leftover starter [Discard] or Unfed Starter. Starter should be healthy, but should not have been fed in the last 12 hours.
      This recipe is very forgiving. Use one cup, more or less.
    • Sift dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda) together into a medium bowl.
      Add wet ingredients (e.g., sourdough starter, milk, egg, and melted butter) to dry ingredients.
    • Whisk to thoroughly combine. The mixture should begin to bubble almost immediately.
    • Preheat griddle or skillet to 325°-350° F. When griddle is hot, spray it with cooking spray or lightly oil it with a neutral oil. (I use extra light olive oil.)
      Pour ¼ cup of pancake batter onto the preheated, oiled griddle or skillet.
    • Flip pancakes over when the top begins to bubble and the bubbles do not fill in.
    • Cook pancakes for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until they cooked through.

    Notes

    Use Discard or Unfed Starter for this recipe. 
    • Fed Starter – Fed Starter is active, healthy starter that has been fed within about 2 hours. By hour 2, it will be producing little bubbles on the surface. 
    • Active Starter – Starter is Active about 5 hours after feeding. By hour 5, you should be able to watch large bubbles actively rising through the Starter and making their way to surface.
    • Ripe Starter – Starter is considered Ripe about 8 hours after feeding. The volume has doubled, and the top is just beginning to show signs of sagging under its own weight. 
    • Unfed Starter – Unfed Starter is healthy, vigorous Starter that has not been fed for 12 hours or more. By hour 12, it collapsed after Ripening, and is ready to be fed again or put in the fridge until next time. (Note that this is NOT neglected Starter that hasn’t been fed in days.)
    • Discard – Sourdough discard is the portion of your sourdough starter that you get rid of when you do a feeding. It should be healthy and vigorous, with some small bubbling activity.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1pancake | Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 117IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg
    This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

    Thank you for visiting the Good Hearted Woman. Remember to bookmark this site, and come back soon!

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    About Renée B.

    Renée is self-taught home chef with a penchant for creating healthy(ish) comfort food recipes, and adapting vintage recipes for the 21st century cook. In her spare time, she writes unfinished novels and songs about cowboys.

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      4.86 from 7 votes

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    1. Ana Galita says

      March 10, 2024 at 10:24 am

      5 stars
      I love these recipes for bread and pancakes. I am new to sourdough, managed to make my own starter which is very healthy., but failed several times when I made the bread. Will try this recipe. Thank you
      Ana

      Reply
      • Renée B. says

        March 10, 2024 at 3:34 pm

        Be sure to check back and let us know how it goes!

        Reply
    2. betty j haase says

      January 07, 2024 at 2:11 pm

      Oh my, these sourdough hotcakes are the best I even eaten.! I'm new to sourdough and love this stuff. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Your story of the past is great. I can see the picture in my head. Wonder if you got a recipe for chocolate chip cookies. God bless you

      love the story of your memory with your mom and grandma.

      Reply
      • Renée B. says

        January 07, 2024 at 11:51 pm

        ♥︎ In this modern internet world dominated by Google algorithms, food bloggers are told more and more to cut the stories and stick to the facts. But I didn't start this blog to just rattle off ingredient lists and dry instructions: so much of our collective culture and history lies in the stories behind the foods we love, and I think those stories are worth preserving. So thank you, Betty, for your encouraging comment: it means more than you know.

        Reply
    3. Sue Michalka says

      December 19, 2023 at 5:54 pm

      Dear Renée B. @ TheGoodHeartedWoman.com
      I sincerely loved your little story about your first experience eating Sourdough Pancakes at your mom's friend's cabin. My starter is in the 'fridge right now, but I have lots of discard that I hope to make use of in the morning. Thanks for sharing your recipe & your story.
      Aloha, Sue [I grew up in Hawaii; now live in northern Maine, USA & loving it!]

      Reply
      • Renée B. says

        December 20, 2023 at 6:32 pm

        Aww, thank you for the kind words. I’m convinced that preserving our stories is crucial: they define our humanity and separate us from all the AI- generated noise. 💗

        Reply
    4. Maria Harvey Starkey says

      January 15, 2023 at 7:59 am

      Made your recipe Renee and it got a big thumbs up from our household and 2 others since I made a large batch and shared the 'extra pancakes' I made. Even made ahead and reheated they were a huge hit! Thanks so much for sharing.

      Reply
      • Renée B. says

        January 16, 2023 at 6:35 pm

        Sounds like you made quite a stack of hotcakes! Thanks so much for checking back in to let us know about your experience. I'm so glad the recipe hit it for you. (I've never known it to miss!)

        Reply
    5. Sue says

      March 05, 2021 at 7:40 am

      4 stars
      Recipe was good, but too much salt! Next time I’ll cut it to 1/2 t. Also needed a little extra milk, batter was too thick to cook through by the time the outside was done.

      Reply
      • Renée says

        March 05, 2021 at 9:31 am

        Thank you for the input! I’ve always found that pancake batter needs to be adjusted as it sits, no matter what kind of batter is used. Adding a little extra milk is the easiest way to do that.

        Reply
    6. Scarlet says

      April 25, 2020 at 1:59 pm

      I have never even heard of sourdough pancakes, which is why I can't wait to try them. New things are always fun!

      Reply
    7. stephanie says

      April 24, 2020 at 3:57 pm

      5 stars
      These hotcakes were delicious the kids loved them.

      Reply
    8. Jennifer B Quisenberry says

      April 24, 2020 at 3:31 pm

      5 stars
      So good! And a great way to use up some discard!

      Reply
    9. Emily says

      April 24, 2020 at 2:50 pm

      5 stars
      These sourdough pancakes are the best! These are such a great way to start the morning!

      Reply
    10. Anita says

      April 24, 2020 at 2:25 pm

      5 stars
      This is a good recipe to use up sourdough starter discard, and the pancakes are lovely. 🙂

      Reply
    11. Amanda says

      April 10, 2020 at 3:16 pm

      I've never tried sourdough pancakes before. Sounds tasty!

      Reply
    12. Angela Campos says

      April 10, 2020 at 9:26 am

      5 stars
      I have been doing more cooking since the kids are home. These pancakes were amazing!

      Reply
    13. Shayla Marie says

      April 10, 2020 at 5:56 am

      I've been wanting to get some sourdough started again. I let mine go bad last year! I need to start some more.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        April 10, 2020 at 9:50 am

        That happens to the best of us. We bake and bake, and then we don't.

        You might be surprised, though, at how far a starter has to go before it's beyond saving. (I know this only because my starter has nearly died from neglect countless times.) This post might help in the future:The Lazy Caretaker’s Guide to Sourdough Starter.

        Reply
    14. Megan says

      April 09, 2020 at 2:34 pm

      Okay, I'll have to try these!

      Reply
    15. Marta says

      April 09, 2020 at 2:18 pm

      I'm so sorry to read about your mother's passing. My brother died last week and it's been so difficult for me.
      What kind of griddle do you use for your pancakes? They're browned perfectly.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        April 09, 2020 at 2:25 pm

        Thank you, Marta. My condolences on the loss of your brother: I hope you have many happy memories of him to hold dear.
        For the pancakes in this post, I used a cast iron skillet to cook them. I prefer to use an electric skillet when I make a lot of pancakes at one time, but I felt like cast iron was the right choice in this case, in keeping with the story. Also, not everyone has an electric skillet.

        Reply

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    Welcome to The Good Hearted Woman, a food blog dedicated to contemporary and heirloom comfort foods, including easy family meals, seasonal and regional dishes, homemade breads, BBQ and potluck favorites, and delectable desserts.

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