These sourdough discard pancakes use 200 g of any-age discard, plain flour, milk, egg, and a teaspoon of baking powder. Mix the night before for fluffier results, or whisk together in 5 minutes and have them on the table in 20. A British Saturday-morning staple — these are the American-style fluffy kind, not thin crêpes, with lacy edges, a soft puff, and a gentle yoghurty tang from the discard.
The recipe — ingredients (with UK substitutes)
Sourdough Discard Pancakes
Serves four hungry adults. 20 minutes start to finish.
- 200 g sourdough discard (any age from a day old to a week old)
- 250 ml whole milk (semi-skimmed works; oat milk works)
- 1 large egg
- 150 g plain flour (see note below — not self-raising)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 tbsp caster sugar (halve or skip for savoury variations)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional — leave out for savoury)
- A knob of butter for the pan
Why plain flour, not self-raising
A UK reader's instinct is to reach for self-raising for pancakes. Don't — not for this recipe. Self-raising already contains a raising agent at a ratio set by the miller, and we don't know exactly what that ratio is. Stack our baking powder on top and the pancakes lift too fast, then deflate; you also get a faint metallic note. Plain flour plus the called-for teaspoon of baking powder is the controlled version.
If plain flour isn't in the cupboard, you can use self-raising — just leave out the baking powder entirely and accept a slightly less reliable rise.
What discard works (and what doesn't)
| Discard age | What it tastes like | Best variation |
|---|---|---|
| 0–2 days | Mild, milky, gently sweet | Plain, blueberry, banana |
| 3–4 days | Sweet-yoghurt tang — the sweet spot | Anything, sweet or savoury |
| 5–7 days | Noticeable tang, edges towards buttermilk | Lemon-and-sugar, savoury |
| 8–14 days | Vinegary; the rise is fine, taste leans savoury | Cheese-and-chive, scallion |
What doesn't work: a thin watery layer of hooch on top should be poured off first (it's just alcohol and won't help here). A discard that smells of nail polish or paint thinner means a starved starter — feed the starter, wait a day, start again with fresh discard.
The method — five steps
How do you make sourdough discard pancakes?
To make sourdough discard pancakes, whisk 200 g of sourdough discard with 250 ml milk and one large egg, then fold in 150 g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp sugar. Rest the batter for 10 minutes. Cook spoonfuls on a medium frying pan for 2 minutes a side until golden and puffed. Serves four hungry adults, ready in 20 minutes.
Step 1 — wake the discard
Take the jar out of the fridge 20–30 minutes before mixing. Cold discard makes for cold batter, which makes for sluggish pancakes. While it warms, set out everything else — scales, whisk, frying pan, plate-and-tea-towel for the stack.
Step 2 — whisk wet, whisk dry, fold gently
In a large bowl, whisk the discard, milk and egg until smooth. In a smaller bowl, stir the plain flour, baking powder, salt and sugar with a fork. Tip the dry into the wet. Fold with a spatula until the flour streaks just disappear — not a stroke more. Overworked batter gives chewy, tight pancakes. A few small lumps are fine.
Step 3 — rest the batter
Let the batter sit for 10 minutes. The flour hydrates fully, the baking powder primes, and the discard's tang melts into the egg and milk. You'll see small bubbles rise to the surface — that's the signal you're ready.
Step 4 — heat the pan to the right temperature
Set your frying pan over a medium hob. Don't add the butter yet. Use the water-droplet skitter test (see the next section) to check the pan is at pancake temperature.
Step 5 — cook, flip, stack under a tea towel
Drop a small knob of butter on the hot pan and swirl. Ladle in roughly 60 ml of batter per pancake (a small ladle, or three tablespoons). Don't crowd — three pancakes per pan is plenty. Cook for around 2 minutes, until the edges look set and bubbles surface and pop on top. Flip with a thin spatula. Cook another 60–90 seconds. Slide onto a plate and tent loosely with a tea towel — it traps just enough steam to keep them soft without going soggy.
Same-day vs overnight — which version to make
Can I make sourdough pancakes the night before?
Yes — mixing sourdough discard pancake batter the night before makes them noticeably fluffier and gives them a deeper yoghurty tang. Whisk the wet ingredients, fold in the flour and sugar (leave the baking powder out), cover, and rest in the fridge for 8–12 hours. In the morning, stir in 1 tsp baking powder and cook straight away. The overnight ferment lightens the texture and develops flavour.
Same-day Saturday
The rolling-out-of-bed version. 20 minutes start to plate.
- 08:00 — Whisk batter (5 min)
- 08:05 — Rest (10 min)
- 08:15 — Cook (5 min)
- 08:20 — On the table
Overnight
The slow version. Noticeably fluffier, deeper tang.
- Fri 22:00 — Whisk batter, leave out baking powder (5 min)
- 22:05 — Fridge for 8–12 hours
- Sat 08:00 — Stir in baking powder
- 08:05 — Rest (5 min)
- 08:10 — Cook (5 min)
- 08:15 — On the table
This is the rolling-out-of-bed version. From mixing bowl to plate is 20 minutes. The texture is tender, the tang is gentle, and the discard does almost no work beyond flavour and a little browning. If you're feeding restless children, this is the one.
The overnight version is the slow version, and it's noticeably better. On Friday night, whisk the wet ingredients with the flour and sugar, but leave the baking powder out. Cover the bowl with cling film and a tea towel, slide it into the fridge, and forget about it. In the morning, stir in the baking powder, give the batter another five minutes to settle, and cook. The 8–12 hour cold ferment gives the discard time to work on the flour — the gluten relaxes, the lactic acid develops a deeper yoghurt tang, and the pancakes come out perceptibly fluffier and more flavourful.
How to know your pan is hot enough
Flick a few drops of water onto the dry pan. Watch what they do.
The water-droplet skitter test
Too cool
Drops sit, slowly boil into a small puddle. Below ~150°C. Pancakes will sit, leak butter, turn pale.
Just right
Drops form little beads and skitter across the surface 2–3 seconds before evaporating. Around 180°C. Pancake temperature.
Too hot
Drops vaporise instantly, almost with a hiss. Over 220°C. Pancakes will scorch the outside before the centre sets.
Three temperatures, three behaviours
- Too cool — the drops sit, slowly boil into a small puddle, and never roll. The pan is below ~150°C. Pancakes will sit, leak butter, and turn pale.
- Just right — the drops form little beads and skitter across the surface for two to three seconds before evaporating. The pan is around 180°C, which is pancake temperature. The first pancake will be golden in 2 minutes.
- Too hot — the drops vaporise instantly, almost with a hiss. The pan is over 220°C. Pancakes will scorch on the outside before the centre sets. Slide the pan off the heat for a minute and re-test.
Why are my sourdough pancakes flat? Sourdough discard pancakes go flat for three reasons: the pan was too cool, the batter was overmixed, or the baking powder was tired. Discard is not a leavener on its own — it brings tang, not lift. Keep the pan at medium heat, fold the dry into the wet just until streaks disappear, and check your baking powder is in date.
Four sweet variations
Blueberry (or any UK summer berry)
Drop 8–10 fresh blueberries onto each pancake just after it lands in the pan — don't stir them into the batter, or they bleed. Same with raspberries, blackberries and gooseberries. Frozen berries work, but let them thaw on kitchen paper first.
Banana and brown sugar
Stir 1 small ripe banana, mashed, plus 2 tbsp soft brown sugar into the batter at the rest stage. Adds caramel depth. Works particularly well with overnight batter.
Chocolate chunk
50 g of chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips stirred in at the rest stage. A pinch of flaky sea salt at the plate transforms it.
Lemon-and-sugar (the Shrove Tuesday classic, fluffy edition)
The British pancake-day classic, rendered fluffy. Make the pancakes plain. At the plate, dust with caster sugar and a generous squeeze of lemon. The lemon meets the discard's yoghurty tang and the sugar gives it the Shrove Tuesday hit. Our crossover variation.
Three savoury variations
Cheese-and-chive (a Welsh-rarebit nod)
Skip the sugar and vanilla. Stir 80 g of grated mature Cheddar plus 2 tbsp finely-chopped chives into the batter. Cook as normal. Serve with a fried egg on top and a dot of Worcestershire sauce. A Welsh-rarebit-leaning Saturday brunch.
Scallion (or spring onion, if you're feeling proper)
Skip the sugar. Stir in 3 finely sliced spring onions, both white and green parts. Serve with smoked salmon and crème fraîche. Excellent with older, tangier discard.
Sweetcorn fritter style
Skip the sugar. Stir in 150 g of tinned or fresh sweetcorn, drained, plus a pinch of smoked paprika. Cook slightly smaller. Serve with avocado and a poached egg.
Serving suggestions — UK breakfast and brunch traditions
The full-Saturday brunch plate
Stack three or four pancakes. Top with Greek yoghurt, a generous spoonful of stewed UK summer fruit (rhubarb in spring, gooseberries in early summer, plums in autumn), and a drizzle of honey from a local hive. The yoghurt picks up the discard's tang; the stewed fruit picks up its sweetness.
With bacon and maple — the transatlantic compromise
The American Sunday-diner option. Streaky bacon crisped on the same pan you used for the pancakes (don't wash between), maple syrup poured generously. The discard's tang cuts through the sweetness — the reason these are better than buttermilk pancakes for this pairing.
With clotted cream and stewed fruit — the proper British finish
Our favourite. A dollop of Cornish (or Devon — we shan't choose sides) clotted cream and the same stewed fruit as above. Lower-sugar than maple syrup, and the cream against the warm pancake is the kind of breakfast that makes a slow Saturday feel ceremonial.
Clara: "I time the overnight version with my Friday-night bake. Mix the pancake batter while the loaf cools. The kitchen smells brilliant for two days."
Frequently asked questions
How do you make sourdough discard pancakes?
To make sourdough discard pancakes, whisk 200 g of sourdough discard with 250 ml milk and one large egg, then fold in 150 g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp sugar. Rest the batter for 10 minutes. Cook spoonfuls on a medium frying pan for 2 minutes a side until golden and puffed. Serves four hungry adults, ready in 20 minutes.
Why are my sourdough pancakes flat?
Sourdough discard pancakes go flat for three reasons: the pan was too cool, the batter was overmixed, or the baking powder was tired. Discard is not a leavener on its own — it brings tang, not lift. Keep the pan at medium heat (a water droplet should skitter, not vanish), fold the dry into the wet just until streaks disappear, and check your baking powder is in date.
Can I make sourdough pancakes the night before?
Yes — mixing sourdough discard pancake batter the night before makes them noticeably fluffier and gives them a deeper yoghurty tang. Whisk the wet ingredients, fold in the flour and sugar (leave the baking powder out), cover, and rest in the fridge for 8–12 hours. In the morning, stir in 1 tsp baking powder and cook straight away. The overnight ferment lightens the texture and develops flavour.
Do you need baking powder in sourdough pancakes?
You do need baking powder in sourdough discard pancakes — about 1 teaspoon for 150 g of flour. The discard itself has very little leavening power left, so it cannot lift a thick American-style pancake on its own. Baking powder provides the rise; the discard brings flavour, browning and a soft, tender crumb. Skip the baking powder only if you want thin, crêpe-style pancakes — and then add a splash more milk.
Can I use plant milk in sourdough pancakes?
Yes. Oat milk gives the closest result to whole milk — same fluffiness, slightly nuttier flavour. Almond milk produces a thinner pancake. Soya milk works but tends to over-brown. For dairy-free, swap the butter in the pan for sunflower or rapeseed oil.
Are these pancakes a true sourdough?
Not in the strict sense. The Real Bread Campaign defines true sourdough as a bake leavened solely by a live starter — this recipe uses baking powder for the lift. What the discard brings is flavour, texture, and the small but real anti-waste benefit of using up something that would otherwise go in the bin.
What's next
If you've got more discard than this recipe uses — which most weeks you will — see what to do with sourdough discard for the full menu, and how long your discard keeps in the fridge for storage windows. For the full collection of sourdough discard recipes, the pillar is the place. Next week's bake might already be in the jar.
