Why Choose This Sourdough Pancake Recipe?
This sourdough pancake recipe stands out for its authentic fermentation process, relying solely on your sourdough starter’s wild yeast for leavening—no baking powder or soda needed! The thick overnight batter, made with just flour, water, and starter, ferments at room temperature to develop a rich, tangy flavor. In the morning, you’ll add a few simple ingredients and let the batter bubble up for light, chewy, and irresistibly fluffy pancakes.
A stack of golden sourdough pancakes topped with fresh strawberries.
The Magic of Overnight Fermentation
Fermenting the batter overnight unlocks the full potential of sourdough, creating pancakes that are not only delicious but also easier to digest, as noted by readers who love how these don’t leave them bloated. The process breaks down gluten and enhances flavor, resulting in a chewy yet fluffy texture that’s perfect for breakfast. If you don’t yet have a sourdough starter, now’s the time to start one to enjoy this wholesome treat!
This special technique allows you to make pancakes without any leavening besides the wild yeast in your sourdough starter.
Tips for Sourdough Success
Sourdough can vary depending on your starter, kitchen environment, and ingredients, so think of this recipe as a flexible guide. Use your judgment to adjust the batter’s consistency, and don’t hesitate to experiment. For example, readers have successfully swapped in buttermilk or even stout for part of the liquid, adding unique flavors. If you have questions, I’m just a click away!
Bubbly sourdough pancake batter ready for cooking.
Perfectly Chewy Sourdough Pancakes
This overnight-fermented sourdough pancake recipe delivers chewy, fluffy pancakes with authentic sourdough flavor.
Ingredients
Pancake Starter Batter
- 560 grams (4 cups) organic all-purpose flour
- 460 grams (2 cups) filtered water
- 125 grams (1/2 cup) active sourdough starter at 100% hydration
Secondary Additions
- 64 grams (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
- 115 grams (1/2 cup) milk
- 30 grams (3 tablespoons) coconut sugar
- 4 eggs
- 7 grams (1 teaspoon) salt
Instructions
The Night Before
- In a large ceramic or glass bowl, combine flour, water, and sourdough starter to form a thick, sticky batter. Adjust flour or water slightly if needed to achieve a muffin-like consistency. Cover with plastic wrap and let ferment overnight at room temperature (or in the oven with the light on if your home is cool).
The Next Morning
- Check your batter for bubbles and a pleasant sour aroma, indicating good fermentation.
- In a glass measuring cup, whisk together melted butter, milk, coconut sugar, eggs, and salt. Vigorously mix the overnight batter to break up any gluten clumps, then slowly incorporate the butter mixture, whisking until smooth. The batter should resemble typical pancake batter—add 1 tablespoon of flour if too thin or a splash of milk if too thick. Cover and let ferment for at least 1 hour to develop bubbles.
- Preheat a cast-iron griddle over medium heat and lightly coat with coconut oil or butter. Cook pancakes until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve with your favorite toppings, like fresh strawberries or maple syrup.
Notes
Smoother Batter: To avoid lumps, thoroughly mix the overnight batter before adding secondary ingredients, as this breaks up gluten structures formed during fermentation. Don’t worry about deflating the batter—it will regain bubbles after resting.
Substitutions: You can use buttermilk or whey instead of milk or water for added tanginess; adjust liquid as needed since buttermilk is thicker. Some readers have experimented with stout for part of the water, which adds a unique flavor but use sparingly due to its strong taste.
Flour Options: White wheat flour works well as a substitute for all-purpose flour, though you may need to tweak the liquid slightly.
Storage: Store leftover batter in a covered container in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. It may thin out over time, making it perfect for crepes.
Smaller Batch: This recipe makes 6-8 large servings. Halve the ingredients for a smaller batch, using about 572 grams of total starter (flour, water, and starter combined).
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
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Morgan
Friday 20th of June 2025
I've made this recipe several times and I'm a huge fan. I often gets some lumps of the overnight sourdough that doesn't seem to fully incorporate into the batter. Any suggestions on how to get a smooth batter after mixing-in the next day ingredients? Thank you!
Butter For All
Wednesday 25th of June 2025
Hi Morgan, I am so pleased that you love this recipe. It is definitely my all-time favorite! You might try mixing the overnight ferment really well before incorporating any additional ingredients. This will help break up any gluten formation or structures that have been created during fermentation. And don't hesitate to really whisk the ingredients in. Gentle mixing is not as important with sourdough pancakes, as it is with a regular pancake batter made with dry flour. You may deflate the sourdough quite a bit in the mixing process but just give it 20 or 30 minutes to ferment and start building up some bubbles again before you cook.
Thanks so much for stopping by! Enjoy the pancakes :-)
Eric
Wednesday 26th of March 2025
THIS is a real SD pancake recipe. Thank YOU!
Butter For All
Sunday 27th of April 2025
Hey Eric! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. It's a generational favorite!
Abby
Saturday 10th of June 2023
Thank You!! Every recipe I've found using sourdough starter also uses baking powder or baking soda. I am happy to wait for the dough to be ready because I know the benefits are worth it.
Butter For All
Saturday 1st of July 2023
Hi Abby!
This is the perfect recipe to use only time and temperature for fermentation. It was one of the first recipes I perfected about 20 years ago and I still use it weekly! I hope it becomes a family staple for you too!
In health,
Courtney
Angelique
Thursday 4th of May 2023
Hi! If using sourdough starter I already have( no need to make it). How much starter am I using?
Butter For All
Tuesday 9th of May 2023
Hi Angelique,
You would add flour and water and starter together, so you would need 1145g of starter total. You can always half this recipe if that is too much, because it does makes 6-8 large servings.
I hope that helps!
Helen
Friday 31st of March 2023
Hi,
I’ve recently made clabbered milk (after following your guidelines on here — thanks for those by the way!) and now I have leftover whey so I was looking for something to do with it and am leaning towards pancakes. This recipe looks great because, as someone else mentioned, there’s nothing but the sourdough to leaven it (why make sourdough pancakes if you’re going to add baking powder?) but I was wondering, is there a reason you don’t mix the whole batter the night before and let it bulk ferment altogether? And could I use whey instead of water and milk? (I’ve made your banana nut muffins a couple of times and the second time I skipped the first stage and just let the muffins do all the fermenting once in the casings, which worked well).
Anyway thanks for all the great recipes :)
Helen
Butter For All
Tuesday 25th of April 2023
Hi Helen,
First, yes, feel free to substitute whey for water! Sourdough is a great way to use up the whey! Secondly, I prefer the structure of the pancake when the additions are made the next day. I think fermenting the eggs breaks down a lot of their protein, which is fine, but they lose a little of the loft that happens during the rise. You'll have to play around with it. I know it wont hurt either way. I'd love to hear your results if you do! Thanks so much for the sweet feedback on the recipes and I'm so sorry for the slow reply 😊
Courtney