Sourdough Discard Pancakes
Wake up to a warm stack of thick, fluffy sourdough pancakes—the kind that soak up just the right amount of maple syrup and taste amazing. These pancakes have that perfect balance of sweet and tangy, thanks to an overnight fermentation that brings out the best in your sourdough discard.
The best part? The batter does most of the work while you sleep and is a perfect way to use discard!
Unlike regular pancakes, this recipe uses an overnight ferment to create a light, flavorful batter. It’s super simple—just mix your discard with a few ingredients before bed, and in the morning, you’re already halfway to breakfast!
We make these pancakes (or sourdough discard waffles) every single weekend. My Saturday night routine includes feeding my sourdough starter (I keep it in the fridge during the week), and using the discard to mix up pancake batter. Then every Sunday morning we enjoy these for breakfast.
Why you’ll love this recipe
✔ Make-ahead friendly – Mix the batter the night before for an easy morning.
✔ Perfect use for discard – No waste, just delicious pancakes.
✔ Thick & fluffy texture – Thanks to the slow overnight fermentation.
✔ Just the right amount of tang – Sourdough gives these pancakes an extra layer of flavor.
✔ Kid-Friendly & fun to make – Little helpers love stirring the batter!
How to make overnight sourdough pancakes
This recipe is split into two easy steps—a little prep at night, then a quick mix-and-cook in the morning. For the full set of directions, please make sure you scroll down to the recipe card below. This is just a brief overview so you know what to expect.
Step 1: The night before
- Mix your sourdough discard, flour, sugar, and milk in a bowl.
- Cover and let it sit overnight at room temperature.
Step 2: In the morning
- Stir in the remaining ingredients, adding more milk if needed to achieve the desired consistently you want.
- Let the batter sit for a few minutes while your pan heats up.
- Cook on a buttered skillet until golden brown on both sides.
Recipe Tip: Adding blueberries or chocolate chips? Sprinkle them onto the pancakes right after pouring the batter onto the skillet!
Sourdough is better when shared
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and rating below.
Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this recipe, please link to the post directly for the recipe, please do not copy and paste or screenshot. Thank you so much for supporting me. XOXO – Jenni
Sourdough Discard Pancakes
These overnight sourdough discard pancakes are easy and delicious!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Overnight Rest: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 28 pancakes 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Levain
- 2.5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1.5 cups warm water
- 1 cup 100% hydration sourdough starter, active or discard
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- Finished Batter
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
-
Mix the flour, warm water, starter and brown sugar into a large mixing bowl bowl. Loosely cover with a lid or plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight (this is your levain).
- In the morning:
- In a medium bowl mix the egg, milk, baking soda, salt, and vegetable oil until combined.
- Whisk this into the sourdough levain you made last night until thoroughly mixed in.
- Allow to stand for five minutes undisturbed while you heat the skillets or griddle to medium heat.
- Drop onto a hot griddle or cast iron skillet (1/3 cup works awesome) and cook until bubbles have formed one the top and the bottom is golden.
- Flip and cook until both sides are golden.
- Enjoy with butter and maple syrup, or the toppings of your choice!
