Sourdough Pancakes

Four months ago I began my sourdough journey, my second one as my first failed miserably! To make traditional sourdough bread, pancakes, waffles etc you must have a starter. This may sound daunting but is very easy as it consists of just flour and water. The whole point of sourdough is that it is a naturally fermented food- no need for dried yeast, it captures the yeast in the atmosphere. So why bother going to so much trouble for our daily bread? Well it tastes delicious and once you have had it all supermarket bread will taste bland and disappointing. Not only does it taste super scrummy but it is also much better for you. The process of fermentation greatly enhances the nutrient content of grains – deactivating naturally occurring antinutrients (phytic acid found in all grains) while also increasing folate content and the availability of minerals. Sourdough in some form or another was how most breads were made before the availability of dried yeast.

My starter has been alive and kicking for a while now and I have started to branch out. My new favourite recipe is sourdough pancakes...these are seriously good. We have them with blueberry sauce or my favourite butter, honey and cinnamon. Below is the recipe adapted from the Nourished Kitchen blog. You will need a sourdough starter, making one is easy or I can give out some of mine which is a really good way to start.

Ingredients

2 cups sourdough starter
1 cup sifted flour (spelt, bread wholewheat etc.)
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
butter, coconut oil or ghee (for frying the pancakes)

Instructions

The night before:
Beat sourdough starter with flour, then place the batter into a mixing bowl, cover it and allow it to rest at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.
Morning:
Punch down the sourdough if it has risen, then beat in the eggs, salt and baking soda. If your batter is too thick, thin it with a bit of milk, cream or water.
Warm a griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat, drop in enough butter to prevent the pancakes from sticking. When the butter melts, reduce the heat to medium-low, then spoon 1/4 cup of batter into the pan, or however big you like your pancakes. Cook each pancake until bubbles begin to rise to the surface - about 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and continue to cook a further 2 to 3 minutes. Continue working in batches, adding more butter as necessary, until the batter is exhausted. Serve straight away with your favourite topping. We love blueberry sauce and yoghurt.

Blueberry Sauce
Warm frozen blueberries with some honey to sweeten.

A delicious, healthy and satisfying breakfast that all the family will love.