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Damn, there’s nothing that irks me more than wasting perfectly good food.
I try to get every last drop out of any food I purchase. Bananas getting brown? Let’s make banana bread! Sad wilted kale in the fridge? Looks like we’re making curry tonight! Even milk that’s technically past it’s expiration date (but smells fine)? I’m drinking that shit.
So it should be no surprise that when I’m feeding my sourdough, I absolutely hate the part where you need to throw some of it away.
For those of you who are not so versed in the sourdough scene - let me let me have my friend Sheena, a professional badass bread baker, explain from her new sourdough newsletter - Sheena’s Cocina! (a MUST follow!!)
What is starter?
When you make sourdough, you need to start with a “starter,” which is essentially a flour/water mixture of dough that bakers incorporate into their bread dough for leavening and flavor.
You need to regularly “feed” your sourdough starter. “Feeding” is:
The act of adding fresh water and flour to a portion of ripe starter in order to perpetuate the colony of yeast and bacteria present in the starter.
So, whenever you “feed” the starter, you actually need to discard, aka throw away, a portion of the starter so that the fresh water and flour can get to work in ripening.
Now we can come back full circle.
……Excuse me…….THROW AWAY some of this starter that I have been carefully feeding and loving and talking to and even have lovingly named Guadalupe?! The audacity. I thought, there had to be something more suitable for this discard starter than the damn trash can.
And so, as they say, (nobody actually says this), “when life gives you discard, make MOTHAF*CKIN PANCAKES!!!
I love these bad boys because (a) who in their right mind doesn’t like pancakes? (b) pancakes in essence just feel like the epitome of a Saturday or Sunday morning. That moment all week where you’re like “I deserve this.” (c) And to make them sourdough? I love how they are slightly tangier and richer than normal ‘cakes.
I got this recipe inspo from the OGs at King Arthur and I’m re-posting here with some minor Sobremesa tweaks.
A note: be prepared to make this the night before. The sourdough needs some time to work it’s magic. Don’t roll your eyes at me. Think of it like doing all of the heavy lifting so that when it’s game time you can just do the damn thing.
But as your reward, this recipe makes about 24 pancakes and you can store the batter for up to 2 days. Hello pancakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Sourdough Buttermilk Pancakes
makes about 24 medium sized pancakes
prepare to start at least 12 hours in advance
Ingredients
Overnight sponge
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, 1 cup spelt flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sourdough starter, unfed/discard
Pancake batter
all of the overnight sponge
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons brown butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Let’s do it!
To make the overnight sponge: Stir down your refrigerated starter, and remove 1 cup. Note: This is a good opportunity to feed the remainder, if necessary.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the 1 cup unfed starter, flour, sugar, and buttermilk.
Cover and let rest at cool room temperature (about 65°F to 70°F) for about 12 hours, or overnight.
To make the batter: In a small bowl or mixing cup, beat together the eggs, and brown butter. Add to the overnight sponge.
Add the salt and baking soda, stirring to combine. The batter will bubble.
To make pancakes: Pour the batter by the 1/4-cupful onto a preheated, lightly greased griddle or pan. Cook until bubbles form and pop on the top side of the pancakes, then turn over and cook until browned underneath.
Top it with all that good good! Maple syrup, fruit…do the damn thing!
Storage instructions: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for a day or two; freeze for longer storage.
And who said pancakes were for breakfast? I ate this standing in my kitchen for lunch on a Wednesday and fully plan on eating some for dinner this week. Live a little!
Happy baking. Love ya mucho,
Tessa