Sourdough Pancakes

With newly acquired sourdough starter comes the newly acquired dilemma of what to do with all of the discard that results from the culture’s maintenance feedings. I’ve previously tried Sourdough Chocolate Cake, which is due to be taken for another whirl, and Banana Bread with Sourdough but I hadn’t tried pancakes or waffles, quite surprisingly. So after finding this recipe in the Baker’s Companion for Pancake Waffles I decided to make them, making them as pancakes instead, as the recipe allows. The recipe requires you to make a sponge well ahead of time, or if you’re a bit impulsive, at least a couple of hours before, to allow the sourdough to develop. To that batter, eggs and oil and some baking soda are added. They’re pretty much basic pancakes, just with the extra step of preparing the sponge. The result was a nice, sturdy pancake that served as the focal point of a dinner with friends. Truthfully, there was only a slight, barely noticeable tang and that could have very well been attributed to the buttermilk. Nonetheless, these were good pancakes, as pancakes always are and I used up discard! I served and enjoyed these with honey, which is just as good if not better than maple syrup. Sacrilegious, I know. This batter yielded a tremendous amount of pancakes, leaving a nice portion of the next day’s breakfast.

Sourdough Pancakes
from KAF Baker's Companion

Sponge:
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sourdough starter, not fed

Batter:
Sponge
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Begin making the sponge the night before or at least a few hours before. In a bowl, place the dry sponge ingredients in a bowl,and whisk to combine.Add the buttermilkand blend.Add the sourdough starter,and blend until smooth. Set aside to develop overnight or a few hours, as much as you can afford. When you're ready to assemble the rest of the batter, place all of the liquid batter ingredients into a container,
and whisk to combine.Pour this over the sponge mixture,and stir. Right before you cook add the baking soda. Preheat a pan or a griddle.Cook the cakes until they bubble and then flip them over. Cool until brown.
Pile them on and enjoy any time of day!