Pancakes. Flapjacks. Griddle cakes. No matter what you call them, they are delicious and were widely made during the Klondike Gold Rush using sourdough starter and cooked over hot coals on the trail. Prospectors ate sourdough everything, often three times a day. A hearty batch of pancakes was an inexpensive and easy way to fill many hungry tummies and satiate hunger until the next meal.
We enjoy the taste of these sourdough pancakes — they are fluffy, moist and have a mild sourdough tang! These are delicious with homemade syrup, whipped cream or even cooked berries.
This sourdough pancake recipe is our go-to recipe. They are delicious plain or even with chocolate chips! I always make a few with chocolate chips since my family enjoys them so much.
This recipe really is simple! Toss the starter in the bowl with the other ingredients, stir and cook! Super simple way to a delicious breakfast! These are great reheated and freeze well too.
Let’s get cooking!
Sourdough Griddle Cakes/Pancakes
1 cup sourdough starter
1-1/2 to 2 cups milk of choice – I use 3/4 cup cream and 1 cup water
1 egg
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour – I use red fife flour, which is a whole grain, so more liquid may be required as it is in its whole grain form
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
In a large bowl, combine starter, milk, egg, oil, vanilla and sugar. Mix well. Add flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix. Let sit 5 minutes. In the meantime, heat griddle or skillet. Brush with a bit of oil if needed. Scoop batter and let cook 3 to 4 minutes, until top is full of bubbles and is slightly opaque. Flip and finish cooking until browned. Remove to plate and continue cooking until batter is done.
Once batter is scooped into pan, add chocolate chips or fresh berries like blueberries. Bananas tend to make it a bit gooey in texture.
Now that the pancakes are cooking, let’s make some homemade syrup! It’s super easy! All you have to do is toss the ingredients into a pot, and boil until thick, about 30 minutes or so. I thickened our syrup with a bit of cornstarch. No need to refrigerate and is best if used in 3 to 7 days.
Homemade Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp maple extract – optional
3/4 cup water
Put all ingredients into a saucepan, except the extracts. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. I actually only cooked it about 20 minutes and then thickened the syrup with a bit of cornstarch. Add extracts and 1 tsp of butter. Serve warm. Pour leftovers into a jar. Best if used with 1 week. The longer the syrup sits, it may crystallize at the bottom.
enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours