Sourdough Discard Buttermilk Pancakes

Makes around 6 large pancakes

20g butter, melted (plus extra for frying the pancakes)

25g golden caster sugar

1 egg

120g buttermilk

Pinch salt

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

75g sourdough discard (ideally just a few days old or less)

100g plain flour, sieved

(or use 130g plain flour in place of the flour and discard - original recipe from smitten kitchen here)

Preheat the oven to 160C (fan)

  1. Melt the butter and place in a bowl to cool, mix in the sugar.

  2. Mix in the eggs and buttermilk.

  3. Sprinkle over the salt and bicarb, and mix well, then mix in the sourdough discard.

  4. Now add the flour, and fold it in. You can briefly use a whisk, but try not to mix it too much or too vigorously. The batter should resemble a sort of thin cake batter, but lumpy. Adjust with more flour if your batter is too runny. Don’t worry about lumps.

  5. Melt butter in a non-stick pan to fry the pancakes. Drop large spoonfuls of batter into the pan, you want it hot enough to sizzle but not smoking hot so that the pancakes colour too quickly.

  6. They won’t cook through so turn them as soon as they are the right colour. Be brave and confident and don't worry about a little splodgy mess on the sides of the pancakes. It’ll all come good in the end.

  7. Once nice and deep golden on both sides, transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment and continue cooking the pancakes in batches.

  8. Now finish the pancakes in the oven for 5-7 minutes until they feel springy and not wet in the middle. Perfect time to make your tea or coffee and get ready to eat.