Sourdough pancakes

[wildflower]

Any of you ever made these? I've been wanting to try it.

But I'm confused about why every recipe I've seen uses baking soda. What is the sourdough starter for then? Is it just for the flavor?

Here's one example: http://www.cooksrecipes.com/breakfast/sourdough-pancakes-of-alaska-recipe.html

:hi:

[MajorChode]

1. You're still making a quick bread, even though sourdough is used

Along with yeast, sourdough also contains bacteria. The particular bacteria in sourdough create an acidic mixture, hence the 'sour' in sourdough. When you combine this acidic mixture with baking soda, the result is carbon dioxide which cause the pancakes to leaven. Baking soda by itself won't do this. That's also why you always see baking soda used in quick bread recipes that call for buttermilk. Cultured buttermilk is acidic also (and contains similar or the same bacteria found in sourdough).

[wildflower]

2. I was just wondering why use the baking soda at all

I make sourdough bread with just my starter.

And in a lot of the recipes for sourdough pancakes, they talk about how in the days of the gold rush, men carried around their starters so they could leaven their bread products.

So in other words, I was wondering why I can't just use my starter by itself to make the pancakes, without baking soda. I guess it would be more like bread then. But I may try it anyway.

[MajorChode]

4. I've never tried this

My guess is you'd get something more akin to pita bread than pancakes.

Making leavened yeast bread, whether by using commercial yeast or sourdough involves a fermentation stage, along with a proofing stage. A by-product of yeast fermentation is carbon dioxide which causes the dough to leaven, however this happens slowly and only within a certain temperature range. With pancake batter the mixture is more liquid, so the batter is not really going to hold on to the leavening. If you use baking soda and some form of acid, or baking powder which contains an acid and a base together, the carbon dioxide is produced chemically during the cooking stage so there's no need for fermentation or proofing. With yeast breads, some of the leavening will happen during cooking, but not much because once the mixture heats to greater than 115 degrees, the yeast will start to die and leavening will stop.

[Warpy]

8. Well, if you want to get up several hours before breakfast

to mix the pancake batter and let it sit to self rise, I suppose you could skip the baking soda.

If you want to roll out of bed and eat breakfast in a reasonable amount of time, use the baking soda.

[surrealAmerican]

11. You could try it, but you may want to mix ...

... the batter the night before, or even a whole day before cooking if you'll be leaving it refrigerated for some of that rising time.

[wildflower]

3. I think this is what I'm going to do...

From http://www.ranprieur.com/misc/sourdough.html

Sourdough Pancakes and Waffles. I just take sourdough that's right at its peak, and pour it straight on a hot oiled pan or waffle iron. That's it! If you want to mix in other ingredients, or if you stir it at all, you will pop the bubbles and you'll have to stir in some baking powder to get it to rise enough. A waffle, because of the greater surface area, is more forgiving than a pancake. Even when I do it perfectly, my pancakes are a little gummy, but imperfect sourdough can still make excellent waffles. You'll be surprised how good it tastes, with nothing but flour, water, and friendly microbes. Put on some organic butter and real maple syrup, and you've still spent less money than with white-flour white-sugar aluminum-baking-powder hydrogenated-oil restaurant pancakes. Almost any kind of flour will work.

The sourdough tortillas & pie crusts on that page sound intriguing too.

[MajorChode]

5. This will work a little better than building a batter from a small amount of sourdough

You will be making a bread with a fermentation stage, but no proofing, similar to the way pizza crust is generally made. I haven't tried it this way. My guess is the texture will be different than traditional pancakes (as the author suggests). Traditional pancake batter also contains a fair amount of fat (which also helps with leavening), so you'll wind up with a somewhat lower calorie alternative.

[housewolf]

6. If you use your sourdough starter when it is fully activated, at a peak rise

you'll get some leavening power in your pancake batter. If you know that you have a proven starter, you know it's cycle - when it's doubled in volume after feeding, then it's likely to give you some good pancakes. But if you just take it out of the refrigerator and use it, or let it sit out to warm up without feeding, or use too soon or too late after feeding, you won't get as much, if any, rise. Most folks just use their starter in pancake batter for flavoring, same reason why most folks use it in bread recipes that call for yeast.

[wildflower]

7. Thank you both for your advice

Yesterday, when I fed my starter, I threw in a little brown sugar, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Then, after it had doubled in size a few hours later, I gently scooped spoonfuls of it into a hot frying pan, and cooked them like pancakes.

They were good. Not as bready as I thought they might be. A little chewier than pancakes maybe, but still pancake-like.

I think I'll start experimenting with other uses for the starter!

[housewolf]

9. Next time, I'd hold the salt until you're ready to cook them

Salt inhibits yeast, so not the best idea to add it when you feed, as the purpose of feeding is to propagate yeast (and lactobacillli) growth.

Good luck in your endeavors.

[wildflower]

10. I thought of that, but since my starter is very lively

So I decided to just add a quarter teaspoon of salt and go with it. As it was, I wasn't planning to make the pancakes until this morning, but my starter doubled in record time so I did it last night!

Thanks! :hi:

[MajorChode]

12. When I read your first post, it inspired me to get a starter going again

It's probably been close to two years since I've made any sourdough. I just checked and it's just starting to bubble, so I should have some good starter here in a week or so.

[wildflower]

13. That's great!

What are you going to make?

My sourdough pancakes were even better the next day. I put a little butter on them and microwaved for about 10 seconds, and they were soft and warm, and good. I think I'll probably do it again.

Still considering the sourdough tortilla & pie crust ideas I saw.

[MajorChode]

14. I'll start out making sourdough bread and go from there

My starter has taken off. I replaced most of it today and allowing it to re-ferment. It shouldn't be too much longer before it's good to go.