Make overnight sourdough pancakes for a delicious breakfast and a gut that will thank you.
Pancakes for Breakfast is still my breakfast bible, but all-purpose flour is no longer my body’s favorite ingredient to metabolize, and store-bought whole-wheat flour makes a mockery of the crispy, soft, and almost custardy pancakes of my youth. But how to make 100 percent whole-wheat pancakes not just tolerable, not just palatable, but craveable?
The solution is, as it often turns out to be, fermentation. This overnight sourdough pancake recipe uses 1/2 cup of discard, 2 cups of home-fermented kefir, and time to turn whole-grain einkorn and hard white winter wheat flours into the perfect pancake (or waffle) that’s butter-crisped on the outside and tender on the inside.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (115 grams) sourdough starter discard
- 2 cups (240 grams) kefir
- 1 cup (140 grams) einkorn flour, unsifted
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) wheat flour, unsifted
- 2 tablespoons honey or sugar
Batter
- Overnight sponge from above
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1-1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Combine ingredients for overnight sponge, and mix with a spoon until just combined. Batter should be lumpy.
- Cover, and allow to ferment at room temperature 6 hours or overnight; more than 8 hours will result in significant souring. You can put it in the fridge to slow fermentation.
- Begin heating your griddle to medium heat. Cast iron is preferred, stainless steel is acceptable, and nonstick is serviceable (no crispy edges in nonstick).
- Gently mix in eggs, baking soda, and salt. Mixture may fizz; this is okay.
- If your pancakes have any add-ins (bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips), add them here, but don’t stir yet.
- Melt the butter in your pan, then pour butter over batter and gently stir in. Return the pan to the stove.
- Cook pancakes about 1/2 cup of batter at a time. Flip when bubbles rise to the surface of your pancake. These pancakes have a longer cook time than might be expected, so keep an eye on the first few.
For true consistency when using freshly milled flour, measure ingredients by weight. Buttermilk can be substituted for kefir, though I highly recommend keeping your own kefir culture; keeping kefir is as easy as pouring milk into a jar, and we can all find time for that! This batter can also be used to make waffles. If einkorn flour isn’t available, standard whole-wheat can be used. In this case, increase the discard to 1 cup. The batter can sit up to 14 hours before use.
Agitate the batter the least amount possible for fluffy and tender results! Whole-wheat pancakes are best served hot, so keep them warm in a 200 F oven or serve and eat as you go (my family’s preference; we enjoy crispy edges). Serve with fruit, maple syrup, peanut butter, whipped cream, or plain old cultured butter.
Pancakes can be made in advance if you have large amounts of starter discard or over-soured kefir. Freeze pancakes between sheets of parchment paper and store in an airtight container in the freezer. Slap 1/2 tablespoon of butter on top and reheat in the toaster oven or microwave for breakfast on the go!
Originally published in the October/November 2026 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS and regularly vetted for accuracy.
