Sourdough is the way to go! It is tastier, more nutritious and easier to digest than products leavened with conventional bread yeast. If you want to start baking with sourdough, you need a starter. However, anyone can make a starter in just a couple of days. A starter is where you nurture and accommodate your culture. When fermenting your dough, you often encounter recipes saying “discard half of your starter”. There is a good reason for removing part of your starter when you feed it but it is a waste to throw it away! So here is how to make super easy vegan sourdough pancakes with the discard or from scratch.
When Fermenting From Scratch
While I do encourage you to go ahead and dive into the world of sourdough baking, having a sourdough starter is not a must if you want to enjoy simple sourdough pancakes. We can make them together from scratch!
If you ferment from scratch the most important thing you need to know is that a good temperature is key in making sure your culture thrives happily. 21°C / 70°F is a good temperature for a sourdough culture. Until 28°C / 82° warmer temperatures will result in faster fermentation. Anything above will make the culture more and more uncomfortable.
Putting a fermenting in the fridge will result in very slow fermentation which is very convenient for maintaining a sourdough culture with little effort. Once activated and strong, a starter needs to be fed only once a week. See here to learn how to maintain your starter.
A Healthy Feast
I love to have many options to top with when eating pancake or bread! Along with these pancakes I made an addictive avocado spread, tahini & molasses and roughly cut up some veggies and greens. I also love to take out some pickles and olives, served with dried herbs and lemon juice. When I use the word love I don’t exaggerate. Being offered such a balanced diversity, having a meal like this is a nourishing celebration of the pleasure of eating!
Savoury Vegan Sourdough Pancakes
Ingredients
For Making the Dough
- 2 cup / 226 g whole wheat flour or other flour
- 1 cup / 226 g water
For the topping
- salt
- olive oil
- herbs, garlic, chives or spring onions chopped
Instructions
For Making the Dough
- At least a day before: Mix the water, flour and if you like salt and let it sit. If you have a sourdough starter, add 1 tbsp to boost activity. As soon as you see bubbles and signs of fluffiness (usually overnight in a warm environment or a bit longer if colder) your sourdough is ready for pancakes!
Making the Pancakes
- Add a good spoonful of the fermented dough into a heated pan on low heat. Add as many spoons as your pan can take.
- Add salt, chopped garlic, herbs and/or chives onto the pancakes while the side looking up is still uncooked and soft. They should lightly be pressed into the dough. Top with a little bit of olive oil if you like.
- Flip once they start to have some colour on the bottom.
- They are ready when the toppings are caramelized. Enjoy!