Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Pancakes (Print)

Tender pancakes bursting with fresh blueberries and bright lemon zest for a flavorful breakfast.

# What You'll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1 cup sourdough discard, unfed, room temperature
02 - 1 cup milk
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for cooking
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - Zest of 1 lemon
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

→ Dry Ingredients

08 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
09 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
10 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Add-ins

13 - 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

# Directions:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, milk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice until fully incorporated.
02 - In a separate bowl, combine all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring until evenly distributed.
03 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, stirring just until combined. Leave some lumps; overmixing develops gluten and results in dense pancakes.
04 - Fold blueberries into batter carefully to distribute evenly throughout.
05 - Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat and brush lightly with butter to prevent sticking.
06 - Pour 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the heated skillet. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and edges appear set, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
07 - Flip pancakes and cook the reverse side for 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
08 - Transfer cooked pancakes to a plate and keep warm. Repeat the cooking process with remaining batter, adding additional butter to the skillet as needed.
09 - Serve pancakes warm with optional toppings such as maple syrup, additional blueberries, or powdered sugar.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • That tangy sourdough flavor transforms ordinary pancakes into something that tastes like you've been awake since dawn, even if you haven't.
  • Blueberries burst in your mouth while lemon zest keeps everything bright and prevents that heavy, too-sweet pancake feeling.
  • Finally, a way to use sourdough discard that doesn't feel like rescue cooking—this is the good stuff you actually want to make again.
02 -
  • The sourdough discard must be unfed and at room temperature, because cold discard won't blend smoothly and fed discard (the kind that's been recently activated) can make your pancakes rise unevenly and taste too yeasty.
  • Frozen blueberries are actually superior here because fresh ones break down and streak the batter, but if you use frozen, don't thaw them first—toss them in a tiny bit of flour and fold them in at the very end.
03 -
  • Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup or ice cream scoop to portion batter consistently so all your pancakes cook at the same rate and look professional on the plate.
  • Medium heat is your friend here—high heat burns the outside before the inside cooks through, and low heat makes them pale and dense, so aim for that middle ground where butter sizzles gently.
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