Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Pancakes
Discard is what a gluten-free starter gives you every time you feed it. These pancakes use about a cup of it, and the eggs and a short rest do most of the work. This is the easiest bake in the track and a good first use for a young starter.
Research-backed recipe. The amounts and times follow methods published by several gluten-free bakers, written here as an original recipe inside the ranges those methods share. Treat the times as a range, and let the pan and the batter make the call.
A note on celiac disease and shared kitchens. This kitchen also bakes wheat sourdough, so I cannot promise that these recipes are safe for celiac disease. They are written for gluten-free and gluten-sensitive bakers. If you have celiac disease, bake in your own gluten-free setup and read every ingredient label for a gluten-free certification. Ask your doctor what is right for you.
Which one is this?Compare all 4 pancake recipes
These 4 pancake recipes are close cousins. Here is how they differ, so you can pick the right one.
- Discard Pancakes35 min · Makes 10 pancakes
Discard with baking powder and baking soda, and all-purpose flour.
You have discard to use up and want a classic breakfast pancake.
- Pumpkin Spice Discard Pancakes25 min · Makes 4 servings
Discard with baking powder and baking soda, all-purpose flour and pumpkin spice.
You want a fall breakfast.
- Discard Scallion Pancakes1 hr 23 min · Makes 4 pancakes
A savory pancake made with discard, scallions and all-purpose flour.
You want a savory snack or side instead of a breakfast pancake.
- Gluten-Free Discard PancakesYou are here35 min · Makes 8 pancakes
Discard with baking powder, using brown rice, white rice and tapioca flours.
You bake gluten-free.
Why You’ll Love It
- Uses discard, fed or unfed
- Quick, with ten minutes of mixing and a short rest
- Two eggs give the batter structure without xanthan gum
- Freezes well, and reheats from frozen in a 350°F oven
Ingredients
Volume measurements are included for convenience, but they’re approximate. A kitchen scale will always get you a more consistent pancake, especially for the flours and the discard.
- Gluten-free sourdough discard (240 g / about 1 cup): Fed or unfed, at 100 percent hydration. Stir it before you measure.
- Large eggs (2): They bind the batter and give it lift.
- Whole milk or plant milk (30 g / 2 Tbsp): Loosens the batter.
- Neutral oil (28 g / 2 Tbsp): Keeps the pancakes tender. Keep a little extra on hand for the pan.
- Honey (21 g / 1 Tbsp): Sweetens the batter and helps browning. Maple syrup works too.
- Brown rice flour (30 g / about 3 Tbsp): Whole-grain flavor and structure.
- White rice flour (15 g / about 1½ Tbsp): Lightens the crumb.
- Tapioca starch (15 g / about 2 Tbsp): Adds a little chew.
- Gluten-free baking powder (2 g / ½ tsp): Lifts the pancakes. Check the label for a gluten-free mark.
- Fine sea salt (1 g / a pinch): Seasons the batter.
Equipment
Gear guides: Sourdough Equipment Guide·Kitchen Scales·Banneton Sizing·Scoring Tools·Storing the Loaf·Pizza Stone vs. Baking Steel·Shop All Picks →
- Mixing bowl: for the batter.
- Whisk: mixes the batter smooth.
- Skillet: cast iron or nonstick, both work.
- ¼-cup measure: makes pancakes the same size so they cook evenly.
- Spatula: a thin spatula flips a tender pancake without tearing it.
Sample Schedule (Same Day)
Mix
- Whisk the wet ingredients
- Whisk in the dry ingredients
Rest
- Let the batter sit for 10 minutes
- Rest 20 to 30 minutes if it tastes gritty
Cook
- Heat the pan over medium-low
- Cook about 2 to 3 minutes per pancake
Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Pancakes
Method
- Whisk the discard, eggs, milk, oil and honey until smooth.
- Whisk in the brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch, baking powder and salt until no dry spots remain.
- Rest the batter 10 minutes, or 20 to 30 if the first pancake tastes gritty.
- Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium-low heat.
- Scoop ¼ cup of batter per pancake and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until bubbles form and the edges look set.
- Flip once and cook about 1 minute more, until golden and cooked through.
Notes
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How to Make It
1Whisk the wet ingredients. Whisk the discard, eggs, milk, oil and honey in a bowl until smooth. Take the eggs out of the refrigerator first, since cold eggs can make the oil clump.
2Add the dry ingredients. Whisk in the brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch, baking powder and salt until no dry spots remain. The batter will be thick and pourable, thicker than a wheat pancake batter.
3Rest the batter. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes. If the first pancake tastes gritty, rest the next batch 20 to 30 minutes, since rice flour needs time to soften.
4Heat the pan. Heat the skillet over medium-low heat and brush it lightly with oil. A drop of water should sizzle and disappear, and the first pancake is your test.
5Cook the first side. Scoop ¼ cup of batter per pancake and cook about 1 to 2 minutes, until bubbles form and the edges look set. Gluten-free pancakes brown faster than wheat ones, so turn the heat down if the bottoms darken early.
6Flip and finish. Flip once and cook about 1 minute more, until golden and cooked through. Keep finished pancakes on a rack and not stacked, so they do not steam and turn soft.
Tips & Troubleshooting
- Gritty texture: Rest the batter longer and use finely ground rice flour.
- Pancakes stick: Heat the pan a bit longer, and oil it lightly between batches.
- Too thin: Add a tablespoon of rice flour at a time, then rest again.
- Burned outside, raw inside: The heat is too high. Lower it and make smaller pancakes.
How to Store
To store: Refrigerate cooled pancakes for up to 3 days.
To freeze: Freeze them flat on a tray, then bag them and reheat from frozen in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates per pancake and will vary based on exact ingredients used.
141
CALORIES
20
CARBS (G)
3
PROTEIN (G)
5
FAT (G)
0.8
SAT. FAT (G)
0.9
FIBER (G)
2.6
SUGAR (G)
95
SODIUM (MG)
Desi’s Notes
These follow the batter thickness and pan temperatures that published gluten-free discard pancake methods share, so adjust the heat and the rest time to your own stove and your own rice flour.
Discard from the Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter goes straight into this batter once the starter is rising. When you are ready for bread, try the Gluten-Free Sourdough Pan Loaf or the Gluten-Free Sourdough Pizza Crust, and find the whole set on the Gluten-Free Sourdough page.
Gluten-free cookies made with discard are Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Gluten-free biscuits made with discard are Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Biscuits.
Before You Bake
Scaling this recipe up or down? Run your numbers through the Sourdough Calculator. And if you want a printable reference for troubleshooting or timing, browse all six Printable Quicksheets.
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