Sourdough Starter and Pancakes

Hi there!  Some of you requested my recipe for sourdough pancakes, or called flapjacks by the old miners and cowboy cooks of yore.  Below is a photo of the (I call them flapjacks as I like the old fashioned sound of it) flapjacks that I made at camp recently.  They have a nice sour tang and are delicious with butter and maple syrup.

I suggest that you do some Google research as there are MANY ways to start your own sourdough starter.  Some just use pure water and flour and let the sourdough happen from the air.  I have also used the method of 2 cups of flour (use a mixture of some wheat flour and unbleached white), 1 package of dry yeast and enough warm pure water to make a batter.  Let stand in a warm dry kitchen for 24 hours until you smell a yeasty aroma.  Another good way is ask a friend who has an old starter for a cup of it to add to your fresh batter to make a starter.  I borrowed some from my brother and it's reportedly 150 years old!  This is what it looks like when it's "happy" and ready to use.

NOTE:  It is best to use non-chlorinated water such as spring water distilled water when working with your sourdough starter and pancakes.

SOURDOUGH FLAPJACK RECIPE

(For 2 people, use this recipe.  For 4 people, double it, for 6, triple it.)

Night before - mix 1 cup flour (we recommend 1/4 cup wheat and 3/4 cup white) with enough warm water to make a nice thick batter (like cake mix consistency).

Stir that up good then add 1/2 cup sourdough starter - just fold it in, don't beat it too much.

Next morning, stir together 1/4 cup milk, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 beaten egg, 1/6 cup oil, and stir these ingredients into the batter you made the night before.

Then add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in a bit of warm water and add this just before cooking, folding it in, don't beat it too hard.

NOTE:  Never use metal spoons or measuring devices or bowls when using the sourdough. Use wooden spoons for mixing and rubber spatulas for scraping.

Heat griddle to medium hot and spray with PAM a bit - batter will be fairly thin - use ladle and put about 1/2 cup of batter for each flapjack.

(NOTE: YOU WILL HAVE TO EXPERIMENT WITH HOW HOT THE PAN OR GRIDDLE IS AS YOU COOK THEM.  I HAD TO LOWER MINE OR ELSE THEY GOT TOO BROWN TOO FAST.  YOU WANT THEM TO BE GOLDEN BROWN.)

Cook till brown on one side, then flip over and brown the other side.  Serve with butter on top and maple syrup.

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Feed sourdough batter with a batter of about a half cup of warm water and flour.  It will foam up when it's happy.  If you aren't going to use it for a while, put it in the fridge, and when you want to use it, take it out a few days ahead and feed it and keep it warm.

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SOURDOUGH STARTER STORY - FROM ROBERT SHAKLEE - 12/09

We received the start from a good friend of mine, who keeps his working all the time and has personally kept it going for decades.    According to Leon, he got his start from his family that has been handed down from generation to generation through the ages that was used by his ancestors that traveled across the plains into Utah in the mid 1800's.   Based on his information, your start is about 150 years old.

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This is my sourdough "bible".  It's full of fun stories and many ideas.  You can probably get a copy on Amazon!

Feel free to ask questions in the comment section and I will try to answer them.  Using sourdough starter makes me feel a connection to the people in the old days who used this for all their bread, rolls, biscuits, pancakes, cakes and more.  

Remember, the sourdough starter is like a pet that needs food, water and dry warm home to thrive.  It's kind of fun!!

I am off to volunteer at Multnomah Falls this afternoon with my younger sister Denise.  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)