Sourdough Dutch Baby (German Pancake)

A great way to use sourdough starter or discard, this sourdough Dutch baby or German pancake has a nice sourdough tang and is made in the blender. Baked pancakes couldn't be easier and make a deliciously fluffy breakfast or dessert. Top with fresh berries or another fruit, strawberry jam, chantilly cream, or lemon curd.

For more sourdough breakfast recipes, try making your own sourdough crepes or overnight sourdough pancakes and sourdough waffles.

Ingredients

Dutch babies are an old-fashioned recipe so you don't need any chemical leavening agents, like baking powder. The eggs do all the work here!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Flour: bread flour contains more protein than all-purpose, making for a better structure in the pancake and slightly chewy texture. If you prefer a softer pancake, substitute plain all-purpose flour. You can use up to 50% whole wheat flour for a more wholesome pancake.
• Sourdough starter: if using freshly fed, bubbly starter rather than discard, be sure to weigh it for the best results. The volume of discard is less than active starter.
• Make it dairy-free: use a good vegan butter or coconut oil in place of the butter and substitute a creamy non-dairy milk.

Method

Step 1: add all of the pancake ingredients to a blender.

Step 2: mix until very smooth and no lumps are visible.

Step 3: add the butter to a cast iron skillet and place into the oven.

Step 4: pour the batter into the heated skillet.

Step 5: place the pan into the oven.

Step 6: bake until golden and puffy, about 20 minutes.

Top Tips

• Make it savoury: baked pancakes make a great light dinner or lunch, too, with savoury toppings instead of sweet. Reduce the sugar to 1 teaspoon and top with roasted vegetables or greens, or bake some vegetables into it like in Alex's savoury baked pancake.
• Use fresh starter: if you want a milder sourdough taste, use freshly fed starter rather than week-old discard from the fridge. On the other hand, if you prefer a stronger flavour, use older starter that has more of a kick.
• No need to rest: we tested many variations of this recipe and found that resting or refrigerating the batter didn't make for any noticeable improvements. Mix, bake, and serve.

Recipe Notes

While many Dutch baby recipes call for the pan to be preheated with the oven, making for a piping hot pan for the pancake to go into, it doesn't work if you want to use butter. A pan that hot immediately scorches butter when it's added. If you want to preheat the pan, use either ghee or coconut oil in place of the butter.

There's no need to have the eggs and milk at room temperature for this recipe, as it's not being mixed with a fat in the batter. You can feel free to use cold ingredients.

It's normal for a baked pancake to puff up significantly in the oven and then fall quickly once it's taken out (just like a Yorkshire pudding or clafoutis). Don't worry if yours does this, it should.

If you don't have a skillet, you can bake a Dutch baby in a casserole dish using the same method, which is more typical for a traditional German pancake. Try to use one that's also around 10 inches (25 cm) so that the baking time stays the same.

How to Store

Storage: it's best to eat your sourdough Dutch baby immediately, and it's best served fresh. Leftovers can be kept in a sealed container for a day or two if necessary.

Freezing: while this can be frozen, the texture suffers, so we don't recommend it.

More Sourdough Discard Recipes