This easy sourdough Dutch baby pancake has a delicious, soft center with the classic puffiness of your favorite German pancake recipe but made healthier with fermented grains. It’s the perfect recipe for all that sourdough discard.
Sourdough Dutch baby pancakes, German pancakes, or cast iron pancakes – whatever you want to call them – they are an extremely easy and delicious breakfast. By golly, sometimes we have them for lunch, as well.
Throw all the ingredients into a blender, pour into a hot cast iron skillet, and you are only a few minutes away from a nourishing and healthy breakfast.
These are easy enough to whip up and bake while we head out for chores, with the excitement of coming back to a satisfying breakfast. They are even fancy enough for Christmas morning, dusted with powdered sugar and served with berry syrup.
Personally, while I like regular pancakes, I hate standing over the stove flipping them over and over. The kids disappear with them, enjoying them together at the table, while poor mom is stuck flipping the last pancakes and then sitting at the table alone to eat since everyone else has finished.
Surely, I am not the only one who feels this way? So to be able to make a pancake that is baked in the cast iron skillet and not have to stand there flipping… sign me up.
Sourdough Dutch Baby Pancake Tips:
- Make sure your cast iron skillet is nice and hot. This helps it bake fast and the sides to be nice and puffy.
- Sauté some chopped apples first in the cast iron skillet with a little cinnamon until soft, add the butter; once melted, pour the batter over the apples and bake. Seriously so yummy.
- This recipe can be made using sourdough discard or active sourdough starter.
- Don’t open the oven door until the pancake has been baking at least 15 minutes. Opening it too soon can make the dutch baby deflate.
FAQ
Are Dutch babies and German pancakes the same?
Yes, German pancakes are the same thing as “Dutch babies”, which originated in Germany.
What makes a Dutch Baby rise?
The eggs and the milk are what really gives this pancake its rise, due to the steam that is created when the pancake bakes in a hot oven.
What does a Dutch baby taste like?
It tastes like a custard-like pancake with fluffy sides. Not too sweet, but delicious with a variety of toppings.
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Tools you may need:
Blender or large bowl and whisk
Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- Eggs – Preferably pasture-raised for those beautiful and healthy dark golden yolks.
- Sourdough starter – This can be active starter or even discard.
- Milk – I prefer whole milk for extra creaminess.
- Salt – Don’t forget this important ingredient. It helps bring out all the flavors in the dish and, if you skip it, your recipe may taste dull and flat.
- Vanilla – Homemade or store-bought, it adds the subtle undertones of vanilla throughout the recipe.
- Maple syrup or honey – Either will work and lend itself to slightly different flavors and a pleasant sweetness.
- Butter – I love using homemade butter from our own dairy cow, but since most people don’t have one of those bellowing in their yard, use the best quality butter you can.
How To Make Sourdough Dutch Baby Pancakes
Preheat oven to 425.
In a large bowl or blender, add eggs, sourdough starter, milk, salt, vanilla, and honey. Whisk or blend until smooth. I love using the blender for this, because it literally takes like three seconds.
Add butter to a 12 inch cast iron skillet and place into the hot oven to melt.
Pour the batter over the melted butter and place into the preheated oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed up. Do not open up the oven to check on the Dutch baby. Opening the oven too early can cause the pancake to lose its puff and deflate.
Serve right away with butter, fruit, or syrup.
Find More Delicious Sourdough Breakfast Ideas:
- Sourdough Breakfast Strata
- Breakfast Pizza Recipe With Sourdough Crust
- Sourdough French Toast From Scratch
- Mascarpone Stuffed Sourdough French Toast Casserole
- Sourdough Scones
- Cast iron French toast casserole
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Thank you!
Sourdough Dutch Baby Pancake
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups sourdough starter
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 6 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425.
- In a large bowl or blender, add eggs, sourdough starter, milk, salt, vanilla, and honey. Whisk or blend until smooth.
- Add butter to a 12 inch cast iron skillet and place into the hot oven to melt.
- Pour the batter over the melted butter and place into the preheated oven.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed up.
- Serve right away with butter, fruit, or syrup.
Notes
- Make sure your cast iron skillet is nice and hot. This helps it bake fast and the sides to be nice and puffy.
- This recipe can be made using sourdough discard or active sourdough starter.
- Don’t open the oven door until the pancake has been baking at least 15 minutes. Opening it too soon can make the Dutch baby deflate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Any tips? Mine turned out superrr eggy and the top of the pancake easily pulled off from the bottom. Didn’t cut easily either. I do know my starter was funnier than usual, could that be it?
Maybe the batter wasn’t incorporated enough, but I am not totally sure. You could try using an immersion blender instead of whisking it.
Do you add the syrup to the batter or is it just for topping? Thanks!
I will either add maple syrup or honey to the batter. Of course, you can add syrup on top as well.
Does this make 6 individual pancakes or one with 6 servings? I couldn’t find it anywhere
It makes one large pancake in a 12 inch cast iron skillet and serves 6.
Thanks
My family loves this recipe! I recently had to go dairy free so I substituted coconut milk for the milk and coconut oil for the butter. It tastes amazing!
Thank is wonderful to hear. I bet coconut milk would be delicious.
Omg I just tried this recipe!! It is so DELICIOUS! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Bringing back memories…
So happy you enjoyed it!
I have for years made it with 3/4 cup of flour and 3/4 cup of milk. Turns out beautifully each time! We also love to eat it with cardamom and apples!
Sounds delicious.
I was wondering how this recipe works without flour.. suppose the egg and starter could make it rise on its own but a bit of flour seems more reliable
The starter is the source of flour for this recipe….
Mine turned out really custard-y and did not rise. I used active starter, pre-heated my pan and did not open the oven until after 15 minute. Any idea what went wrong?
Mine puffed up, then totally deflated. Very dense and custardy. Not at all what I expected. I used active starter too.
Well the texture of this was superb! Crispy on the top, chewy in the center. 6bottles I used my sales butter bc it’s what I had and while I omitted the salt, it still came out rather salty. I also used discard which had been in the fridge for awhile so it was a rather strong discard taste. Was it sweet for others? I might try it again with feed starter…
Oy that should say unfortunately I used my salted butter…
oh! I wonder if that’s why mine turned out a little salty, too. I did not even think about the salt in butter, thanks for jogging my memory!
If I don’t have a sourdough starter yet what can I replace that portion of the recipe with??
This Dutch Baby with sourdough is so very good and really easy. We have had it several times since finding this recipe. We like it for supper, with fried sausages and fried apple slices. Thanks so much!!