Winter Caretaker Sourdough Pancakes

Let's Cook

1. Step 1.

   The night before serving, in a ceramic mixing bowl, beat together 4 cups all-purpose flour, 3½ cups warm water, 2½ tablespoons sourdough starter, and 1 teaspoon sugar until well combined. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and set it in a warm place (around 70-75°F) to ferment overnight, about 8-12 hours.

2. Step 2.

   In the morning, remove 2 tablespoons of the fermented sourdough mixture from the bowl and refrigerate it in a jar for your next batch of pancakes.

3. Step 3.

   To the remaining sourdough mixture in the bowl, add ⅓ cup whole milk, ¼ cup melted unsalted butter, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Stir until just combined; the batter will be thin.

4. Step 4.

   Heat a cast-iron or nonstick pan over medium heat. Add a pat of butter or a drizzle of bacon grease to the pan and let it melt, tilting to coat the surface.

5. Step 5.

   Ladle ¼ cup of batter into the hot pan for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set and golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip the pancake and cook for another 1 minute, until the second side is golden brown and the pancake feels light and has buttery crisp edges.

6. Step 6.

   Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter or bacon grease to the pan as needed. Serve the pancakes immediately with homemade berry jam or apple butter.