Good day sunshine

What to do when you wake up inexplicably early on a Sunday morning and can't get back to sleep? Why, make sourdough pancakes*, of course! I'm happy to report that my sourdough starter is up and running; it's not worth showing a photo, so you'll just have to take my word for it. This morning I used the starter in some pancakes. What you do is place some starter in a bowl, add some flour and some milk, essentially "feeding" it one last time, and let the mixture stand for an hour or so. Then you finish the batter by adding egg, salt, sugar and leavener, and fry the pancakes up in a skillet:

















Of course whenever you make pancakes you have to make some silly ones just for fun:

















And finally here's my portion, enjoyed on my deck in the morning sunlight (not too shabby):

















I really liked the pancakes. They were denser and less fluffy than ones I've made in the past, but had a mellow tang from the sourdough that set off the sweetness of the syrup nicely. Now that I have starter around the house, I can see these pancakes becoming a standard weekend breakfast.

Sourdough Pancakes
Adapted from How to Cook Everything
Makes 4 servings

1. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup sourdough starter, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup buckwheat flour, and enough milk (1/2 - 1 cup) to make a medium-thin batter. Let sit for about an hour.
2. Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat while you finish the batter by stirring in 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. baking powder, and 1 beaten egg. Don't overmix!
3. Grease the skillet with about 1 teaspoon of butter or oil and add the batter by the heaping tablespoon. Cook until lightly browned on both sides, flipping once, about 3-5 minutes total. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200° oven.

*Best enjoyed with coffee and the weekend edition of the Times.