Brown sugar, pecans, coconut flakes, cinnamon, melted butter, and sourdough starter turn humble pancakes into an event.
I made these up one morning while pondering whether I should make sourdough pancakes or sourdough cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I really wanted the cinnamon rolls but I was feeling lazy, so I did the obvious and spun them both into one fabulous dish having the speed of pancakes with the taste of cinnamon rolls. It was one of those time when being lazy allowed for the invention of an impressive quick breakfast or brunch for family and friends alike. They’re too good not to share with others!
If you have sourdough starter in your refrigerator, these are easier than pie to whip up and they are delicious! They have that wonderful sour background to the flavor, which balances out the sweet cinnamon roll ingredients. Kids might not appreciate this subtlety, but you will. You can also make these without the sourdough for a more standard pancake experience; I’ve included both recipes here:
SOURDOUGH VERSION
(Note: If you haven’t yet read my previous Spins on collecting your own wild yeast starter and you want to learn more, read: Collecting and Maintaining Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter, and Using Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter: Basic Bread.)
If you have used your starter in the past week, take it out of the refrigerator the morning you want to make your pancakes. Dump all the starter into a bowl and add a cup of flour and a cup of warm water to the bowl and stir. Let it sit for about 30 minutes or until it warms up and you see some activity in your yeast. It doesn’t have to be at a full boil or anything, just enough for the yeast to be awake. (Skip the next paragraph and proceed.)
If you haven’t used your sourdough starter in the past week, remove it from the refrigerator the night before you want to make your pancakes. Place it into a bowl and add a cup of flour and a cup of warm water and stir. Cover with a dry cloth and let it sit in a warmish spot overnight to activate and proceed as follows.
Take a cup or two of your starter, place it in a clean jar and return it to the refrigerator for future use. You’ll want to make sure you have about two cups of starter remaining in your bowl. If you don’t, add enough flour to make about two cups. Take this opportunity to adjust the consistency of your batter. Since each person’s starter will have a different consistency coming out of the refrigerator, there is no hard and fast rule for this. You just need to make sure the consistency is something along the lines of cake batter.
Cinnamon and brown sugar darken the rich batter, while nuts and coconut add tooth and texture.
Sourdough Ingredients:
- 2 cups sourdough starter
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup dried coconut
- 1/4 cup pecans, lightly chopped
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons melted butter for the batter
- 1/4 cup melted butter for stacking
Mix all of your ingredients together until well-combined. Heat a frying pan on medium heat, and oil lightly. Pour the batter into the heated frying pan, making sure it is well-mixed to include equal amounts of chunky nuts and coconut into each pancake. Brown each cake on the first side until bubbles show throughout the cooking pancake, then flip to brown the other side.
Stack each pancake as it comes out of the pan, layering each pancake with a bit of melted butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar. The brown sugar and butter make a rich syrup all their own as the brown sugar melts. Applaud and serve.
STRAIGHT-UP PANCAKE VERSION
If you don’t have sourdough starter, or you don’t want the sour notes that the starter will lend to your cinnamon roll pancakes, here’s a recipe just for you!
Standard Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups flour (white, wheat, or a combination)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup dried coconut
- 1/4 cup pecans, lightly chopped
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons melted butter for the batter
- 1/4 cup melted butter for stacking
Mix all of your ingredients together until well-combined, making sure to mix your dry ingredients first then adding the remaining ingredients. Heat a frying pan on medium heat, and oil lightly. Pour the batter into the heated frying pan, making sure it is well-mixed to include equal amounts of chunky nuts and coconut into each pancake. Brown each cake on the first side until bubbles show throughout the cooking pancake, then flip to brown the other side.
Stack each pancake as it comes out of the pan, layering each pancake with a bit of melted butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar. The brown sugar and butter make a rich syrup all their own as the brown sugar melts. Applaud and serve.
