Vegan crepes made with sourdough starter shine in this recipe from the cookbook BReD by Edward Tatton and Natasha Tatton.
In North America, pancakes are thick and fluffy. This recipe makes what in England we call pancakes. They are closer to French crêpes, but slightly thicker and smaller. The banana is used for flavour and as the egg replacer. This batter can be made the night before and stored in the fridge for a healthier and more fermented pancake batter. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for larger families, groups of friends, or events.
Note: For a savoury serving option, omit the coconut sugar and replace the banana with 20g (2 tablespoons) ground flaxseed. Add some finely chopped fresh herbs (dill, parsley, or cilantro) and a puréed garlic clove. The pancakes could be filled with a ragout of creamy mushrooms, or some crushed roasted spiced sweet potato and green onions, or your favourite taco fillings. Experiment and have fun — this is a base recipe that can be adapted for any mealtime.
Discard Sourdough Pancakes (Crêpes)
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana
- 1¼ cups unsweetened oat milk
- ⅓ cup coconut yogurt
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- pinch sea salt
- ⅔ cup sourdough discard
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ cup potato starch (or ¼ cup cornstarch)
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour (or spelt flour)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin coconut oil, for frying
Sweet serving suggestions (see Note for savoury
options)
- Lemon juice and sugar
- Fresh berries, dairy-free yogurt, and toasted nuts
- Caramelized bananas, coconut yogurt, and pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
- In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork until puréed. Add the oat milk, yogurt, coconut sugar, salt, and sourdough discard. Whisk together to form a batter.
- Sift in the baking powder, potato starch, and all-purpose flour. Add the whole wheat flour and whisk for 1 minute, until a smooth batter forms. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or loose-fitting lid and let rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the flours to hydrate and the sourdough to begin to activate and develop some sour flavours. The longer the batter sits and ferments, the better the flavour. You can even store the batter in the fridge for the following day, though you might need to thin it with a little plant milk before using.
- Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add 5g (1 teaspoon) of coconut oil to the hot pan and allow it to melt and heat up. Pour a ladleful (5 oz) of batter into the centre of the skillet and tilt the pan in a circular motion so the batter covers the bottom of the pan. (If you prefer a thinner crêpe-style pancake, whisk an extra 50 to 100g/3 to 6 tablespoons of oat milk into your batter.) Fry the pancake until lots of bubbles form on the top and the bottom is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add a little more coconut oil to the pan if it looks dry and allow it to melt, then flip the pancake and cook until the other side is golden brown, another 1 to 2 minutes. I like to flip the pancake back one more time to crisp up the first side. Transfer the pancake to a baking sheet, cover with foil, and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining pancakes.
- Any unused batter can be stored in the fridge, loosely covered to allow the gases to release, for up to 24 hours.
Excerpted from BReD by Edward Tatton and Natasha Tatton. Copyright © 2023 Edward Tatton and Natasha Tatton. Photography by Janis Nicolay. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
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