Gluten-Free, Vegan Sourdough Pancakes
On weekends, we make pancakes. It's one of the few firm rules around here. I have quite a few recipes and batter mixes, but the one below is a really easy fix providing you have a sourdough starter. If you do not have a sourdough starter, I recommend getting one as the upkeep isn't too much and the benefits of fermentation are high. Cultures for Health has a few options, including a Gluten-Free one, which is what I have.
In other news, we've had a few bitterly cold days here. I can officially say I've run in 0 degree weather. It wasn't awful, and I know many people run for a lot longer in colder temperatures, but it didn't feel healthy for me to go much beyond 30 minutes. It was also challenging taking the dogs outside, as Pip's feet would get really cold and he would start crying. I had to carry him home more than once. That repeated fiasco led to one of my better purchases of the year, dog shoes! Here is a video of them being tried out for the first time. Now all I need is snow again to officially try them out!
Pancakes, while always delicious, go a long way when it's freezing out. This is my most basic sourdough pancake recipe--they come out very light, with a classic sour taste. I've also included a recipe for the cardamom-berry syrup I made!
What you need:
1.5 cups sourdough starter, fed
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/8 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 tablespoon baking soda
1/8 tablespoon vanilla
1/8 tablespoon cinnamon
Directions:
Step One: Put a pan over medium heat on your stove top. I use my cast iron skillet, which works well. Because it is cast iron I do keep it seasoned with oil, which I recommend because like all pancakes, these will stick to the pan surface.
Step Two: Mix all of your ingredients. Leave the mixture to sit for a few minutes to combine.
Step Three: Ladle batter onto the pan into circles with about a four inches circumference. The batter will feel thin, and that's ok!
Step Four: After a few minutes, flip! These don't get especially 'brown' so they will still be pale in color even when they are cooked.
This recipe makes about 9-10 pancakes, which is enough for two hungry people. Increase or decrease accordingly!
Along with bananas and walnuts, this is the 'syrup' I made to go on top of these:
One cup berries (defrosted if frozen)
4 tablespoons honey (sub agave if you're true vegan)
1/8 tsp caramom
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
Just puree all of the ingredients in a blender then use it like you would syrup. It's not as sweet as syrup, of course, but it is a lot better for you and has a really nice set of flavors.
