Sourdough Pancakes with Figs and Fig Sauce (VIDEO)

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Sourdough gives these Sourdough pancakes with figs and fig sauce a crazy delicious flavor and fluffy texture that my family fell in love with! These will quickly become your family’s favorite breakfast too.

My husband is a pancake snob. If he going to start the day with a stack of calories, which let’s be real, is not the lowest in calorie breakfast around, he wants them to be good. Soft…fluffy…lightly browned…the perfect texture to soak up butter and syrup. And flavor? He wants them just barely sweet, because when he is dousing them in pure maple syrup, there’s no reason to use too much sugar in the pancake batter itself.

But what do I like about these Pancakes?

Pancakes created from white flour are known to have a spiking effect on blood sugar. However, sourdough pancakes do not have this particular quality and the effect on the blood sugar is mild to say the least.

Also, this recipe delivers to your body an already predigested wheat product; so, for gluten sensitive people this is a big win!

For this recipe you will need to do some ahead of time preparation. The night before you will need to make a sponge (feed your starter) and let it sit out overnight. In the morning it will be ready to make super fluffy delicious sourdough pancakes.

This is my favorite sourdough pancake recipe, and it originally came from my friend Lesa Morrison, who shared with me the 200-year-old sourdough starter in 2019 along with a sourdough pancake recipe Ever since then, I have used this recipe whenever I make sourdough pancakes.

When I shared my story about how I became a sourdough starter lover, I told you about my experience of acquiring a 200-year-old starter, which I call "the mother". This starter is the only one that I currently own and use. Read more about it here.

On a fig

This year fig season began much later. We have two beautiful fig trees; Turkish and Black Mission and both are delicious, The Turkish is more delicate and almost impossible to transport. If you are buying figs, more than likely they are Black Mission figs, which are bigger, glossier and the color of the inside flesh is beautiful making for a gorgeous looking fruit.

If you don't have figs, then use another fruit such as blueberries or chopped apples and you are on the way for a treat.

Here my other recipes with figs:

Fig-Tastic Frozen Yogurt

Fig-Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Walnuts & Citrus Vinaigrette

and one more recipe

that makes for an absolutely delicious summer dessert, and I like to use any seasonal fruit that I have on hand.

Figs are good for you

Here are just a few reasons why:

There are studies which show a reduction of glucose in the blood of rats when given an extract made from fig tree leaves. Further results from the studies show there was also a decline in levels of cholesterol, as well as assisting in normalizing antioxidant activity to help fight stress caused by diabetes.

Did you know that figs contain essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals that contribute to maintaining a healthy pregnancy? They lower our blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of gestational diabetes. Also, folic acid (B9) in figs promotes brain development in the fetus and reduces the risk of birth defects like neural tube defects and spina bifida.

Notes on how to add fruit to your pancake batter

If you have ever dealt with a juicy fruit, then you know it is always better to add as you go, sprinkling the fruit onto each pancake, instead of incorporating all the fruit into your batter. Figs can be tricky, especially if they have been harvested right after it rains because they are overloaded with moisture. Therefore, cutting and adding them all at once can make the batter watery causing you to add additional flour to your batter or to cook them exceptionally quickly to avoid the batter from becoming too runny.

Can I freeze them?

Absolutely! And you should!

I don't like to waste the final two or three pancakes—or toss out that last little bit of batter. Better to save those pancakes for later, and then reheat them so they're just as fluffy and delicious as freshly made pancakes.

To freeze, cool completely. Layer pancakes between waxed paper in a freezer container or freezable Ziploc bags. Seal and freeze for up to 3 months. This can help you on a busy morning.

What do I need to make this recipe?

Sourdough starter - ripe, with spongy texture, bubbling ready to do its job!

Eggs - 4 large eggs, oh yes, this is a high protein recipe!

Baking soda -just a teaspoon will do it, no need for baking powder; the pancakes WILL be perfectly fluffy and delicious!

Sugar - just one Tablespoon, which helps with caramelization and makes them perfectly brown.

Salt - just a teaspoon for a perfect balance of flavor.

Fat - to cook pancakes choose your favorite type of fat and don't be skimpy on it! Regular good quality butter, ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil are good options for this recipe.

Let's do it...

Ingredients for the sourdough pancakes

3 cups sourdough starter (ripe, spongy texture with lots of bubbles)

4 eggs

1 t

ablespoon raw cane sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Butter, coconut oil or ghee for frying pancakes

Ingredients for the fig sauce

4 cups figs

1-2 lemons; juice and zest

1/2-inch ginger root graded (optional, I didn't use in the video)

1/3-1/2 cup maple syrup

Ingredients for the garnish

Fresh figs, sliced

Walnuts or pecans halves

Whipped cream or cream fraiche

Directions

1. Add sourdough starter into the bowl, then add the rest of the ingredients. Give it a whisk.

2. Chop the figs; choose the ones that are firm vs. soft. Soft figs are better to use in the sauce. Add to the batter all at once if you are planning to cook the pancakes quickly and will be using a few pans at once. If not, add chopped figs to each pancake as they are cooking in the skillet.

3. Preheat the skillet with butter until it is nice and hot. Scoop 1/4-1/3 cup of batter into the skillet and cook each pancake for a few minutes per side.

4. For the sauce, add figs to a saucepan along with the maple syrup and the lemon zest. Next, if you are using ginger, add it now. Stir. Cook covered on low heat for a few minutes or until it's just starting to boil, and then take off the lid and cook for 30-60 seconds.

5. Now puree the sauce with an immersion blender. Add lemon juice and cook uncovered for another 30-60 seconds. That's it! My baby loves this sauce so much even when I'm leaving maple syrup completely out.

6. Serve pancakes warm with anything you desire. I like to serve them with fig sauce, cream fraiche, nuts, and sliced fresh figs.

Enjoy!

I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, Patreon or Pinterest.