Whole Wheat Sourdough Chocolate Chip Pancakes

So, recently I was reading this article about how the Russians are preparing for WW3, that the old people are stocking up on salt, matches and buckwheat.  And I thought, “Now how cool is that?  That is exactly what I do!” Except I stock up on hard red spring wheat and good ancient sea salt and waterproof matches, but it thrilled me to no end to realize that I stock up like an old Russian lady preparing for war! … it tells me I am doing something right at least!

The main component of my food storage is hard red spring wheat, my Wonder Junior hand mill, and my sourdough starter.  Using these three things I can make good basic food for my family even in an emergency or “grid down” situation as these are easily cooked on a cast iron griddle over an open fire. I simply utilize my starter as the basis for pancakes.  I feed my sourdough starter at least once a day, and every time I feed it I remove half of it and save it for making these sourdough pancakes.  I keep my starter thick, thick like a dark chocolate brownie batter thick, that way it doesn’t become too watery when converted to pancake batter.

Nice thick “fully fed” sourdough starter, you know the flour has been thoroughly converted once it takes on a fuzzy or ashen appearance on the surface.

My basic pancake formula is:

• 1 cup starter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

This can be doubled, tripled or quadrupled!  We have chickens so we always have eggs on hand, but it is possible to make this using 2 tbsp. canned pumpkin puree in place of the egg should you want a completely pantry based recipe.

I use the back of a spoon to press the baking soda through a fine mesh sieve to make it easier to stir quickly into the batter.

One can never own too much baking soda!

While the salt is not essential it certainly improves the flavor!  However the baking soda is essential for proper leavening!  Just like when you combine baking soda and vinegar and it bubbles, the baking soda here combines with the lactic acid in the sourdough starter that is a byproduct of the bacteria eating the whole wheat flour,breaking down things like phytic acid and gluten, making it healthier and easier to digest.

So you mix together the starter, egg and salt really well and then add in the baking soda last.  I press mine through a fine mesh sieve, and then mix quickly and stop once just mixed in.  Then let it sit five minutes so the chemical reaction can completely work it’s way through the batter, DO NOT mix anymore after you have mixed in the baking soda, mixing it will “deflate” all the bubbles and the pancakes won’t be as fluffy, then cook like normal pancakes.  I personally like to use coconut oil on a cast iron griddle, it makes them slightly crispy on the edges.

Bubbly Batter!

Coconut oil is another essential component of our food storage.

This basic pancake is great with butter and raw honey.  I also like to make mini pizzas out of leftovers by topping with tomato sauce, fresh snipped oregano and/or basil from the garden, and shredded mozzarella cheese then just stick under the broiler till the cheese melts.  You can also use them as bread for sandwiches, one pancake = one slice of bread.

My other favorite variation is the chocolate chips!  To the basic batter, before adding the baking soda, also mix in 1 tsp. sugar and 1/4 tsp. vanilla.  Then when you pour your batter on the hot griddle place some mini chocolate chips over the top, they will sink into the batter while the first side cooks, then flip.  Because sugar is added to the batter we do not use raw honey on the chocolate chip version, but they are really good alongside a couple of fried eggs and bacon…OMG I love breakfast 😀

I use 1/4 cup of batter per pancake.

Place chocolate chips.

Then flip!