Sourdough Dutch Baby
This easy sourdough dutch baby bakes up puffy in just 15 minutes. It's a great recipe for using leftover sourdough discard because you can mix the batter and bake it right away for a quick and easy breakfast or dessert!
Whether you call them dutch baby pancakes or german pancakes ... it really doesn't matter, they are one of the easiest sourdough discard recipes on the blog!
The consistency of the batter is somewhere between sourdough pancake batter and sourdough crepe batter and can be baked in a cast iron skillet, a deep pie dish, or even in muffin tins for individual dutch baby pancakes.
We show you how to make a sweet version of this recipe but you can omit the vanilla extract and cinnamon to use the recipe to make a savory dutch baby.
There are a variety of toppings that you can use including fresh berries, nutella, almond butter, strawberry jam, or even cherry jam.
Ingredients needed
- sourdough starter (unfed or active)
- whole milk (regular or non-dairy)
- butter (regular or plant-based)
- eggs
- salt
- optional - vanilla extract and cinnamon
- toppings - berries, powdered sugar, maple syrup, and lemon wedges
Tips for Success
- If you want the dutch baby to puff up in the oven, start with room-temperature ingredients. Take the milk, sourdough starter, and eggs out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes before you mix the batter.
- To avoid little specks in your dutch baby, clean any old grease or food residue out of your cast iron skillet before you begin. (I use a dedicated cloth to wipe out the cast iron skillet before I place it into the oven to preheat.)
- This recipe can be baked in a 9-12" cast iron skillet, deep 9" pie plate, or muffin tins. Make sure to preheat the baking vessel and butter the sides and bottom to prevent sticking. (The smaller the diameter of the skillet the more puffy the dutch baby will be and the longer it will need to cook.)
How to make it
- Wipe out your cast iron skillet with a cloth or paper towel and place it onto the middle oven rack. Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and transfer 2 tablespoons to a large mixing bowl. (Reserve the remaining 2 tablespoons to coat the cast iron skillet in step 3.)
- Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl and beat for 1-2 minutes using an electric hand mixer. (This can also be done in a blender.)
- Remove the cast iron skillet from the oven and swirl the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 15-18 minutes. (Up to 20 minutes for a 9" skillet)
- Top the dutch baby with a squeeze of lemon juice, berries, powdered sugar, and maple syrup. Serve while hot.
How to store
If you have any leftovers, store them in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat them in the oven or microwave.
More easy recipes to try: sourdough pop tarts / sourdough cinnamon rolls / sourdough waffles / chocolate chip sourdough scones / 10 easy discard breakfast recipes
Subscribe to our newsletter and we'll send you more fresh recipes, valuable troubleshooting advice, useful tips, and other information we believe will be helpful to you!
Sourdough Dutch Baby (German Pancake)
EQUIPMENT
- 9-12" Cast Iron Skillet 9" deep pie plate or muffin tins
INGREDIENTS
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) butter (divided)
- ¾ cups (200 g) sourdough starter discard (room temperature)
- 6 tablespoons (90 g) whole milk (room temperature)
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Optional toppings
- raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries
- powdered sugar
- maple syrup
- lemon wedges
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make sure ingredients are at room temperature. Wipe out your cast iron skillet with a cloth or paper towel and place it onto the middle oven rack. Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and transfer 2 tablespoons to a large mixing bowl. (Reserve the remaining 2 tablespoons to coat the cast iron skillet in step 3.)
- Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl and beat for 1-2 minutes using an electric hand mixer. (This can also be done in a blender.)
- Remove the cast iron skillet from the oven and swirl the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 15-18 minutes. (Up to 20 minutes for a 9" skillet.)
- Top the dutch baby with a squeeze of lemon juice, berries, powdered sugar, and maple syrup. Serve while hot.
5+
I've been making traditional Dutch Babies for many years. Typically, they come out with big air pockets, discernible layers, crispy top and bottom. The air pockets deflate as it cools.
This recipe resulted in a "denser" final product that lacked the big air pockets, but those deflate anyway and my kids and I loved the density. It had a great chew/texture! The top did not crisp, but we also didn't mind that at all. The top was almost a quiche-like to describe the done-ness/texture.
Even though this recipe is lower calorie than my standard Dutch Baby recipe, it feels heartier and seems to have kept my kids fuller, longer!
New standard in this house! LOVE! Thank you for sharing.
I love this recipe as you can do so many things with it. It's a healthy breakfast it you don't load it up with with sugary toppings. My favorite topping is pumpkin butter (like apple butter but better). I look forward to trying a savory version. I half the recipe and cook in a smaller iron skillet when it's just the two of us so there is no waste.
I've never heard about this dish before, but in the pictures it looks delicious and I wanted to use my Sourdough Discard so I decided to give it a try. And the pictures were telling the truth. This is a VERY DELICIOUS, SIMPLE AND EASY DISH!
I'm confused about the weights of "3/4 cup sourdough starter discard'. In one recipe 3/4 cup discard is 200 grams, in this recipe the 3/4 cup discard is 166.67 grams. Could you explain why they are different? Thanks!
The recipe has been updated to show 200 grams for 3/4 cups.
I didn't use room temperature ingredients and mine didn’t get very puffy. Next time I’ll try it again with room temperature ingredients.
Yes, the ingredients need to be at room temperature to be puffy.
This is a favorite for our family. Easy to make in the blender!
I was looking to make breakfast with my sourdough starter and came across this recipe! It was so good!
I made homemade cream for on top. I will definitely be using this recipe a lot.
Good flavor. Different from our usual recipe. Wasn’t puffy at all. Will try again because I need recipes that use discard.
mine did not rise either, but discard may have been a little aged. will still make again
This was DELICIOUS. I followed the recipe exactly but added apple slices to make it a cinnamon apple dutch baby. This is definitely going in our regular rotation!
So good!! Great breakfast to easily put together for an impatient toddler! I’m so glad I found this recipe!!