Sourdough Banana Pancakes

Pancakes taste like Christmas morning to me. When I was growing up, my sister and I would sneak down at the crack of dawn, heave the enormous, battered Good Housekeeping Cookbook off the shelf, and set about making pancakes (and a glorious mess) for our parents. Presents were secondary, pancakes came first.

This recipe has evolved over the years. My favorite version includes whole wheat flour and sourdough starter because they add texture and tanginess, but also because I hate discarding sourdough starter. I was raised by immigrants! My mother washes and reuses paper towels! Right now, flour is scarce as fairy dust! If I’m having to bribe a bakery with toilet paper and do a back-alley flour deal to get my hands on some unbleached all-purpose, there’s no freakin’ way I’m throwing half my starter the trash. So if you too have inexplicably bumbled your way into baking bread and you’re not sure what to do with your excess starter, make these!

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Whole Wheat Sourdough Banana Pancakes
Adapted from the Good Housekeeping Cookbook | Makes 6 pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour (all-purpose flour works too!)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup sourdough starter
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp melted butter or vegetable oil
2-3 tbsp butter (for greasing pan, about 1/2 tbsp per pancake)
Ripe banana, thinly sliced
Maple syrup (lots of it)

Preheat oven to 300 F

 Combine dry ingredients.

1. In a separate bowl, mix egg, milk, sourdough starter, and melted butter or vegetable oil.

2. Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients and mix until just combined (don’t worry about making it ultra smooth).

3. Over medium heat, grease a pan generously with butter and pour ¼ cup pancake batter in the center.

4. Place banana slices in the center of your pancake, and watch for bubbles to form on the top. Once bubbles pop and remain (when the batter doesn’t flow back in and cover them up), flip the pancake.

5. Cook for another minute or two or until the pancake looks evenly golden. You can lift a corner with your spatula to check for doneness, but don’t move it around too much or else the banana slices could get mangled.

6. Between each pancake, use a paper towel to wipe off your pan, grease afresh with butter.

7. While you’re cooking, place finished pancakes on an oven-safe plate in the oven to keep warm.

8. Top with butter and douse with maple syrup!

The Show Must Go On

During the worst years of the plague at the turn of the 17th century, London theaters were some of the first establishments ordered to close. It’s possible their closures contributed to periods of urgent fecundity upon reopening (yes, Shakespeare wrote some of his best work but so, too, did many of his contemporaries!) and yet, the actors, prop masters, tirewomen (costume mistresses), and other theater laborers suffered profoundly during the plague years. History seems to be repeating itself, with recent news that Broadway theaters will remain shuttered until at least June 7. Broadway Cares, which in normal times supports vulnerable people in the performing arts, has initiated a COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund to help those in the community affected by coronavirus. Donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $1M, so consider supporting them if you can!