An important part of keeping a sourdough starter alive and happy is regular feedings. Feeding the starter involves adding equal parts flour and water, at least doubling the volume of starter. A good measure of a starters health is that about 6-10 hours after feeding, the starter will double in volume again with CO2 bubbles.

Some people don't feed their starter enough, just adding a little flour and water. This inhibiting the growth of the bacteria and yeasts, reducing the health of your starter and eventually resulting in bland tasting bread. The problem is that if you are feeding it enough and you don't bake a lot of bread, you wind up throwing out a lot of starter. Some people (like me) hate throwing away what is basically food.

This morning, when feeding my starter I tried making sourdough pancakes for the first time and WOW! I took a bite before putting anything on them and wound up finishing them off without butter or syrup. The were amazing and so easy!

2 cups sourdough starter
1 egg
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix all the ingredients except the baking soda. Add a little flour to adjust consistency and mix in the baking soda.

This is a great way to start your day and use up extra sourdough starter.