Banana sourdough pancakes

About a year and a half ago, I found myself wanting to bake some bread, only to realize that I did not have any yeast, so I decided to try making my sourdough starter. Those familiar with growing your starter know that you need to feed it regularly to keep it fresh and alive. But before you replenish the fuel for the culture to grow, you need to discard most of it (you will have to leave about a third of the existing volume). I would bet that "discard what?" must be a usual reaction. Throw food in the garbage? No. Nope. So I resorted to browsing the internet to find ways to use the discarded portion and not dispose of it in the garbage bin. There are plenty of suggestions on what to do with your sourdough discards. Other than tossing it into the compost pile, of course.

You may find recipes for cakes, pizza dough, and yes, pancakes. In the beginning, you may wonder if anything you try will turn out too acid, too chewy, too whatever. I tried a recipe for pizza dough, and it was good. I think I even tried a forgettable cake recipe. But pancakes happened to be a hit, especially when I made them from overripe bananas or plantains. I did not need too many ingredients. In addition to the starter discards, I used fruit, flour, oats, some liquid, and any flavorings I felt like adding.

Ripe bananas and plantains pack much flavor--and sugar--and have a texture that makes them adaptable to different types of sweet treats. But as I told you before, today is about pancakes. I have made banana sourdough pancakes many times before. I have made them with and without eggs, milk, or fat, and every time the result was delicious. The following is the recipe I mixed a few days ago. I hope you enjoy it.

Banana sourdough pancakes
(makes about 8, 10 cm diameter pancakes)

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas, peeled
2 tablespoons sugar (optional, if bananas are not fully ripe)
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons sourdough discards
1/4 baking soda
2 teaspoons chia seeds
Coconut oil to grease the pan

Directions

1. In a bowl, mash two of the bananas (you can either use a fork or a potato masher. In my case, the bananas were not very ripe, and the potato masher was a better option). Cut the remaining banana in small chunks; set aside. You can mash or puree the bananas as you like
2. Add eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and half the water. Mix well.
3. Stir in the sourdough. Add the baking soda. (Here, baking soda is double-purpose: it helps the pancakes rise and counter the acidity from the sourdough). It does not matter if your sourdough starter is thick or thin; whichever will do.
4. Spoon the oil in the mix and beat lightly. Add the chopped banana.
5. Add the flour and fold the mix. Then sprinkle the chia seeds, and add the rest of the water. Fold the mixture and let rest for a few minutes while the pan is heating on medium-high. Measure a loose cup of flour. Wait after mixing the chia.
6. Grease the pan with a little oil, and add about two spoonfuls of the batter. When they start to puff a bit, and bubbles start to appear (after about 2 minutes), flip the pancakes. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Serve or reserve on a warm plate until you finish cooking them.
   
   The batter may be difficult to spread as disks because of the banana chunks.

• Remember to grease the pan between batches. It results in softer pancakes.