The BEST Sourdough Dutch Baby (German Skillet Pancake)

If you've ever thought about making a sourdough Dutch Baby (or sourdough German pancake) then now is the time! This delicious puffy oven pancake can be served with a variety of toppings and uses a good amount of sourdough discard (handy if you need to empty your discard jar). Equally you can use active starter along with simple ingredients to make something truly impressive!

You'll love the crispy, puffed up edges and soft, custardy centre of this sourdough Dutch baby recipe. It's the perfect recipe to make a on an easy Sunday morning, but can be served just as well at a fancy brunch! Grab your cast-iron skillet and let's get whisking to make this easy recipe!

If you love sourdough breakfast recipes, make sure you check out these fluffy sourdough discard pancakes, overnight sourdough blueberry muffins or these no wait sourdough waffles.

Why You'll Love This Recipe!

No Wait Sourdough Recipe - there's no waiting for fermentation with this sourdough discard recipe. You can just mix and bake (although you can allow the batter to rest for a little while if you want to, but it's not essential).

Sweet or Savory - with no added sugar, this sourdough Dutch Baby pancake can be served as a sweet or savory dish. Gotta love versatility, right?

Uses Lots of Sourdough Discard - This is one of those go to recipes when you want to use a lot of sourdough discard.

No Unfermented Flour - this recipe uses sourdough starter or sourdough discard with no extra flour added, so there is no unfermented flour at all.

What is a Dutch Baby Pancake?

The Dutch Baby Pancake, also known as a German pancake or a Dutch puff, is a type of large, oven-baked pancake that puffs up dramatically as it cooks before settling into a golden, airy delight.

Unlike traditional pancakes, Dutch Babies are cooked in a preheated skillet or baking dish, resulting in a unique texture that combines elements of a pancake, popover, and crepe. Sounds good, right? This German pancake is made from a batter consisting of eggs, milk and flour. This recipe has been modified to include sourdough starter or sourdough starter discard.

The origins of the original Dutch Baby pancake are a bit of a mystery. The name "Dutch Baby" likely evolved from the term "Deutsch," meaning German, rather than a connection to the Netherlands. You can read more about it's origins here.

Active Sourdough Starter or Sourdough Discard?

It actually doesn't matter whether you use active sourdough starter or sourdough starter discard for this recipe because neither is acting as the leavening agent for this recipe.

I love using fresh, active sourdough starter for the best flavor, but using sourdough discard (as long as it's not too old) is great too because it eliminates food waste. If you're making this sourdough puff pancake with discard, you want to make sure it really isn't too old or it will add an unpleasant flavor to this recipe.

Check out how long discard really lasts here.

How To Make A Sourdough Dutch Baby German Pancake

Making this sourdough Dutch Baby is much like making Yorkshire puddings or sourdough popovers in that you need to whisk the batter until it's quite thin and then allow it to puff up in a really hot oven. The texture is quite custardy and light. My kids just call it a giant Yorkshire pudding ... full of sourdough starter of course!

​This sourdough Dutch Baby can easily serve 4 people straight out of the cast iron skillet. If you want to feed a crowd, you can slice it into wedges and serve as as side. Equally, you can double the recipe and make two!

I've added vanilla extract and cinnamon to the batter, but if you want a savory version, omit these. Equally, you can experiment with adding other flavors to the batter like almond extract, citrus zest, raisins etc.

Let's Make a Sourdough Dutch Baby!

Preheat your oven to 240C (465F) and place a clean cast iron skillet inside to heat up.

In a large mixing bowl add the sourdough starter, half the butter (reserve the other half for your skillet), milk, eggs, salt, vanilla extract and cinnamon and whisk until it forms a thin batter. It should be thinner than pancake batter (more like a popover batter).

Allow the batter to sit on the counter until the cast iron skillet is at temperature.

When the cast iron skillet is ready, carefully remove it from the oven and allow the half of the melted butter that is left to sizzle all around the pan. You want to get it to go up the sides of the pan too!

Pour the Dutch Baby pancake batter into the hot cast iron skillet and return it to the preheated oven as soon as you can. The quicker you can get it in the hot oven, the better!

Bake the Sourdough Dutch Baby pancake for around 15 to 20 minutes (depending on the size of your skillet - I've used a 12" one).

Once it's puffed and golden, remove it from the oven. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with your favorite toppings.

Tips for Making the Best Sourdough Dutch Baby Pancake

I have tested this recipe over and over and experimented with lots of variables to try and give you the best results, first time! Getting the batter just right can mean the difference between a flat, dense Dutch baby and a super puffy, crispy edged delight!

Preheat Your Oven and Skillet - Achieving the perfect Dutch Baby requires a hot oven and a preheated skillet. Preheat your oven to 465°F (240°C) and place your skillet inside to heat up while you prepare the batter.

Balance the Ingredients - A successful Dutch Baby Pancake relies on a delicate balance of flour, eggs, milk, and sourdough discard. Make sure you weigh your ingredients according to the recipe for the best results.

Use Fresh Eggs - In creating this recipe, I experimented with eggs of different ages (having backyard chickens was handy here). I found that eggs that were less than a week old produced the best puff when it comes to this puffy oven pancake. The best results I got was from using eggs laid that day! Make sure you also check out these sourdough discard recipes that use lots of eggs.

Be Patient - Once you pour the batter into the hot skillet, resist the temptation to open the oven door until the Dutch Baby is fully puffed and golden brown. Interrupting the baking process can cause the pancake to deflate prematurely. (haha this is motivation to clean your oven door so you can see through it without opening it).

Serve Immediately - Dutch Baby Pancakes are best enjoyed straight from the oven while they're still hot and puffy. As they cool, they'll gradually deflate, but fear not—their flavor and texture remain delightful.

Do I Have To Make Sourdough Dutch Baby in a Cast Iron Skillet?

While I would argue this sourdough Dutch Baby looks and tastes amazing baked and served in a cast-iron skillet, you certainly don't have to bake it in one.

This recipe works well baked in a pie dish or pie plate, casserole dish or any oven safe dish that can withstand the high baking temp.

I've used a 12" cast iron skillet - so you would need to measure the size of your dish and adjust the recipe to suit. One of the benefits of weighing ingredients in grams is that you can easily scale it using percentages. Learn about using baker's percentages for sourdough recipes here.

How To Serve Your Sourdough Dutch Baby

A sourdough Dutch Baby Pancake can be served in so many ways! Honestly, this is one of the reasons we eat so many of these ... they're so versatile and can be made with all sorts of delicious toppings to suit even the fussiest of eaters!

We have so much fun coming up with new and exciting ways of eating this delicious sourdough creation! Beyond simple powdered sugar, there are just so many options!

Fresh Berries - Top your Dutch Baby with a vibrant assortment of fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries for a burst of fruity flavor. We love drizzling fresh honey or pure maple syrup on top of the Dutch baby and then piling on loads of fresh berries! It's so simple, yet oh so delicious! And if you're feeling really indulgent, don't forget the whipped cream!

Flavored Butters - try serving your sourdough Dutch Baby with whipped honey cinnamon butter or maple butter or with this fig cream cheese spread. Delicious!

Lemon & Sugar - Squeeze fresh lemon juice all over the hot Dutch Baby straight out of the oven and then sprinkle in fine granulated sugar. It's so good!!!

Homemade Ricotta - one of my favorite ways of serving this delicious breakfast pancake is with a big bowl of fresh homemade ricotta and raspberry coulis. So good! Lemon curd is very nice as an accompaniment with ricotta and raspberry too.

Nutella - Spread a generous layer of creamy Nutella over the Dutch Baby for a decadent chocolatey treat. Go one step further and add a scoop of ice cream or a sprinkling of flaky sea salt.

Sliced Bananas - Arrange slices of ripe banana on top of the pancake for a naturally sweet and creamy addition. Go one step further with some caramel sauce and chopped pecans.

Crispy Bacon - for a savory twist, try some crispy bacon and maple syrup. I even love serving this with poached eggs for something different.

Smoked Salmon - for an indulgent brunch idea, serve your sourdough Dutch Baby topped with smoked salmon and cream cheese or sautéed spinach and feta, or crispy bacon and maple syrup for a delightful flavor combination.

How To Store Sourdough Dutch Baby

I highly recommend baking and eating this sourdough Dutch baby pretty much immediately. You want to capitalise on all those crispy edges and puffiness!

In saying that, if you have leftovers (quite rare here I can assure you) you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It's actually nice eaten in a cold wedge straight from the fridge for a high protein snack. You can also warm it up in the microwave if you prefer. I don't recommend freezing this recipe.

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