Sourdough Blueberry & Flax seed Pancakes

By Michael Joyce

Everyone should have a solid pancake recipe in their back pocket for those lazy Sunday mornings when you want to put together a quick, comforting breakfast.  When those first, beautiful blueberries of the summer start to pop and my refrigerator starts to get crammed with berries just begging to be eaten, I reach for this recipe.  Blueberry pancakes never fail to be a crowd favorite.  Not blueberry season?  Just leave them out or add in chocolate chips instead.  These pancakes are also delicious on their own.  The addition of flax seeds lends a subtle nuttiness to the pancakes and an extra burst of Omega-3 goodness.  This recipe is also great for those of you making sourdough bread at home and are finding yourself with way too much starter on hand. 

1. Preheat your oven to 225 degrees along with your cast iron pan.
2. Place egg yolks, milk, yogurt, starter and vanilla in a medium size bowl.  Grate the zest of your lemon into the bowl.  With a rubber spatula, gently mix together.  
3. In a separate bowl, combine and mix together the flour, baking soda & powder, salt, sugar and flax seed.  
4. Add your dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients.  With the spatula, gently fold together until just barely combined.  Be careful to not overwork.  
5. Carefully add your room temperature, melted butter to the batter and combine. 
6. In a clean, dry bowl add your egg whites.  With a whisk, vigorously stir the whites in one direction.  Continue whipping until you achieve soft peaks.  In two additions, gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter.  
7. Add your washed blueberries to the batter and fold together being careful to not burst the berries.  
8. Allow batter to rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before cooking. 
9. Remove your cast iron pan from the oven.  Place on a low and add a splash of canola oil and a tablespoon of butter.  Once the butter melts, add one ladle of batter.   Cook until golden brown on one side, about 3-4 minutes.  Flip pancake and cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Remove from the pan and place in the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining pancakes.  
10. Serve with the best quality honey or maple syrup, additional berries, flax and some torn fresh mint. 

Enjoy!

Michael Joyce is a Philly-based chef and local food advocate. Spending his career in kitchens devoted to seasonality and sustainability such as Blue Hill, Bolete Restaurant and most recently Barbuzzo. He believes that cooking through the seasons and as close to the source as possible, is not only satisfying and inspiring, but critical to the health of our local communities.