So, I’ve been taking a small break from everything. Kind of involuntary but definitely necessary. Truth is I’ve been tired. Really tired. Exhausted to be honest. Trying to figure out which direction I want to go in. I’d like to blog more often but when thinking about what to make, I can’t come up with anything. My mind is blank. So I decided to take a step back and make a sourdough starter.
There is something so relaxing and therapeutic about sourdough. Watching it come alive, and bubble up over the edge of the jar. I know, it still involves baking but I wanted to do it just for the fun of it. And also, is there anything better than a slice of good sourdough bread with lots of salted butter? If you don’t have sourdough starter at home, you can totally make these pancakes anyway – just omit the starter from the recipe. I do like the tanginess it adds though!
SPELT SOURDOUGH PANCAKES
Yields 8-10 small pancakes
INGREDIENTS
- 30 g unsalted butter + extra for frying
- 150 g (1 cup) spelt flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. demerara sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) milk
- 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) yogurt
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp. sourdough starter (can be omitted)
- 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla powder
- maple syrup, to serve
INSTRUCTIONS
- Melt the butter in a skillet or saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is brown and smells nutty. Set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.
- In a small bowl, stir together the milk, yogurt, egg and sourdough starter.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, then stir in the melted butter and vanilla until completely smooth. Let the batter rest att room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Heat up a frying pan with some butter. Fry about 2 tbsp of batter for each pancake. Flip when tops are bubbly, then fry until golden brown.
- Serve with maple syrup, fresh berries or jam.
No one eats a stack of pancakes that huge. Plus, why are there random flower petals around the plate? And why is the napkin already messed up, yet no silverware is shown? It all adds up to a very unrealistic and contrived scene.
Haha, ooooh thank you for informing me ?? If you’d take the time to look through my blog, you can see this is what most posts look like. If it bothers you, you are more than free to stop checking my blog 🙂
LOL, John is one frustrated guy.
Good you took time to rest, Linda. I can totally relate. And if you feel the need to do it more, just do it! (did I pick this line somewhere? Don’t know! Maybe! ;-))
All the best and hugs! xx
He sure is! Haha. Love that mansplaining 😉
Thing is I’m not really testing though, just stressing out about not doing anything. Not good! I have no idea how to relax. Hope you’re well! Lots of hugs xx
This kind of comment is so unnecessary, John. If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. I think we’d all eat a stack of pancakes that large any day if we wouldn’t get huge!
Linda, I love your blog and everything you make! Good luck figuring out more things to bake… I’m a big believer in astrology and it’s about to be Mercury retrograde (look it up if you don’t quite know what that means), so make sure to take time to look inward and you’ll get through the block. It just might be a slow month but you’ll have a breakthrough soon enough. 🙂
Hi Hanna! Totally agree. I understand when people leave constructive criticism but this is just odd. I feel like food styling today is highly “unrealistic”. That’s the beauty of it.
Thank you for the support!! I think I read that somewhere, need to read more! 🙂 xx
OMG John…when I read your comment I felt instantly sorry for you. What a bland, dull and unimaginative mind you must have…*sighs* and insidious to top it off…mmm…Linda you are greatly missed but we undertand, so do whatever you feel you must, we will be waiting for you.
What exactly were you expecting to see? Just one pancake with nothing else around it? It’s called food styling and food photography, which is amazing, and adds to the scene in what the author is trying to convey. If you even take the time to look around the web, at advertisements of food, in menus, on restaurant websites, you will clearly see that this is pretty much the norm.
I personally think this is beautifully done. A shame that you feel all food photos have to be realistic in order for you to feel pleased.
Her photography is unique and beautiful. She has her own style that is almost mystical. You obviously don’t know much about food photography and should have more of an open mind.
I`ve missed you Linda! Your blog is very comforting to me, and is a really nice new you`re back! I use to visit it for escape of this exhausting world and looking for some inspiration, sometimes everybody gets blank as you’ve said…and, today I fall down to your pages and you`re back with these beauties…
I want you to know I can`t wait more for the translated edition of Lomelino`s Pajer…please November came already!! hahahaha… 😉
Pleased to have you back!
You are just too sweet, Maria!! That makes me so happy to hear 🙂
Yes, true! I think I just need to find ways to relax my brain and let it rest. Not force myself to be creative every day even though I love it.
Haha, aww! Well, I truly hope you’ll enjoy the pie book <3 <3
wow , haha this is my exact situation! finding it hard to feel inspired… ive been thinking about pulling my starter out from the depths of the fridge (hopefully it’s not dead!) and these pancakes look like the perfect way to welcome it back xx
I’m not sure what it is.. summer maybe? I always feel more inspired come September and October. It feels like a new start somehow. Sometimes we need breaks from it all though.
Ahh, hope your starter is alive!!
Hope you’re doing well, Fatimah xx
Hello Linda, I am very happy that you come back 😉 . I missed your absence. Miam ! Your pancakes are delicious. We tried the recipes. When your book Lomelino’s Pies and My Sweet Kitchen will be translate in French ? Xx
Hello Florence! Thank you for your super sweet comment 🙂 So glad you enjoyed the recipe!! The pie book will not be translated into French as far as I know and My Sweet Kitchen is the same as Journal D’une Food Styliste 🙂
xx
Hi dear Linda, always love seeing your posts and your beautiful work! <3 You created so many wonderful things, photos, recipes, books etc that it's not strange that your brain/body need some time to switch off, relax and not to be forced into creating but rather waiting it to happen naturally. Whenever you feel like making/baking/creating, we are here for you! Sending you lots of love from Croatia! Lili xx
Hello dear Lili! Thank you so much for all your support, Lili! It means the world. You’re absolutely right! That’s the difficult thing about always looking ahead, you just want to create new things and forget the things you have already created. Well, both good and bad I suppose. Lots of hugs! xx
You know how they say – absence makes the heart grow fonder! Take your time and try to enjoy it – the spark eventually always comes back. And of course – I love the light in these photos, interesting how the right setting can make something quite regular as a pancake look – magic!
Thank you for your kind comment, Ana-Marija. You are absolutely right in that! It’s hard to accept, but maybe I should just do that and the pressure will come off 🙂 xx