Sourdough Discard Pancake Bread (With Maple Glaze)
A soft, tender loaf that tastes like a stack of maple pancakes, made with 100g of unfed sourdough discard and finished with a glossy maple glaze. It has no sour taste, stays soft for days, and can be baked the same day or started the night before.
Servings: 10 Slices
Calories: 395kcal
Equipment
- 9x5 loaf pan
- Parchment paper (optional)
- Digital kitchen scale (this recipe was developed and tested by weight)
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Instant read thermometer
- Aluminum foil
- Small zip top bag
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Loaf
- 370 g all purpose flour 3 cups plus 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp
- 10 g baking powder 2 1/2 tsp
- 3 g baking soda 1/2 tsp
- 4.5 g fine salt 3/4 tsp
- 100 g unfed sourdough discard 100% hydration, room temperature (about 1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp, stirred down)
- 172 g whole milk 1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp plus 3/4 tsp
- 122 g full fat plain Greek yogurt 1/2 cup
- 75 g brown sugar 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp packed
- 75 g granulated sugar 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp
- 105 g maple syrup 1/3 cup
- 100 g eggs room temperature (2 large)
- 6 g vanilla extract 1 1/2 tsp
- 43 g unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled (3 tbsp)
- 54 g avocado oil 4 tbsp
Butter Line (optional)
- 5 g softened unsalted butter for the butter line split optional (1 tsp)
Maple Glaze
- 85 g powdered sugar for the glaze 3/4 cup
- 30 g maple syrup for the glaze 1 1/2 tbsp
- 12 g milk for the glaze added gradually (2 1/4 tsp, plus a few drops if needed)
- Pinch of salt for the glaze
- 1 g maple extract for the glaze optional (1/4 tsp)
Instructions
Loaf
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9x5 loaf pan, or grease it and line it with a parchment sling if you prefer to lift the loaf straight out.
- Make sure the discard and eggs are at room temperature. If the discard is cold from the fridge, let it sit out until it warms up.
- Weigh the flour, then whisk it with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Warm the milk and yogurt together in the microwave in short bursts, stirring between each, just until they reach about 70°F, roughly 30 seconds total. Do not let them get hot, since you are only taking the chill off.
- Whisk the discard into the milk and yogurt until smooth. Whisk in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until the sugars dissolve, then whisk in the melted butter and avocado oil.
- Optional: cover the wet mixture and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour for a softer crumb.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold only until no dry flour remains. The batter will be thick and scoopable, so stop as soon as it comes together.
- Spread the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Do not score it.
- Optional butter line: spoon the softened butter into a small zip top bag, snip a tiny corner, and pipe one pencil thick line lengthwise down the center, pressing the tip lightly against the batter so the butter settles into the surface. Stop about an inch short of each end.
- Let the batter rest in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Bake at 350°F. Tent loosely with foil at 40 minutes. Start checking at 60 minutes and expect about 70 minutes total, until the center reads 200 to 205°F on an instant read thermometer. Do not rely on a toothpick.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, turn or lift the loaf out onto a rack, and cool completely before glazing or slicing.
Maple Glaze
- Whisk the powdered sugar, maple syrup, salt, and maple extract if using. Add the milk a little at a time, whisking, until the glaze is thick but pourable.
- Spoon the glaze over the completely cooled loaf and leave it uncovered to set.
Notes
Discard
Use unfed discard at 100% hydration, at room temperature. Discard left over from a bake in the last day or two works well. If it is cold from the fridge, let it warm up first so it whisks in smoothly. The discard adds flavor and tenderness, not much rise, and the loaf does not taste sour.
Warming the dairy
Cold batter takes longer to bake. Warm the milk and yogurt only until the chill is gone, about 70°F. Check every 20 seconds in the microwave. If you use the optional rest for the wet ingredients, they come to room temperature on their own.
Doneness
Every oven is different, so start checking at 60 minutes and pull the loaf when the center reads 200 to 205°F. A toothpick can come out clean while the center is still underbaked.
Butter line split
The softened butter keeps that strip of the top from setting as quickly, so the loaf splits cleanly along it. Butter that sits on top of the batter can run toward one end as it melts, so press lightly as you pipe. Without it, the loaf bakes with a gently domed top and one soft natural crack.
Overnight fridge option
The night before, whisk the discard into the milk until smooth, whisk in the yogurt, eggs, and avocado oil, then stir in all 370g of flour until no dry flour remains. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let the bowl sit at room temperature for about 1 hour. Whisk the salt, baking powder, and baking soda into both sugars, then whisk in the maple syrup, vanilla, and melted butter. Fold this into the batter until no streaks remain, spread it in the pan, and bake right away with no 10 minute rest. Pull it at 200 to 205°F, allowing a few extra minutes if the batter still feels cool.
Storage
Keep the cooled loaf tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days. Freeze the unglazed loaf or slices for up to 3 months, then thaw at room temperature and glaze.
