Sourdough Discard Kimchi Pancake

This Sourdough discard kimchi pancake is a delicious way to use up any extra starter!

One of my absolute favorite ways to use up extra sourdough discard is making this kimchi pancake.

A friend of mine sent me a recipe for sourdough okonomiyaki, which I loved! But then I had the idea to substitute kimchi in place of the cabbage and carrots, and it worked. Boy did it work.

It’s a fusion of Japanese and Korean inspired flavors, and it’s wonderful.

This is the perfect weeknight meal when I really don’t feel like cooking, but also don’t want takeout. The flavors are phenomenal, but it doesn’t take a lot of effort to make.

And all three of my kids love it, which makes it a definite winner (no whining about supper is golden).

Okay, let’s make it!

Video Tutorial

Here’s a quick video overview of the recipe in case you prefer to learn by watching. The full written tutorial and printable recipe are below!

Ingredient Notes:

Here are the essential ingredients you’ll need:

• Sourdough Starter: It’s totally fine to use either an active starter or sourdough discard in this recipe. It’s best not to use really old, extremely sour and runny starter, though. I keep my starter at 100% hydration, so keep that in mind. You may have different results if you feed your starter at a different hydration percentage.
• Eggs: Please use large eggs here!
• Kimchi: My favorite store-bought kimchi is the Lucky Foods Seoul Kimchi. The original flavor is the best, but the vegan version is still delicious. It’s already chopped into bite sized pieces, so I don’t even chop it before adding it to the batter. If your kimchi is in large chunks, you’ll want to give it a good chop.
• Soy Sauce: This gives the pancake such a wonderful flavor. Don’t skip it!
• Salt: You’ll want to add a bit of salt as well to boost the, well, saltiness! I use unrefined sea salt.
• Sugar: I just recently started adding a tablespoon of sugar to the batter, and it takes it to the next level!
• Green Onion: This is optional, but I like to add a couple of chopped green onions as well. You can still totally make this if you don’t have any on hand though!

Optional Additional Ingredients:

These aren’t strictly necessary, but they take the flavors to the next level!

• Sesame/Seaweed Sprinkles (AKA Furikake): I love to sprinkle this on top of the finished pancake.
• Bacon: I recently started adding chopped bacon for added protein and flavor. I highly recommend.
• Sriracha: This is delicious on top of the pancake. You could even experiment with putting some in the batter if you like your food on the spicier side.
• Mayonnaise: I also like to squirt some mayonnaise on top of the pancake to round everything out.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Weigh out the sourdough starter into a large mixing bowl.

Next, weigh the kimchi on top.

Cut the green onions on top of the kimchi in the bowl.

Of course you can use a cutting board and knife if you prefer.

Finally, add the salt, sugar, and eggs.

Mix everything very well with chopsticks or a whisk.

If you’re including bacon, now is a good time to add it to the batter.

Cooking the Kimchi Pancake:

Preheat two cast iron skillets over medium-high heat for 3 minutes.

Add a generous amount of toasted sesame oil or avocado oil to the pan.

Divide the batter between the two pans.

Turn the heat down to medium.

Cook until the kimchi pancake is well browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes.

Flip and cook until well browned on the bottom as well, about another 2-3 minutes.

You want to make sure to cook the pancake long enough so that it’s cooked all the way through. Sourdough tends to take a little longer to cook all the way through, so keep that in mind.

Serving:

Serve plain or with a drizzle of sriracha and mayonnaise, and sprinkle of Furikake.

Oooooh…those crispy edges are the best!!

I like to cut the pancake into smaller pieces with scissors as this makes it easier to bit into.

You could also transfer it to a cutting board and chop it with a chef’s knife.

Storing:

We never have leftovers, but you can store any in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Reheat in a pan over low heat, or in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer.

Substitutions:

• You can substitute other thinly sliced veggies for all or part of the kimchi. Cabbage, carrots, or onions would be good choices.
• Instead of bacon, you could use chopped ham.
• If you can’t get your hands on furikake, you could substitute toasted sesame seeds and crushed seaweed snacks.

More Recipes to Explore:

More Sourdough Discard Recipes:

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