What are oladi you ask? Oladi are fluffy little Russian pancakes. Although they are traditionally made with a yeasted batter they are also easily whipped up with your beautifully soured sourdough starter discard. Combine that with nutrient-dense buckwheat flour, seasonal strawberries, local honey and good-for-the-gut yogurt, and we’re talking healthy pancakes.
Ingredients
- ½ cup sourdough starter discard
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon raw cane sugar (optional)
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- Good pinch salt
- 1 egg
- Milk as needed
- Butter or oil to bake the pancakes, as needed
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon local honey
- 1 pint ripe strawberries
- 1 tablespoon raw cane sugar
- Pinch fresh-ground black pepper
Preparation
Step 1
Combine sourdough discard, flour, cacao, sugar (optional), yogurt and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix in the egg. If the batter is too stiff, add a little milk as you go. The final batter should be thick (like oatmeal, or polenta). Cover with a tea towel and leave to set in a warm spot in your house for at least one hour.
Step 2
While waiting for the batter to proof, cut the strawberries in half lengthwise (quarter bigger ones). Combine in a bowl with sugar and black pepper and leave on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes, or do the night before and let sit overnight (covered).
Combine Greek yogurt and honey in a bowl. Set aside.
Step 3
Heat a nonstick skillet and brush lightly with butter or oil over medium-high heat. Take the pan off heat and drop in a heaping soup spoon of batter and repeat 2–3 times, or as many times as fit the surface of your skillet without crowding the pancakes. Do this quickly, then return the pan to heat. Once the batter on top is firming up, flip them over and cook for another minute. Transfer the cooked pancakes to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.
While oladi are at their best hot off the skillet, they do keep well 1–2 days in an airtight container. To reheat, place them on a baking sheet and bake for about 5–8 minutes at 350°F.
Step 4
Top with yogurt and strawberries - enjoy!
NOTE: Don't have sourdough starter? Maybe one of your friends is a sourdough baker and has a little sourdough starter discard to spare (all you need is 1/2 cup for the recipe, after all). Or, you can replace the sourdough starter discard with yeast:
1 tsp dry active yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
The rest of the recipe remains the same but I suggest you let the batter rise for about an hour.
About this recipe
To serve: Put a dollop of honey yogurt on each warm pancake and divide strawberries as needed.
