Miracle Sourdough Crepes

It’s a Christmas miracle — after nearly 6 months of being completely engrossed in my day job and an intense season of volunteering, I’m finally finding time to write a quick post!!!

And, this may be my shortest blog post ever. You’re welcome.

So aside from the miracle that I found a few quiet hours to write this, what makes these crepes so ‘miraculous’?

• They are so simple and fast to make — if you keep sourdough starter on hand, you literally just need to add eggs. No oil, salt or sugar needed!
• Since they are sourdough-based, any starches/grains/gluten is pre-digested by a combination of naturally occurring yeast and bacteria, making them easier to digest for those who are sensitive to starches/grains/gluten.
• Even without oil, they don’t stick to your pan and make a huge mess, or stick to each other when stacked.
• Plus, they store well in the fridge if you make too many.

… so, kind of a miracle, right?

So easy that my 5 and 7 year old make them on their own.

And during our kitchen renos in the summer, we just hooked up a hot plate on the deck and created an outdoor crepe-making station [That’s right — when our kids have sleep-over guests, we put them to work haha!]

Anyway, here it is:

INGREDIENTS

• Sourdough starter
• Egg(s)
• Optional natural flavour/colour: beet puree, cinnamon, vanilla
• Optional: coconut oil or butter for first crepe

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix together 1 egg for each 1 cup sourdough starter (e.g. 2 cups starter + 2 eggs). That’s it. There’s your batter. You can also add optional flavourings here like cinnamon or vanilla. Or try some purple beet puree (~1/4 cup or so) to give a nice pink colour to your crepes. It should be a pretty drippy consistency, so thin out batter with water, as needed. NOTE: Each 1:1 ratio will yield approximately 5-7 crepes, depending on the size of your crepes. For example, using 2 cups starter + 2 eggs, you will end up with about 10-14 crepes.
2. Heat stainless steal pan to medium (no oil or butter needed here, though you could use a drop just for the first one if you wish).
3. Using a large soup ladle-type spoon, scoop one spoonful of batter directly onto the pan. Immediately lift and tilt pan in a circular motion to spread the batter thinly around the pan. I try to spread the batter into a circle, as large as it will get; however, my kids prefer to tilt the pan and make wonky-shaped crepes, giving them creative names (e.g. “spaceship” or “3 legged elephant”, etc.). Whatever works.
4. Once bubbles start to appear on the surface (typically, less than 1 minute), slide a spatula around the edges of the crepe and flip it. Cook for another few seconds and transfer to a plate. IMPORTANT NOTE: Your first crepe will probably not be a miracle.  There is a saying: “the first pancake never turns out the best”. It is true. Your first crepe is likely going to get a bit stuck and end in a sticky lump. DO NOT give up. This is normal and only happens for the first crepe (yes, sometimes even if you use a bit of butter/oil). I don’t get it, but it’s the way it is. So just dip this mound in some maple syrup and consider it an appetizer.  
5. Repeat step 4 until you’ve used up all your batter. Stack crepes directly on top of each other — again, they will not stick together, so no need to separate them with parchment or anything (*miracle*).
6. Serve with fresh berries, homemade jam, maple syrup, brittle, edible flowers — there really are no rules. These also make great savory crepes — just fill with sauteed mushrooms, greens, goat cheese, whatever.
7. *IF* you don’t devour them all immediately, no worries. Leftover crepes can be stacked flat in a tupperware, stored in the fridge for a couple of days. When you want to eat them, simply reheat in a pan or oven, or eat cold like a wrap.

I hope you love these as much as we do! Enjoy!