Four Village Squares

It’s counterintuitive, but many things are healthier and taste better (and some even last longer) if you allow them to spoil in specific ways. I’m thinking of things like sauerkraut, cheese, pickles, yogurt, green olives, buttermilk, and sourdough. In the warmest part of my kitchen there’s a ceramic bowl of Lactobacillus Sanfranciscensis (San Francisco sourdough starter) happily bubbling away. I feed it about a half cup of flour and a quarter cup of water daily, and once a week I use it to make:

Sourdough Pancakes

1 cup sourdough starter

1 egg

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend well. Lightly grease large pan and bring to medium-high heat. Pour in about 1/4 cup of batter. When the whole surface is bubbly and edges are slightly dry, flip the pancake. As soon as pancake is set, remove from heat and serve. Repeat with remaining batter.