Let's make some dough!

A lot of popular "sourdough" pancake recipes have a secret.

They don't rise on sourdough.

Read the ingredients. You'll find baking soda, and often baking powder too.

That's a bait and switch. The name says sourdough. The lift comes from somewhere else.

Sometimes it's even worse. The "starter" isn't sourdough at all. It's a poolish, or sponge: flour, water, sugar and packaged yeast, mixed yesterday. It sits on the counter overnight. It bubbles. Then they call it sourdough.

It's the same move some bakeries make when they put commercial yeast and souring agents in a loaf and label it sourdough.

Real sourdough is a wild culture. It's yeast and bacteria that live in your dough. Nothing comes from a packet. It's all natural, and it's a process with significant health benefits. (See also: Health.)

So what are those pancakes really? They're baking soda pancakes. The sourdough, if there is any, and the yeast are extra steps that only make them sound fancy.

If tang and fluff are what you want, use the tried and true traditional choice.

Buttermilk.

Buttermilk brings the tang, and that's the secret. Baking soda reacts with its acid and makes the bubbles. You'll have pancakes in 15 minutes. There's no crock on the counter, no extra steps, and no unnecessary ingredients.

Want it simple? Use a commercial pancake mix instead of the recipe below, and make it with buttermilk.

Don't like buttermilk? That's OK. I don't like raw flour. Use the buttermilk in the recipe below, and you'll have a new favorite.

Breaducation Buttermilk Pancakes

Serves 4 (3 to 4 pancakes each).

Ingredients

• 240 g all-purpose flour

• 25 g sugar

• 8 g baking powder

• 6 g baking soda

• 3 g salt

• 480 g buttermilk

• 100 g eggs (2 large)

• 57 g melted butter

Steps

1. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

2. In a second bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter.

3. Pour the wet into the dry. Stir until just combined. Lumps are fine.

4. Let the batter rest 5 minutes.

5. Heat a lightly greased skillet over medium heat.

6. Pour about ¼ cup of batter per pancake.

7. Flip when bubbles form across the top and the edges look set.

8. Cook about 1 more minute, until golden.

Sources: popular "sourdough" pancake recipes reviewed

• Kent Rollins – Sourdough Pancakes

• King Arthur – Classic Sourdough Pancakes or Waffles

• America's Test Kitchen – Sourdough Discard Pancakes

• Leelalicious – Sourdough Pancakes

Until next time, let's give thanks for our daily bread…