Home bakers who want to use sourdough
You want to use a starter and can plan ahead. Jumbo says it takes 3 to 6 days to make a starter; if you already have one, you can skip that step.
Which approach is right for you?
Cooks who want to choose their own savoury toppings
You’re looking for a pancake base to pair with, for example, cheese or vegetables, and want to know which grains and other ingredients are in the mix. A plain or classic mix lets you choose your toppings separately.
Bakers who want to keep preparation to a minimum
You want to make batter without having to get lots of separate ingredients ready. With a complete mix, don’t just look at what you need to add: the product may already contain milk and egg.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide whether baking with sourdough matters more to you than a quick preparation. Then compare the additional ingredients required and how much you want to make for the table.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sourdough or regular mix | Look for an explicit mention of sourdough or sourdough starter on a packaged mix. Allow time if you’re making your own starter. | If I want to bake with sourdough, I want to know before the evening whether I need to prepare a starter. For around 50% of consumers, a clearly stated sourdough ingredient would be the most important consideration. |
| A base for savoury toppings | Compare the types of flour in plain and classic mixes, and check which ingredients you’ll need to add yourself. | When choosing my own savoury toppings, I want to decide what goes into the batter in addition to the mix. For around 30% of consumers, that freedom of choice would come first. |
| Minimal preparation | Compare the preparation instructions, stated yield and ingredients of complete mixes. | When I’m making pancakes for a small gathering, I want to get as few separate ingredients ready as possible. For around 20% of consumers, minimal preparation would be the deciding factor. |
Common mistakes
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Mistaking a regular mix for a sourdough mix
Labels such as plain, original and multigrain don’t, by themselves, confirm that a mix contains sourdough. You can’t tell whether it’s suitable for your preferred sourdough method from the product name alone.
Check that the packaging explicitly mentions sourdough or sourdough starter. If that’s essential for you, consider making batter with your own starter.
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Looking only at the ingredients you need to add
A complete mix that only requires water may already contain milk and egg. So the preparation instructions don’t tell you everything about what’s in the product.
For the variant you choose, read both the preparation instructions and the full ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging.
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Forgetting to plan for the number of pancakes
The stated yield varies from pack to pack. This is especially important if the pancakes and toppings are the main meal.
Compare the yield on the packaging with the number of people you’re serving, rather than looking only at the pack weight.
Brands to consider
Koopmans
Koopmans offers classic, wholemeal, gluten-free and complete pancake mixes, among other options.
- Koopmans says its Pannenkoeken Origineel mix contains wheat, oats and buckwheat. According to the preparation instructions, you only need to add water to Pannenkoeken Compleet.
- These variants won’t meet a preference for baking with sourdough unless the product explicitly says so. Check the allergens for each variant.
Jumbo
Jumbo offers a plain pancake mix and separately explains how to make your own sourdough starter.
- Jumbo Naturel lists wheat, buckwheat and oat flour. If you want to make your own starter, Jumbo recommends allowing 3 to 6 days for preparation.
- The starter recipe doesn’t make the plain pancake mix a sourdough product.
PLUS
PLUS offers plain and complete pancake mixes with different preparation instructions.
- For PLUS Complete, the preparation instructions say to add water.
- The ingredients list for PLUS Complete includes milk and egg. So if you want to avoid these ingredients, you’ll need to look beyond the preparation instructions.
Belbake
Belbake is Lidl’s own brand, which makes an original pancake mix.
- Lidl states that this 400 g pack makes around 12 pancakes.
- Check the packaging if the ingredients, allergens or a sourdough claim are important to your choice.
Albona
Albona is ALDI’s own brand, which makes a multigrain baking mix for pancakes.
- ALDI describes its multigrain variant as a 400 g pack.
- If you specifically want to bake with sourdough, check that the product you choose explicitly mentions it.
Pancake mixes on Joybuy
These mixes are options for pancakes with your choice of savoury toppings, or for a preparation that requires fewer additional ingredients. If you specifically want to use sourdough, check that the product you choose explicitly says so on the packaging.
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Koopmans Original pancake mix 400 g
A classic mix to consider if you want to choose your own savoury toppings.
Pack size: 400 g. Check the packaging for the ingredients you need to add, any allergens and whether sourdough is explicitly mentioned.
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Koopmans Wholegrains pancake mix 400 g
A Wholegrains variant to compare if you want to make pancakes with savoury toppings.
Pack size: 400 g. Check the packaging for the types of grain, any additional ingredients required and allergen information. Also look for any mention of sourdough.
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Koopmans Pancakes Complete 210 g
A complete mix to consider if you want to get fewer separate ingredients ready for preparation.
Pack size: 210 g. Check how much it makes, the preparation instructions and the ingredients and allergen information. The name Complete doesn’t confirm that it contains sourdough.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a regular pancake mix as a sourdough mix?
A regular pancake mix isn’t automatically a sourdough mix. Check whether the product you choose explicitly mentions sourdough or sourdough starter. If you want to make your own starter, allow for the 3 to 6 days Jumbo says this step takes.
Which allergens should I check in pancake mix?
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging you choose, even if you only need to add water. Jumbo Naturel lists wheat and oats, among other ingredients; the complete mixes described may contain milk and egg.
Is a complete pancake mix free from milk and egg?
Not necessarily: only having to add water tells you about the preparation, not all the ingredients. The ingredients list for PLUS Complete includes milk and egg, so check the composition of the specific mix you buy.
Can I eat Koopmans Origineel batter raw?
No. According to the product information for Koopmans Pannenkoekenmix Origineel from PLUS, the batter isn’t intended to be eaten raw and must be cooked through.