Potato Flake Sourdough McGriddle-Style Sandwiches

If you love that sweet-and-savory breakfast sandwich combination, these homemade potato flake sourdough McGriddles are such a fun recipe to make at home.

They are soft, fluffy, lightly sweet, and perfect for layering with sausage, bacon, eggs, and cheese for an easy breakfast sandwich. The long ferment gives them great flavor and also makes them easier to digest, which is one of my favorite parts of using potato flake sourdough in recipes like this.

These are great for make-ahead breakfasts, weekend brunches, or stocking the freezer with simple breakfast sandwiches for the whole family on busy weekday mornings.

They make such a nourishing breakfast, especially when filled with eggs, cheese, and sausage, and they have just a little hint of sweetness from the maple syrup that kids love!

Why You’ll Love These

These homemade McGriddles are:

• Soft and fluffy
• Lightly sweet with maple flavor
• Great for breakfast sandwiches
• Easy to make ahead
• Long fermented for better digestibility
• Freezer friendly

They have that homemade-from-scratch feel while still being practical enough for real life.

What Are Homemade McGriddles?

For this recipe, the “McGriddle” part is the soft pancake-style bread used for the sandwich. They are cooked on a skillet or griddle and have a soft texture with just a little sweetness from the maple syrup.

They work perfectly for breakfast sandwiches with:

• Sausage
• Bacon
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Ham

Or you can eat them plain with a little butter if you want something simple.

Why Use Potato Flake Sourdough?

Potato flake sourdough works so well in recipes like this because it gives a soft texture and fits naturally into an overnight ferment.

This recipe is mixed up ahead of time, left to ferment so the wild yeast can do their work, and then baking powder is added right before cooking. That gives you the benefits of fermentation while still helping the finished McGriddles cook up light and fluffy. 

Long fermented recipes are often easier to digest, and that is one of the biggest reasons I enjoy making so many potato flake sourdough recipes this way. If this is your first time hearing about potato flake sourdough bread, the starter is fed with potato flakes, warm water, and 3/4 cup sugar. It’s simple to make your own starter, I hope you give it a try!

Tools You’ll Need

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You do not need anything complicated for this recipe. Here are the basics:

• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk or wooden spoon
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Kitchen scale
• Plastic wrap, beeswax wrap, or lid for covering the bowl
• Cast iron skillet or griddle
• Spatula
• Measuring scoop or spoon for portioning
• Metal crumpet rings
• Pastry brush 

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (320 grams)
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2/3 cup active potato flake starter
• 6 Tablespoons melted butter (salted)
• 2 eggs
• 4 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• Avocado oil for brushing

Ingredient Notes

Active potato flake starter

Use active starter for this recipe since the batter is fermenting before cooking. A recently fed, bubbly starter works best.

Maple syrup

This gives the McGriddles their signature sweet breakfast flavor. It adds a slightly sweet taste without making them overly sweet.

Baking powder

Do not mix in the baking powder at the beginning. It gets added after fermentation, right before cooking.

How to Make Potato Flake Sourdough McGriddles

Mix the batter

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, milk, active potato flake starter, melted salted butter, eggs, maple syrup, and salt.

Do not add the baking powder yet.

Stir until everything is fully combined.

Ferment

Cover the bowl and allow the batter to ferment at room temperature for 8 hours.

If you want to ferment it longer, you can place it in the refrigerator and let it ferment for up to 48 hours.

This fermentation time helps develop flavor and also helps make the finished McGriddles easier to digest.

Add the baking powder

Once fermentation is finished, stir in the baking powder until fully incorporated.

Cook

Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-low to medium heat.

To get that perfect McGriddle shape, place metal crumpet rings onto the hot pan or griddle and lightly brush the inside of each ring with avocado oil to help prevent sticking. Let the rings preheat slightly before pouring in the batter.

Once the rings are warm, scoop the batter into each ring, filling about half way full. This helps the McGriddles hold their shape and gives them that more uniform breakfast sandwich look.

If you want even more of that classic McGriddle-style flavor, you can lightly drizzle or swirl a small amount of additional maple syrup onto the tops while they cook. You do not need much.

Cook until the batter begins to set and bubbles start to form on top. Carefully remove the rings, then flip and cook the other side until golden brown and cooked through.

Since these are thicker than regular pancakes, keeping the heat at medium-low to medium will help the centers cook through evenly without the outside getting too dark. Cooking times vary so its best to start out low and make adjustments when you see how your stove and pan cook the McGriddles.  

Serve

Serve warm or use them to make breakfast sandwiches with your favorite fillings.

Optional Maple Syrup Swirl

If you want these to feel even more like a homemade McGriddle, adding a little extra maple syrup while cooking is a great option.

After scooping the batter into the rings, lightly drizzle or swirl a small amount of maple syrup over the top before flipping. This gives little pockets of extra maple flavor throughout.

Just be careful not to use too much, since too much syrup can cause them to brown too fast or get sticky on the skillet or griddle.

Tips for the Best McGriddles

• Keep the heat at medium-low to medium so they cook through evenly
• Do not add the baking powder before fermentation
• Brush the crumpet rings with avocado oil before adding the batter
• Let the rings preheat slightly on the cast iron pan or griddle before pouring in the batter
• Use only a small amount of extra syrup if doing the maple swirl option
• If syrup starts building up on the pan, wipe it between batches
• Use a scoop to keep them uniform for sandwiches

Serving Ideas

These are perfect for homemade breakfast sandwiches. A few delicious way to fill your McGriddle sandwiches are:

• Sausage, egg, and cheese of your choice
• Bacon, egg, and cheese of your choice
• Ham and cheddar
• Sausage and cheese of your choice
• Fried egg with a little extra maple syrup

They are also good just warmed up with butter.

Make-Ahead and Freezer Instructions

These work really well for meal prep.

Refrigerator

Store cooked McGriddles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freezer

Let them cool completely, then place parchment paper between each one and freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container.

Reheating

Reheat in the microwave, toaster oven, or in a skillet over low heat until warmed through.

If you make them into full breakfast sandwiches ahead of time, wrap them individually before storing.

How to Turn Them Into Breakfast Sandwiches

Once the McGriddles are cooked, you can use them just like sandwich bread for breakfast sandwiches.

Try adding:

• Sausage patties
• Scrambled or fried eggs
• Bacon
• Cheese slices

They are great fresh, but they are also really handy to make in batches and freeze.

Substitutions and Notes

• All purpose flour: Works well here for a soft texture, if using bread flour the texture will be slightly chewier.
• Salted butter: The added salt in the recipe balances well with salted butter if using unsalted butter add 1/4 teaspoon more of salt.
• Milk: Whole milk gives a rich texture, but other milk options should still work
• Starter: Active starter is best for this long fermented recipe, although discard starter can still be used as long as the baking powder is not eliminated.

FAQ

Do I have to ferment these for 8 hours?

If you want the long fermented version, yes. You can also refrigerate the batter and ferment it longer, up to 48 hours.

Why is the baking powder added after fermentation?

Adding it after fermentation helps the batter keep its lift for cooking, which gives a fluffier final texture.

Can I ferment this in the fridge?

Yes. After mixing everything except the baking powder, you can refrigerate it and ferment for up to 48 hours.

Do I need to use rings?

If you want that classic McGriddle look, yes. Metal crumpet rings help the batter hold its shape and make the finished McGriddles much more uniform for breakfast sandwiches. If you don’t it will act more like a pancake batter and won’t rise as tall and will come out more flat.

Can I add extra maple syrup while cooking?

Yes. You can lightly drizzle or swirl a small amount of real maple syrup onto each one while it cooks for more classic McGriddle-style flavor. Just keep the heat low enough so it does not burn.

Are these very sweet?

No, they are lightly sweet. They are meant to have that sweet-and-savory breakfast sandwich flavor. You could make them sweeter by adding more maple syrup. 

Can I use discard instead of active starter?

Since this one is meant to ferment, active starter is the better choice, however discard starter can be used but you will want to be sure to use the additional leavening agent.

Troubleshooting

They are sticking to the rings

Make sure the inside of the rings is brushed with avocado oil and let the rings preheat slightly before adding the batter.

They are browning too fast

Turn the heat down a bit. These cook best when they have time to cook through slowly. Cooking time will need to be adjusted throughout as the pan gets hotter as well, especially if using cast iron. 

The maple syrup is making the skillet sticky

Use less syrup and wipe the pan or griddle between batches if needed.

They are not all the same size

Using crumpet rings solves most of that and gives them a much more uniform sandwich shape.

Pin for later and share with a friend:

These potato flake sourdough McGriddles are such a fun homemade breakfast recipe. They are soft, lightly sweet, and perfect for breakfast sandwiches, and the long ferment gives them extra flavor while also making them easier to digest.

Using metal crumpet rings really helps give them that classic McGriddle shape, and the optional maple syrup swirl makes them feel even more like that familiar breakfast sandwich, but with a homemade touch.

If you love using your potato flake sourdough starter in creative ways, this is definitely a recipe worth making.