Beginning the night before, mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, and enough water to make a batter

Add this right into your starter crock

Next morning the starter should be fermenting at a low level, so pour out an amount equal to what you added the night before into a large bowl

Put the remaining starter back in storage and proceed with the batter

To this add eggs, canned milk, water, soda, and salt.

Beat hard

If you like thin pancakes- and western pancakes are generally thin-add water to make a thin batter

For authentic sour flavor-go easy on the soda, or leave out the soda altogether

Cook on a heavy iron griddle, using a little vegetable oil. If you prefer regular white flour pancakes, leave out the cornmeal after the original fermentation of sourdough

Use all white flour instead

Or you can use a mixture of white flour and buckwheat or white flour and farina, giving different flavors and textures

It is best to make a thin gruel of the farina if it is used.