Sourdough Dosa

Name: Sourdough Dosa
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: South Indian
Ingredients: ½ cup (100 g) split, skinned urad dal (white lentils), rinsed 3 times until the water runs mostly clear; ½ tsp (2 g) fenugreek seeds, whole; 2 cups (480 ml) water, room temperature, for soaking; ½ cup (120 ml) water, cold, for grinding; 1 cup (140 g) white rice flour, spooned and leveled; ¾ cup (180 g) sourdough discard (100% hydration), unfed, at room temperature; 1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar (optional); ¾ cup (180 ml) water, cool, plus up to ¼ cup (60 ml) more if needed; 3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil or melted ghee, in a small bowl for drizzling

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crisp, golden South Indian crepes made with a fermented urad dal and rice flour batter boosted by sourdough discard. The discard adds gentle tang and speeds up fermentation, so you get lacy, crackly dosas with very little fuss.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 30 min
Wait: 14 hr 10 min
Total: 15 hr 10 min
Makes: About 12 dosas (7–8 inches / 18–20 cm each)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the batter
½ cup (100 g) split, skinned urad dal (white lentils), rinsed 3 times until the water runs mostly clear
½ tsp (2 g) fenugreek seeds, whole
2 cups (480 ml) water, room temperature, for soaking
½ cup (120 ml) water, cold, for grinding
1 cup (140 g) white rice flour, spooned and leveled
¾ cup (180 g) sourdough discard (100% hydration), unfed, at room temperature
To finish the batter
1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar (optional)
¾ cup (180 ml) water, cool, plus up to ¼ cup (60 ml) more if needed
For cooking
3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil or melted ghee, in a small bowl for drizzling

Equipment (8)

Large bowl for soaking, 2-quart (2 L) capacity
High-speed blender or wet grinder
Large non-metallic or stainless bowl, 4-quart (4 L), for fermenting
10-inch (25 cm) cast-iron skillet, flat tawa, or nonstick skillet
Ladle or ¼-cup (60 ml) measuring cup
Thin metal spatula
Folded damp kitchen towel
Plate or clean towel to cover the bowl loosely

Steps

Before you start

Plan ahead: the dal soaks 4 hours and the batter ferments 8–12 hours, so start the day before (for example, soak mid-afternoon, grind in the evening, cook the next morning).
Use unfed sourdough discard at 100% hydration (equal weights flour and water). Stiffer or wetter discard will change the batter thickness, so adjust the thinning water.
You need a blender or wet grinder that can make a very smooth paste. A high-speed blender works if you grind in two batches with cold water.
Find a warm spot (78–85°F / 25–29°C) for fermenting, such as an oven with only the light on. Cooler kitchens need the full 12 hours or more.

1
Soak dal and fenugreek
- Rinse the urad dal in a bowl, swirling and draining 3 times.
- Return it to the 2-quart bowl with the fenugreek seeds and 2 cups (480 ml) room-temperature soak water.
- Let stand uncovered on the counter for 4 hours.
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Ready when: Dal is plump and a grain crushes easily between your fingers with no hard center
Tip: Do not soak longer than 6 hours in a hot kitchen, or the dal may start to smell sour before grinding.
2
Grind to fluffy paste
- Drain the dal and fenugreek well, discarding the soak water.
- Add to a blender with ½ cup (120 ml) cold water.
- Blend on high for 3–4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides, until completely smooth.
- If your blender struggles, grind in two batches and divide the water.
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Ready when: Paste is silky with no grit, pale, and noticeably fluffy and thick like soft whipped cream
Tip: Use cold water and pause if the blender gets hot. Heat damages the wild yeast and makes the batter ferment poorly.
3
Combine batter base
- Scrape the paste into the 4-quart fermenting bowl.
- Add the rice flour and sourdough discard.
- Mix with clean hands or a spatula for 2 minutes until no dry flour remains.
- The batter will be thick, like a dense pancake batter.
- Mixing by hand adds warmth and helpful microbes.
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Ready when: Batter is uniform, thick, and slowly falls off a spoon in a ribbon
Tip: Choose a bowl at least twice the batter volume since it will rise significantly.
4
Ferment the batter
- Cover the bowl loosely with a plate or towel (not airtight).
- Leave in a warm spot, 78–85°F (25–29°C), for 8–12 hours.
- Do not stir during this time.
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Ready when: Batter has risen by about double, is domed and covered with small bubbles, and smells pleasantly tangy and yeasty
Tip: In a cool kitchen, expect closer to 12–14 hours. If it has not risen after 12 hours, give it more time rather than cooking it.
5
Season and thin batter
- Sprinkle the salt and optional sugar over the batter.
- Stir gently in one direction for about 1 minute to keep some air.
- Add ¾ cup (180 ml) cool water in 2–3 additions, stirring.
- The batter should flow like heavy cream and coat the back of a spoon thinly.
- Let it rest 10 minutes.
- Add up to ¼ cup (60 ml) more water if it still seems thick.
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Ready when: Batter pours in a smooth, steady stream and ripples back together within a couple of seconds
Tip: Too-thick batter makes soft, uneven dosas that tear. Too-thin batter makes holes. Test with one dosa and adjust.
6
Heat the skillet
- Set the 10-inch (25 cm) skillet or tawa over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes.
- Flick a few drops of water on the surface.
- They should sizzle and evaporate within 1–2 seconds.
- Wipe the surface once with a folded paper towel dipped in a little oil.
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Ready when: Water droplets dance and vanish within 1–2 seconds
Tip: If the pan is too hot, batter sets before you can spread it. Lower the heat slightly or wipe with a damp towel to cool the surface.
7
Pour and spread
- Stir the batter gently.
- Pour a scant ¼ cup (60 ml) onto the center of the pan.
- Using the bottom of the ladle, spread in quick light spirals from the center outward to make a thin 7–8 inch (18–20 cm) round.
- Drizzle ½ teaspoon oil around the edge and over the top.
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Ready when: Batter sets with a lacy, matte surface in about 20 seconds
Tip: Spread with a light touch and do not press down, which tears the surface.
8
Cook until crisp
- Cook for 2–3 minutes without flipping.
- The underside will turn deep golden, the edges will curl away from the pan, and the top will look dry.
- Fold in half or roll and slide onto a plate.
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Ready when: Underside is golden brown and crisp, edges lift easily, top is dry with no wet batter
Tip: If the first dosa sticks or tears, the pan is too cool or too hot. Treat it as a test and adjust.
9
Repeat with remaining batter
- Return the heat to medium-high.
- Wipe the pan with a damp folded towel for 2–3 seconds to cool and clean it, then pour, spread, and cook the remaining batter the same way, restirring the batter every few dosas.
- Stack finished dosas loosely, or serve straight from the pan with chutney, sambar, or potato masala.
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Ready when: Each dosa is evenly golden and crisp, about 2–3 minutes per dosa
Tip: Stir the batter gently each time you scoop since it settles. Do not whisk hard, which deflates the bubbles.

Good to know

Tips

For a crisper dosa, spread the batter thinner and cook it an extra 30 seconds; for a softer, thicker one, use a little more batter and cover the pan for 1 minute.
A well-seasoned cast-iron pan or tawa gives the best crispness. Nonstick works but may brown less.
If the dosas stick, wipe the pan with half an onion dipped in oil between rounds.
Taste the batter before cooking. It should be mildly tangy, not sharply sour. If it is too sour, it fermented too long; thin it a little more and add a pinch more sugar.

Make ahead

Ferment the batter, then refrigerate it before adding salt and thinning water, for up to 4 days. Bring it to room temperature for 30–45 minutes, then season and thin as in step 5. The flavor becomes more sour each day.

Storage & reheating

Cooked dosas keep at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days and reheat on a hot dry skillet for 30–60 seconds per side to re-crisp. Fermented, seasoned batter keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. Batter can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge and stir gently. Cooked dosas do not freeze well.

Substitutions

neutral oil or melted ghee → Clarified butter (ghee) or coconut oil. Ghee gives the best flavor and browning; coconut oil adds a slight sweetness.
granulated sugar → Omit. Sugar only helps browning, so the dosas will be a little paler without it.
white rice flour → Idli rice or parboiled rice, soaked and ground (about 1 cup / 200 g dry). Soak for 4 hours and grind with the dal for a more traditional texture; the batter will need a slightly longer ferment.
fine sea salt → Kosher salt, 2 tsp (Diamond Crystal) or 1½ tsp (Morton). Measure by weight (9 g) if possible, since crystal sizes differ.