Sourdough Buckwheat Pancakes

This is the family recipe from my Grandparents Frances and Hubert Miller.  This was standard fare during the winter months on the farm.  Even when my grandparents retired and went south to Florida for the winter, the sourdough went too, and Bert remembers waking up to the smell of pancakes and cocoa.  Even when they were home for the summer in Berne, different family groups would be invited over for a special pancake breakfast occasionally, and this was a terrific treat.  Grandma always made something pork as well, like sausage, bacon, pork chops or salt pork.  Then she made a pan gravy with milk, and we put that on the pancakes instead of or in addition to syrup.  The most common syrup was made from brown sugar and water - equal parts in a pan, boiled down to about half, or until thick.  There would always be homemade Hershey hot cocoa with marshmallows, grapefruits cut in half and drizzled with syrup, and coffee. Grandma and Grandpa would preheat the plates, which were brown drip stoneware like this:

First Day
1. 1/2 tsp baking soda dissolved in 2 Tbls hot water
2. 1/2 c light buckwheat flour
3. 1 c. buttermilk
4. 1 Tbls yeast

On the first day, with a wooden spoon, mix all the ingredients, including the yeast and let the mixture sit for one hour before refrigerating.
On the second day add the first 3 ingredients, mix with a wooden spoon, and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour..
Do the same on the third day.
On the fourth day add the ingredients and make pancakes.
Save some of the starter every time you make them and keep them going all winter long.