3 Ways To Make Delicious Homemade Pancakes
Whether you've come to this post for pancake day or just a midweek treat, you're in the right place.
In this post
Top tips for perfect pancakes
Why does the first pancake always fail?
The first pancake tends to always be the failure but that is alright. The first one helps us gage whether the pan is the right temperature and whether there is the right amount of oil. If you pour the oil into your pan (rather than spray) you'll probably find that this first pancake will absorb most of it, leaving you with a batter that is the wrong texture. This is why I like to use a non-stick pan. Non-stick pan means less oil and, potentially, saving that first pancake.
How to make your pancakes fluffier
For pancakes, its always better to under mix than to over mix. If there are lumps of flour, that's ok. As long as all the flour is mixed in and there are only little lumps then your batter with make great pancakes. Though I would definitely recommend using a hand blender if you have one, it just makes everything easier.
The problem with your batter when you over mix is that it'll be very tight and won't expand as much when cooked. This is because the physical motion of mixing develops the gluten in the flour which will make your pancakes chewy rather than fluffy.
Out of all the recipes in this post, the sourdough pancakes are definitely the fluffiest.
Cooking your pancakes
My preference for cooking pancakes is to use a non-stick frying pan. I just like using these because you can use less oil and it tends to produce a more even heat. Using less oil also means that you could, potentially save that first pancake from the bin.
Flipping your pancakes
One of the most common mistakes when it comes to cooking pancakes is to flip them when bubbles start to form on top. This isn't quite right as you want to flip them when the bubbles form but also stay there without being filled in with raw batter. Although with some recipes, like the banana pancakes, the bubbles are so small that a better indicator is when the pancake looks 'dry' on top. It will almost look cooked but without being browned. This is the time to flip them without getting batter splattered all over the pan.
Banana Pancakes
Classic banana pancakes. Delicious and fluffy and a great way to use up bananas. Why not give the banana bread a break and make these instead?
Prep time
5-10 minutes
Cook time
15-20minutes
Makes
8
150g Self-raising flour
100ml Semi-Skimmed milk
1 Egg
1 Banana
Whisk together the flour, egg and milk until smooth with no large lumps of flour.
Add the banana and blend together.
Heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat with a tablespoon of oil.
Pour about 3 tbsp of batter into the pan and cook for about 1 minute, until the bottom is golden brown and the top appears ‘dry’. Flip and cook the other side for a minute. Repeat until all the batter has been used.
Serve with your favourite toppings.
Sourdough Pancakes
Now I know a lot of you have started sourdough starters during this lockdown and you have to discard some of it to feed it. instead of throwing the away the discard you can use it to make some really fluffy, amazing pancakes.
Prep time
5-10 minutes
Cook time
15-20minutes
Makes
8
150g Plain flour
20g Caster sugar
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
175ml Semi-skimmed milk
100g Sourdough discard
1 Egg
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Add the milk, sourdough discard and egg and blend until smooth.
Heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat with a tablespoon of oil.
Pour about 3 tbsp of batter into the pan and cook for about 1 minute, until the bottom is golden brown and the top appears ‘dry’. Flip and cook the other side for a minute. Repeat until all the batter has been used.
Serve with golden syrup and your favourite ice cream.
Chocolate-Chunk Pancakes
Chocolate-chips take your pancakes to a whole new level. They are probably the hardest out of the pancakes to make because you want the chocolate melted but not burnt. But, don't worry, I got you with this recipe. I also go chunky with the chopped chocolate because well, why not? But you can go for chip if you prefer, it just has to be dark chocolate because dark chocolate has a higher melted point which means it won't burn as quickly as milk chocolate.
Prep time
5-10 minutes
Cook time
15-20minutes
Makes
8
150g Plain flour
1 tsp Baking powder
20g Caster sugar
1 Egg
150ml Milk
20g Dark chocolate (Chopped)
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, egg and milk until smooth with no lumps of flour.
Heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat with a tablespoon of oil.
Pour about 3 tbsp of batter into the pan and cook for until the edges start to go 'dry'. Add a couple chunks of chocolate to the pancakes and slightly press down in to the raw batter. When the whole top of the pancake looks 'dry', flip and cook the other side for around a minute. Repeat until all the batter has been used. You might need to wipe the pan with paper towels between each batch because of the chocolate left around the pan. If you need to, just make sure you coat the pan in oil again before cooking the next round of pancakes.
Serve with golden syrup and your favourite ice cream.
