9 Fluffy Pancake Recipes Tested
A plethora of pancakes, plus a pancake recipe and the full testing spreadsheet
What I’m reading: Setting the Table, by Danny Meyer. Even though this book was originally published in 2006, IMHO it remains relevant for anyone who works in service or hospitality.
What I’m listening to: Dua Lipa on Happy Place
What I’m eating: honestly, nothing crazy delicious or authentic as we’ve been staying in some fairly remote hostels in Guatemala over the last week. These nieves in Oaxaca last week are still on my mind though: elote (corn), choc, tamarind, cajeta (dulce de leche but with goat’s milk), mango, guanábana & mamey (my 2 new fave fruits)
I had a really quite terrible pancake in a hostel here in Guatemala recently, and it got me thinking about the pancake recipe test I did last year. I love a fluffy American style pancake; in my opinion, they should be light, soft and bouncy - perfect little pillows for soaking up maple syrup and butter, or whatever you decide to put on top. You can find my notes below, along with the full analysis table and a recipe for super fluffy pancakes that will take you 5 mins to whip up.
The recipe test
The brief was fluffy American style pancakes and these (save one) did not disappoint - I threw in a blueberry and banana one for the craic, but honestly the regular fluffy ones, when executed perfectly, are unbeatable. Of all the recipe tests I’ve done, this one was perhaps the quickest, as you can mix and fry these pancakes pretty much straight away.
The contenders
Odlums: I included these because I found the mix (American style flour mix) in the shop and I’m a lazy girl - you just have to add milk and egg and yes, they’re easy, but no, they are not good. Would not recommend to a friend.
Tom Cenci: delicious - if making definitely include the recommended toppings (white choc mousse and rhubarb).
Milli Taylor: I LOVED these. Ricotta in the batter is a great shout, eggs whites whisked into meringue first which I back heavily, these had the best texture.
Clodagh McKenna: delicious and I like the blueberries but I reckon they’d also be nice without (or with choc chips if you’re feeling crazy).
Nigella (American Breakfast Pancakes): these were nice and light considering the eggs were added whole, also super easy to make.
New York Times (Mark Bittman): yeah grand but not great tbh.
Anna Jones (banana): big fan, they fried beautifully and I like the banana and I also like that Anna rhymes with banana. I usually don’t like cup measurements but I can get behind them for pancakes because mornings are hard.
Martha Stewart (buttermilk): these ended up really thin which I was quite upset about but they tasted good (buttermilk is always a good call).
Rachel Allen: nice and easy and delicious
Notes
Batter
I think there should be an acidic element in the batter (especially if your raising agent is bicarb) for flavour and rise - milk works, but buttermilk or yogurt is better. Raising agents (baking powder) will give a decent rise, but the best way to incorporate air IMHO is to whisk the egg whites separately. You can add melted butter to the batter but I don’t think it’s strictly essential unless your pan isn’t super non-stick, in which case you’ll need all the help you can get. When you’re incorporating the flour, don’t overmix - if you start to develop the gluten, you’ll get tough chewy pancakes which isn’t fun for anyone. Also make sure to leave the batter to sit for a couple of minutes while the pan heats.
Frying
Use a heavy-bottomed non-stick pan over a medium-high heat. If the pan is too hot, they’ll cook too quickly on the outside and be raw on the inside, but if it’s too cold, they’ll absorb the butter and be greasy and pale. You want the butter to sizzle and foam when you drop it on (use a silicone brush to grease the pan properly if you have one). I attempted this recipe test a few weeks ago with an electric hob and had a minor meltdown because the heat was so hard to regulate - gas is ideal (I’m not saying you have to go out and buy a gas hob to get perfect pancakes, but it certainly helps). To get them nice and round and even, don’t make them too big - max 6” or they’ll be hard to flip. I recommend a silicone spatula so you don’t damage your pan.
Serving suggestion
In an ideal world, I think your pancake toppings should have both a creamy and a crunchy element - i.e., roast apricots, ricotta and granola/blueberry compote, yogurt and toasted
Top tip
To keep them warm while you’re frying, put them on a plate over a pot of simmering water with an upside down bowl on top. Microwave and oven dry them out a bit, so try not to let them cool (eat ASAP)
Recipe: fluffy buttermilk pancakes
I’m using buttermilk but you can swap it in for yoghurt or the same quantity of milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar (leave to stand for 10 mins before using). You can also use self raising instead of plain flour, but then leave out the baking powder.
(Serves 2 people)
Ingredients
1 large free range egg
20g caster sugar
100ml buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract/bean paste
70g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarb
1 generous tsp cornflour
Pinch of salt
Butter for frying
Method
Separate the egg and whisk the white in a clean, dry bowl until stiff peaks.
Add the sugar and whisk until you get a nice glossy meringue.
Whisk all of the other ingredients (including yolk) together in a separate bowl until combined, but don’t overmix. Fold in the meringue. Leave to stand for 5 mins
Preheat a heavy-bottomed non-stick pan over a medium heat for around 2 mins. You want the butter to sizzle and foam when you drop it in, but not brown straight away
Put a generous tablespoon of batter on the pan and spread it around slightly so it’s nice and round - I find this recipe makes 8 medium-sized pancakes.
Fry until the bottom is golden brown and you can see bubbles on the top. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the other side.
Serve immediately.
The spreadsheet
Here’s a spreadsheet showing how I organised and analysed this recipe test. Normally I’d scale all of the recipes down (i.e., to one egg), but with pancakes I had a feeling a smaller batch wouldn’t work out, so I made the full amount and had a pancake party after with the many, many leftovers. With each recipe, I mixed and fried pretty much straight away, unless the recipe called for a rest before frying.
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