Pancakes are more versatile than you think, where you can serve it sweet or savoury. In fact, there are several different types of pancakes. There is the American-style pancake, French crêpes, and also Scottish drop scones, just to name a few.
I like my pancakes fluffy and can be served both sweet and savoury. I tend not to add any salt and sugar but uses maple syrup instead to add a little bit of sweetness.
For me, the key to a good fluffy pancakes is to not vigorously mix your batter as this would push air out of the batter. You sort of want to fold the batter instead of whipping it. Some people says you have to rest the batter for about an hour to rid of lumps whilst other say this makes no difference. I tend to split the difference. After mixing the batter, I would prepare my toppings before making the pancakes, thus letting the batter rest a little. You also need a good flat cooking surface. I like to use a stone-coated frying pan. They spread heat evenly and are naturally non-stick. That way I don't have to use much oil/butter. For the pancakes pictured above, I used a 20cm stone coated pan where the batter would spread right to the edge, giving my pancakes the even round shape.
Finally, be patient. Don't be too eager to flip the pancake. Give time for the air bubble to rise and pop. You know your pancakes will be good when you see air pockets on them.
Recipe (makes 4 - 6 large pancakes)
350g sifted self-raising flour | 1 sachet (6g) bicarbonate soda |
|---|---|
350ml semi-skimmed milk | 2 large free-range eggs |
1 teaspoon maple syrup | |
In one mixing bowl, mix the flour and the bicarbonate soda. In a different bowl, whisk the milk and the eggs.
Carefuly combine the egg and milk mixture with the flour mixture, and carefully fold them using the whisk. You don't want to do this vigorously as you want to keep as much air in the mix as you can. Add the maple syrup and mix again. Once thoroughly mixed, leave it aside and prepare the toppings of your choice.
To cook the pancakes, heat pan on medium-low heat. I would use the smallest hob on your cooker. You don't want it too hot as this will burn your pancake.
Grease your pan with a little butter or oil. Using a soup laddle, scoop the batter and slowly pour it in the middle of your pan where it will slowly spread. Leave it for around 2 minutes before fipping it on to the other side to cook for another minute or so. Of course, the length of time spent on each side depends on how big your pancake is. If you make yours smaller, you might need to only spend half the time as you would if you make it as large as mine. You will find out from your first pancake if you need to adjust the cooking time and/or the heat.
Repeat until batter is finished, lightly greasing the pan with butter in between. Serve immediately with your choice of toppings. You can put any toppings as you like. In the photo above, I use grilled crispy back bacon for my savoury pancakes. For the sweet version, I used vanilla yoghurt and fresh berries. I drizzled maple syrup on both sweet and savoury pancakes.