Home Recipes

Pancakes

This recipe is in a state of flux. I got frustrated with my pancakes sticking and being very dense, so I decided to baseline the heck out of it and go back to the 1931 recipe from the "Joy Of Cooking", 1964 edition, by Irma Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker. This edition still has many of the comments that gives a glimpse into life in the 1920s and 1930s. Later editions started weeding them out, so I treasure this edition.
I'm starting with this recipe and then will be adjusting it over time to suit my tastes; in particular to reduce the sugar and salt, if possible.

About 7 six inch diameter pancakes.
Time: Approximately 30 minutes pre-heat & 30 minutes? cooking

(Last modified: 20250612.0921: 20250604.1355: 20240521.0848: 20220527.1655: )

This particular version is somewhat more crepe-like, but pretty good; not too sweet, like the original recipe
  1. Start slowly heating one or more carbon steel (CS) or cast iron (CI) frying pans on low-medium heat ahead of time ‐ about thirty minutes.
  2. While the pans are slowly heating, in a mixing bowl, add:
    • 140g all-purpose flour (was 240g in the original recipe)
    • 83g white bread flour (none in the original recipe)
    • ¼t salt (reduced from 1t in the original recipe)
    • No sugar 1T granulated sugar (reduced from 3T in the original recipe)
    • 1-½t or 1-¾t baking powder, not sure which yet
    • ¼t nutmeg
    • ¼t cinnamon
  3. Melt 2.5T butter; I cut it out of a butter stick (1/4lb stick) and put it in a cup, and then the cup in a 1000W microwave and microwave for 2.5 3 minutes at power level 3 (out of 10). (3T in the original recipe)
  4. While the butter is melting, beat 1 egg in small bowl or cup
  5. Add 1-¼C whole milk to the bowl/cup with the beaten egg and mix well
  6. Possibly add ½C water to thin the batter a bit??
  7. Pour milk/egg mixture and melted butter into flour
  8. Mix lightly by hand (not with an power mixer!), and don't worry about small lumps; leave them as is - do NOT over mix! Less than two minutes of mixing should be enough
  9. Cast iron pan on medium element @ 4.5 (>= 4525F)
  10. Cast iron pan on large element @ 5.5 (>= 4525F)
  11. A few drops of water on the pan should bounce and sputter
  12. If temp has dropped too much after a pancake is done, you may need to wait until temp has recovered.
  13. Browns better with the hotter pan
  14. Some pans may need a few drops of oil only before the first pancake.
  15. Cook about 2 - 3 minutes on the first side
  16. Start prodding underneath the pancake when bubbles appear, but haven't broken
  17. Flip and cook about 1/2 as long on the second side (the second side doesn't brown as evenly as the first)

Notes:

  • I believe it is the butter that is causing the pancakes to release so easily
  • Sugar possibly balances salt and baking powder which can otherwise have a metallic taste?
  • Sugar for caramelization and for feeding yeast, if any.
  • Slight sticking on the ringed taco pan
  • Next: increase bread flour & reduce all-purpose



    OLD
    About ten 6-½" diameter pancakes.
    Time: Approximately 30 minutes pre-heat & 1-¼ hours cooking
    1. Start heating two carbon steel (CS) or cast iron (CI) frying pans on low-medium heat ahead of time ‐ about thirty minutes. It will speed up pre-heating if you put a lid on the pans during pre-heating. Properly heated and seasoned CS/CI produces a superior result.
    2. Put some plates in oven to warm (90F ‐ 100F), typically on a "proof" setting on your oven, if you have it.
    3. Place the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl:
      • 2T Ground flax
      • Some freshly ground pepper (< ⅛t)
      • 1T Oat bran
      • 1t Instant coffee
      • 1t Cinnamon powder
      • 1t Nutmeg powder
      • ⅛t Ginger powder
      • 2T Wheat bran
      • 1-½T Baking powder
      • 280g Whole wheat flour
      • 150g White flour
      • 3T Buckwheat flour (not for those sensitive to buckwheat)
    4. Thoroughly mix (by hand) the above dry ingredients.
    5. Add wet ingredients.

      Hint: To avoid wasted ingredients left on measuring spoons and less water usage for cleaning used measuring spoons, create depressions in the dry ingredients with the desired measuring spoon and pour the liquid ingredient into the depression.

      • 1T Olive oil
      • 2T applesauce or ½ banana
      • 3-½C unsweetened, unflavored soy milk (we use Silk™ original, unsweetened)
      • ½C unsweetened, unflavored almond milk (or macadamia for those who can't consume almonds)
    6. Mix by hand; do not overmix and do not use a mixer - it causes flat, heavy pancakes. The batter shouldn't be runny and have a medium viscosity.
    7. Let batter sit 5 minutes.
    8. When pans are hot enough, a water drop dropped on the pan will sizzle.
    9. If needed, add a small amount (one drop) of oil per pan and spread it around the middle. Each successive pancake may need another drop of oil.
    10. Cook pancakes:
      • Pour batter into the middle of each pan.
      • Cook about 2-½ minutes on first side and only consider flipping them if outside edge of pancakes is free of bubbles.
      • Flip pancakes, and cook another 2-½ minutes until done.
    11. After about ten minutes, you may need to add another ⅛C of soy or almond milk to the batter and stir to keep it from thickening too much.
    Notes: