Pancake obsession

[Brodirt]

The pizza thread got me thinking about my quest for the perfect home made pancake.

More than a decade ago my wife and I spent months and months perfecting our pancake recipe and we have enjoyed it since. Last weekend we made a slight change to the classic version, our first ever change, and loved it. We made used ricotta cheese in place of sour cream that we used in our originals.

The ingredients come from Cooks Illustrated:
2 cups flour (we have tried many types but find King Arthur unbleached all purpose to be the best...we tried their organic as well as Bob's Red Mill organic unbleached all purpose and didnt notice a difference)
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream for the classic.....1/3 cup ricotta for the new version
2 large eggs
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

As usual mix dry in one bowl and wet in another.

We differ from CI in our preperation, and find it makes a major difference.

For liquids:
Seperate the whites and yolks. Incorporate the ricotta (or sour cream) into the milk; incorporate the butter into the egg yolks; and then combine the two until they are consistent liquid. Then whip the whites to med. peaks.

Dry:
Sift everything together twice.

Combine:
Pour liquid, minus egg whites, into dry and mix very, very, very lightly. Then fold the egg whites into the rest of the batter until just combined.

Cook as usual...we use a very old 2 burner stove top griddle that needs no addition lubing, but on those occassions we desire a snappier crust we use a tiny bit of butter on the griddle for each batch.

Additions:
We find that the classic buttermilk pancakes are great with blueberries, or the kids love chocolate chips, but the ricotta version is simply awesome with blueberries...the ricotta adds enough sweetness that you almost don't need maple syrup.


Now, I need someone who has gone to this effort on waffle batter because the above doesn't make such great waffles and I have tried at least 10 different waffle recipes and none are all that all that...unless of course you want to discuss the Liefe Waffles I make every April in honor of "La Doyene" or Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the oldest of cyclings spring classics. Those are outrageous.

[BurkDarkpatches]

I'm not a huge pancake fan (I do like them), but my wife is 20% physically composed of pancakes (a pancake fiend is what I'm trying to say). I will definitely try this sometime.

Steve

[holiday]

Pancakes like this don't seem to be very popular over here in the UK, in fact I have never eaten them. When we talk about pancakes its more like a crepe. I think I will have to have a go with your recipe. What do you recommend to eat them with?

[airplanedoc]

What do you recommend to eat them with?

Real Butter and 100% pure grade A Vermont Maple Syrup

Of course a side of Bacon can't hurt either

[Emmett]

Buttermilk blueberry pancakes are to die for. I'm going to try your recipe this weekend!

[Jim]

Thanks!

[mmack66]

Maybe NSFW:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoKZhaigLQA

[Luc]

I usually use the Dodgy Oliver (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Oliver) recipe:

1 cup of flour
1 cup of milk
1 egg

Mix and cook. I think they would be crepes more than pancakes...

[withoutink]

For the Win - I make deep fried chocolate chip pancakes. They are actually best served cold the next day.

[rm71]

I usually use the Dodgy Oliver (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Oliver) recipe:

1 cup of flour
1 cup of milk
1 egg

Mix and cook. I think they would be crepes more than pancakes...

That is the recipe I use as well. Simple and quick.

[tsmba]

My fav (so far) was a recipe from Midwest Living (similar to the one posted above). I've tried dozens of recipes with everything from whipped egg whites folded in to exotic flours. One thing that really makes a difference is a soapstone griddle. I read about them in a novel, so I ordered one and found it yields great results.

[82R100]

Pancakes like this don't seem to be very popular over here in the UK, in fact I have never eaten them. When we talk about pancakes its more like a crepe. I think I will have to have a go with your recipe. What do you recommend to eat them with?

Do you have maple syrup in the UK? I'd imagine that Vermont maple syrup would be very expensive indeed.

A decadent (and unusual) style of eating pancakes that I learned from a fraternity brother in college is to spread sour cream over the pancake and sprinkle with brown sugar. Somewhat rich.

- Chris

[Brodirt]

My fav (so far) was a recipe from Midwest Living (similar to the one posted above). I've tried dozens of recipes with everything from whipped egg whites folded in to exotic flours. One thing that really makes a difference is a soapstone griddle. I read about them in a novel, so I ordered one and found it yields great results.

What is the difference in performance with the soap stone griddle?

[Monkeydad]

I'm not a huge pancake fan (I do like them), but my wife is 20% physically composed of pancakes (a pancake fiend is what I'm trying to say). I will definitely try this sometime.

Steve

If you want to stay alive, NEVER SAY THAT TO HER FACE, or to anyone she knows.

[ouch]

I make a lot of pancakes- cornmeal buttermilk, buckwheat oatbran, gingerbread (a killer)...

I was once honored to have one of my recipes prepared by no less a personage than Mrs. Scotto, but for some inexplicable reason I had to email her a scan of my hand. :001_rolle

[Brodirt]

I make a lot of pancakes- cornmeal buttermilk, buckwheat oatbran, gingerbread (a killer)...

I was once honored to have one of my recipes prepared by no less a personage than Mrs. Scotto, but for some inexplicable reason I had to email her a scan of my hand. :001_rolle

So...why you holding out that gingerbread recipe?????

Try my ricotta blueberry recipe...you won't be disappointed.

[johnniegold]

My weakness.

http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo297/johnniegold/odds%20and%20ends/pancakes.jpg

I am gonna give that recipe a try. :yesnod:

[mretzloff]

100% pure grade A Vermont Maple Syrup

+1

Since trying real maple syrup, I have refused to try the "fake" (or whatever it is called). Here is the bottle I currently have in the 'fridge:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41FKFxamfeL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

[ouch]

So...why you holding out that gingerbread recipe?????
I use minor variations on the classic Magnolia Cafe recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dweezil-lisa/magnolia-cafes-gingerbread-pancakes-recipe/index.html


Try my ricotta blueberry recipe...you won't be disappointed.
Will do. :thumbup1:

[Hughies_online]

I've got the worse pancake craving as a result of this thread

[tsmba]

What is the difference in performance with the soap stone griddle?

I think the novel I mentioned was a Steinbeck. Whatever it was, it had a wonderfully-evocative story about the soapstone griddle. They take a bit of seasoning, but produce a wonderful pancake: perfectly browned, crisp outside, etc. All that with no need to use oil or other fat. If you imagine grilling pancakes on a hot pizza stone, you get the idea.

[Brodirt]

I think the novel I mentioned was a Steinbeck. Whatever it was, it had a wonderfully-evocative story about the soapstone griddle. They take a bit of seasoning, but produce a wonderful pancake: perfectly browned, crisp outside, etc. All that with no need to use oil or other fat. If you imagine grilling pancakes on a hot pizza stone, you get the idea.

Im making the ricotta blueberry pancakes as I type, well my wife is actually, but I read up on the soapstone griddle yesterday after your post. What I read said "no seasoning needed" since its a non-porous surface, and for the same reason, it is non-stick. The purveyors of the soapstone griddles all seem to be promoting the "green" qualities of the product (no metals or metal treatments leaching into your food...a good thing) and then secondarily the heat retention and flexibility of griddle.

At this point...having recently purchased a replacement griddle for my 5 year old one, I'm not ready to replace the the metal with soapstone.

Please report back though of your experiences...if you can point to a significant performance increase I would be more inclined to try it out. Thanks.

[Phog Allen]

I think it was the OP who asked about waffles. Well I am no expert by any stretch but my family loves the reicpe from Mr. Breakfast. It is online somewhere. It is the recipe that calls for three eggs separated and the whites whipped to stiff peaks. Produces a texture that is incrdible. I warn you, the recipe makes a lot of waffles so come hungry or get some eaters to help. We freeze the leftovers and the daughters love them. Hope this helps.

Regards, Todd

BTW, to stay on topic, here is my pancake recipe. Very simple.

1 c. flour
1Tbsp. sugar
1tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. oil(I like something that does not add flavours to the mix. Peanut or canola usually)
1c. buttermilk.(sometimes you need to bump this to 1-1/8 cup with my home made buttermilk)

Mix all dry ingredients and sift or whisk well. Add the oil, egg and buttermilk and mix till just well incorporated. Usually I mix all the wet ingredients together in a 2 cup measuring cup. I measrue the buttermilk and then whisk the oil and egg into it.

For home made buttermilk either buy one of those little half pints of buttermilk for 40c or use a half cup of what buttermilk you already have. I have a one quart glass milk jar I use for this purpose. I pour in the buttermilk and then top it off with skim milk. Shake to mix well(holding cap tightly please), and then let it sit out on your counter overnight. This makes a good fermentation and the resulting buttermilk always seems to be thicker and a bit richer than the original. I don't use whole milk since it turns REALLY thick. I wonder how this would work with half and half or heavy cream? Probably just fine but it would not pour that is for sure.

[Windwalker]

Thanks guys, now I am off to Ihop!:biggrin:

[Topgumby]

ALton Brown (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/instant-pancake-mix-recipe/index.html) makes the pancakes here. One of the few kitchen gadgets we've bit on recently is the electric griddle to make them. MMMmmmmmm...! :w00t:

[Sluggo]

They turned out great! See!

[ouch]

Those look great.

[Brodirt]

They turned out great! See!

I'm glad to share and that you enjoyed.

Which version did you make?

[Sluggo]

It was the version with the sour cream, they were great! A moist, sweet cake...very nice!!

[Brodirt]

When I get some more converts I will share my breakfast clafoutis with you all. It is, imvho, the greatest breakfast dish one can make at home. I am not saying "of all time" because there was this breakfast I had at Home Plate in SF a decade or so ago that set the bar as high as possible. But if you are interested, tune in here.

[Lo'Tek]

+1

since trying real maple syrup, i have refused to try the "fake" (or whatever it is called). Here is the bottle i currently have in the 'fridge:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/i/41fkfxamfel._sl500_aa280_.jpg

Amen!!!

[Lo'Tek]

I bet I could cure your pancake obsession with some crepes rolled with melted butter and fresh fried macintosh apples cooked in butter and caramelized with sugar and honey and covered with real Vermont maple syrup and fresh whipped cream.

[KenS]

While on the topic of pancakes and maple syrup, I want to give the nod and thumbs up to Trader Joe's Grade B Maple Syrup (no affiliation). I like the Grade B as it has a much stronger flavor.
Ken.

[tsmba]

I always buy Grade B myself. I remember years ago doing a big search for syrup. Someone in Vermont told me that Grade B is what they used themselves. I get mine from an eBay seller.

My mom still has the griddle we've always used. It was from LL Bean and works well.....although it could be larger. I always laugh at all the "green" gimmickry.....a "green" griddle??? Gimme a break! I got my undergraduate degree in bioscience with emphasis on wildlife and ecology, so I'm certainly hyper-aware of the environment and the need to clean up our acts. The unfortunate aspect of all that is how the issue has been perverted for political gain and marketing hype.

Anyway, regarding soapstone: I think the baking stone analogy perfectly explains its benefits. A good stone griddle is a thick, dense surface that holds heat well. After a bit of use (call it seasoning if you will), the pores close and its almost non-stick. Our old LLBean griddle, is a simple, metal square that has, over the years, developed a patina, a natural "non-stick" surface that far exceeds anything man-made.

I noticed the waffle post. I have had great success with waffle recipes that have the eggs separated, whites whipped and folded in.

[Phog Allen]

Hey Tom. The waffle post was mine. Realising that a generic bit about the one calling for separating the yolks from whites wasn't real helpful, I went over there and found it. Mr. Breakfast (http://www.mrbreakfast.com/superdisplay.asp?recipeid=1374). I really like and the only addition I make is adding a bit of vanilla extract to the mix. It makes a really nice waffle. Especially if your iron makes them rather thick like a so called "Belgian" waffle.

Regards, Todd

[Will P.C.]

I used this recipe with ricotta cheese and blueberries tonight. It was one of the best pancakes I have ever had. My mom has a 80 year old griddle that we used for them and it worked great.

[Lo'Tek]

Living in VT I always buy grade B. I did a side by side last year and found I like the B better. A is more refined and a little thicker but it's darker because it's concentrated and cooked longer till it's dark. Because it cooks down producing less syrup it costs more. You probably already knew this though. I had the complete scientific PBS type breakdown from a local schooled sugar house owner a few years back. It was cool. We stood there shootin the. . . chewing the fat for a few hours while the sap reduced and the shack was filled with the sweet smell on a cold spring day. If you ever get the offer to do this, TAKE IT UP!!!
.
.
.

[mmack66]

A true sign that the apocalypse is well-nigh upon us.

http://www.batterblaster.com/index.php

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm71/tunaman3000/batter-blasters.jpg (http://www.batterblaster.com/index.php)

Organic!

[Trench]

I made the ricotta recipe for my girlfriend last Saturday for Sweetest Day and they were a major hit. Beyond fabulous!

They didn't go off without a couple of hitches, however

This was the first time I've ever prepared a recipe that required egg whites to be whipped. Try as I might, I could not get stiff peaks. All I could get was a thick froth. Any advice here?

Also, the batter was so thick that I actually had to manually form the pancakes on the griddle rather than letting the batter naturally flow into a circular shape. Is the batter supposed to be that thick, or did I do something wrong?

Even though I couldn't get the peaks and the batter was crazy thick, everything still tasted great. This was also the first time I ever made anything that required a folding technique to be used. That went over better than I expected.