Pancakes are one of the easiest treats to make, however sometimes achieving the perfect pancake isn’t easy.
Want to know how to make sure yours are flip-tastic this year? We asked Scott Crocker our café Head Chef for his top tips.
- Be accurate. It is important to make sure you measure all of your ingredients properly as this will ensure your batter is the correct consistency. Use milk and not water for a moister pancake. Use a buttermilk recipe for the best results.
- For a light and fluffy batter use a large whisk to stir your ingredients together. Whisk out all the lumps. A larger whisk allows more air to be whipped into the batter. Once mixed your batter should be the consistency of slightly thick single cream.
- Rest the batter for 30 minutes for a lighter pancake.
- Be patient and wait for your pan to heat up properly. I recommend heating the pan for around two to three minutes before adding any butter or oil. This should also prevent your pancakes from burning.
- Quantity wise, I usually find a ladle of mixture is enough to make one good sized pancake.
- While the pancake is cooking, don’t be tempted to press down on it as this squeezes out the air bubbles and ruins the texture.
- One common mistake a lot of people make is over-flipping. Generally speaking, one flip is all that’s required and over-flipping can overcook your pancake and make it tough. My top tip is to wait until the batter is bubbly and there is a light browning around the edges before you flip.
- So, you have more of a flick when you come to flip your pancake, tilt the pan away from you and allow the pancake to slide to the bottom of the pan.
- Don’t give up. If at first, you don’t succeed, try and try again. If your first pancake was a disaster don’t get disheartened, the first one is usually always the worst of the batch.
- Wipe the pan between batches too.
- Flavour wise – add splash of maple syrup to the batter or vanilla and cinnamon for a sweet/spicy pancake. Other great combinations are chocolate, peanut butter and banana or fruit compote with Crème Fraîche.
- Pancakes can also be filled or covered with savoury ingredients if you prefer.
