Who doesn’t like fluffy golden pancakes? I know I do, but getting them to turn out right can be a little tricky unless you know a few steps
(which will be shared in this post, so make sure to keep reading)
that will help you get awesome results. In the past I always thought that they were too hard to make because they’d end up gooey or burnt… I could never get it right so I’d always just make waffles instead. Well, our waffle iron broke a few months ago and I haven’t gotten around to replacing it yet, but my girls have still been begging for waffles so I decided to give pancakes another shot. They turned out pretty well and now they want them almost everyday. Which was annoying at first because I wasn’t super confident in my pancake making ability, but now I’ve mastered (or at least gotten much better at it) another cooking skill, I’ve gotta share what I’ve learned.
1. Just like pre-heating is important when baking, the first step to a good pancake is to pre-heat your griddle. I use an 8″ cast iron griddle (yard sale find…score!) for the stove top and set the temp to just below medium heat.2. Then, add all of your ingredients to a pourable container and mix well. I like to use my 1-Quart Pyrex Measuring Cup
because it’s big enough to handle the job without any ingredients spilling out when it gets mixed. Doing this step will save you from some serious clean-up later.
because it’s big enough to handle the job without any ingredients spilling out when it gets mixed. Doing this step will save you from some serious clean-up later.
I just had to show you my little helper. Meet Caroline my four month old. She is seriously the sweetest little thing. Anyway, back to the post.
3. Step 3 applies if you make my recipe, if not, skip on to step 4. Let the mixed batter sit and set up a bit for about 5 minutes. When you add Flax Meal
to something it’s a good idea to let it sit for a bit so that your end result will be much fluffier.
to something it’s a good idea to let it sit for a bit so that your end result will be much fluffier.
My recipe makes 2 cups of batter. Another good reason I use the Pyrex is because I can see how much batter I used for each pancake and make them all the same size if I want. My recipe makes 4 good sized pancakes so I pour ½ Cup per pancake and they all end up the same size.
4. Properly grease your pre-heated griddle. I just use Salted Butter and it works great. Remember to re-grease between pancakes or you will botch it if it starts sticking to the griddle.
5. Pour on your batter and let cook until it starts getting bubbles near the center that have popped and left little holes. This part can take several minutes, so be patient!
What it looks like just after pouring, it will still spread out a bit.
If you look closely you will see a couple of small bubbles that have popped in the center leaving little holes… this is when it’s ready to flip.
Look how golden and delicious it looks!
6. This step is crucial to not burn it! I always thought that you needed to cook them for the same amount of time on both sides, but that is completely wrong when it comes to pancakes. Once you’ve flipped it, it only takes between 30 seconds and a minute or so to finish cooking. I usually flip it at 30 seconds and if it’s not quite as done as I’d like it to be I flip it again and let it cook for another 30 seconds.
This is the underside of a done pancake (with my recipe). Just lightly browned. No, it doesn’t match its golden delicious looking other side, but it is done…trust me. The second side usually looks like this. Have you ever wondered why people usually slide the pancake onto your plate instead of flipping it on there? My guess is so that the pretty side is the visible one;).
Anyway, that is my tutorial for making pancakes. Please share if you found it helpful. Below is my recipe along with a Printable Version.
Sarah’s Pancakes:
1 C Milk
1 T Agave or Raw Honey
1 Large Egg
1 C Wheat Flour(I usually use whole grain white, but it’s good w/regular wheat too)
¼ C Flax Meal
2 tsp Baking Powder
¼ tsp Iodized Sea Salt
Mix well and let sit for about 5 minutes.