Is there anything more comforting than a stack of pancakes on a weekend morning? We think not! Heck, they’re great on a weekday morning too! Whether you like a short stack with butter and pure maple syrup or a mile-high stack with more toppings than you can count, you first have to master the batter. For pancakes that will take your stacks to new heights, check out our tips and tricks for failproof fluffy pancake perfection!
12 Tips and Tricks for Perfect Pancakes
- Temperature is vitally important for perfectly cooked pancakes. Too hot and you’ll burn the outside before the inside is cooked. Preheat your pan or electric griddle to about 350°F. Then turn it down about 10 degrees once you start to cook the pancakes.
- If you don’t already have one, consider investing in an electric skillet. Electric griddles or skillets can be temperature controlled. If you prefer a pan, choose a nonstick skillet or a heavy cast iron pan and cook your pancakes over medium heat.
- Use cold liquid in your batter. Using room temperature or warm liquid heats up the gluten, which will deflate your pancakes before you even start.
- Mix your dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls before combining. After combined, let the batter rest for about 10 minutes. Resting allows the gluten to relax so you don’t end up with chewy pancakes.
- Speaking of mixing your ingredients, never do this with a wooden spoon or other utensil not made for the job. You want to use a bulbous, rounded whisk (not the skinnier French whisks). The full whisks allow more air to make its way into your batter, allowing for fluffy, perfect pancakes.
- DO NOT overmix the batter. A few lumps are fine! Overmixing will result in tough batter.
- Use high quality ingredients:
- Use fresh leavener (no older than six months).
- Use unbleached flour, not bleached.
- Use grade AA unsalted butter or the best butter you can find.
- Grease your skillet or pan with olive oil or clarified butter (also called ghee). Do not use regular butter as it burns easily.
- Before cooking, wipe out excess oil until there is just a slight shine. This will prevent uneven browning.
- Use a ladle or a measuring cup to carefully pour about ¼ cup of batter onto your griddle for uniform pancakes that cook at the same rate. Do not pour directly from the mixing bowl.
- Be patient! When you see small bubbles forming at the surface, your pancakes are ready to flip. Flip them once and only once.
- Keep cooked pancakes warm in a 200°F oven on a wire rack coated with nonstick spray and set over a rimmed baking sheet.
Go Above and Beyond
- Sift the flour for extra light pancakes.
- Use buttermilk instead of milk to add richness.
- Whisk the egg whites separately from the egg yolks for fluffier pancakes. Mix the yolks in with the rest of the wet ingredients. Whip the whites into stiff peaks separately and fold them into the batter just before you’re ready to cook.
Banana, Bacon, and Pecan Pancakes
For unique pancakes that will kick your pancakes up a notch, check out this recipe for banana, bacon and pecan pancakes from Homesick Texan. It’s a winner!
Pancakes at The Buttermilk Cafe
If you’d rather leave the flapjack flippin’ to the pros, hit the road and head to New Braunfels where you can find fabulous fluffy stacks of pancakes at The Buttermilk Cafe. We’ve tried them and boy, are they good! Watch our story with The Buttermilk Cafe right here!
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