[FOODIES CORNER] How to make Pancakes

By Toyibat Ajose On Nov 11, 2023

How to Make Fluffy Homemade Pancakes Every Time

Use fresh ingredients. Check your flour and baking powder to make sure they haven’t expired or gone rancid.
Don’t over-stir. When combining your wet and dry ingredients, stir only until you no longer see any dry spots of flour. Over-stirring will make pancakes tougher (since gluten develops in the flour) and less fluffy (which happens when leaveners release bubbles).
Let batter rest. Resting about 10 minutes allows the leaveners to continue to work their magic, creating and expanding into thousands of tiny pockets of carbon dioxide. The fluffier the batter, the fluffier the pancakes.
Start with a hot surface. Allow your skillet or griddle to fully heat up before you add batter.
Make a test pancake. This is your practice run to gauge and adjust the temperature and cook time. Peek frequently at the underside to check if the pancake is browning at the right pace.
Don’t press the pancakes. It’s tempting to press down on the pancakes with a spatula after flipping, but this will result in a dense, gummy pancake.

What to Serve With Pancakes

Butter, maple syrup, confectioners’ sugar, honey, jams, preserves, sweetened whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and fresh fruit are all delicious toppings for homemade pancakes.

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Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Assorted toppings, such as butter, maple syrup, confectioners’ sugar, honey, jams, preserves, sweetened whipped cream, or chocolate syrup

Directions

Gather ingredients and preheat oven:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Have a baking sheet or heatproof platter ready to keep cooked pancakes warm in the oven.

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Mix dry ingredients:

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

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Mix wet ingredients:

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter (or oil), and egg.
Combine wet and dry ingredients:

Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened. (Do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine.)

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Heat and oil skillet or griddle:

Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast-iron) or griddle over medium. Fold a sheet of paper towel in half, and moisten with oil; carefully rub skillet with oiled paper towel.

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Spoon batter onto skillet or griddle:

For each pancake, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet, using the back of the spoon to spread batter into a round (you should be able to fit 2 to 3 in a large skillet).

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Cook first side:

Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst, 1 to 2 minutes.

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The underside should reach a gorgeous shade of gold just as the uncooked batter on top loses its wet sheen—indicating that it’s time to flip.
Flip pancakes:

Flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more.

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Choose a thin, broad spatula (the same width as the pancakes, if possible) and turn each one over as gently and quickly as possible. The second side should take less time than the first, so keep an eye on them.
Serve immediately, or keep warm in oven:

Transfer to a baking sheet or platter; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in oven. Continue with more oil and remaining batter. (You’ll have 12 to 15 pancakes.) Serve warm, with desired toppings.