In my opinion, a good pancake should be light, fluffy and has an airy texture. To achieve melt-in-your-mouth pancakes, just remember these few tips – 1) do not over mix the batter (tiny lumps in the batter is okay in this case), 2) make sure your baking soda is “not dead” (less than 6 months old when opened) in order to achieve fluffy pancakes, 3) use of buttermilk is quite necessary, 4) prepare the batter only when you are ready to cook and 5) flip the pancake only when your see large bubbles.
Having tested a few recipes, this melt-your-mouth pancakes came out to be my top favorite. Most of the ingredients are also readily available in my pantry. If you truly wish to experience the all-American style pancakes, investing in bacon and a good bottle of 100% pure maple syrup is a must.
Ingredients:
Batter:
1 cup (130 g) plain flour
1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk (buttermilk substitute: mix 1 cup milk with 1 tbsp white vinegar & let it sit for 5 mins)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter – melted
Pinch of salt
Zest of 1 -2 lemons
Caramelized apples:
1 – 2 apples – cored and sliced
2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter – melted
4 tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
Makes 8 medium pancakes
Recipe source: BBC Good Food (with slight modifications)
Pre-heat oven to 190°C/400°F. Wash and cut the apples into slices and place them in a bowl.
Drizzle melted butter and maple syrup onto the apples and mix well.
Place them apples onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 30 mins.
In a medium bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
In a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and melted butter together until well combined.
Add in flour and mix. It is perfectly alright to still have tiny lumps in the batter.
Fold the lemon zest into the batter. Over mixing can cause the pancake to be chewy. Let it rest for 5 mins.
Rub some butter onto a non-stick pan and heat the pan. Switch it to low heat before cooking the pancake. Using a small ladle, scoop the batter and pour into the pan. The trick to perfect round pancakes is to carefully pour all the batter in the same spot and let it roll out to a complete circle.
Cook the pancake until small bubbles start to appear. Flip it carefully to the other side and cook for another minute.
To serve, spoon the caramelized apples onto warm pancakes and drizzle maple syrup over them. Feel free to add a few slices of bacon or your favorite fruits.
Full Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 190°C/400°F. Wash and cut the apples into slices and place them in a bowl. Drizzle melted butter and maple syrup onto the apples and mix well. Place them apples onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 30 mins.
In a medium bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. In a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and melted butter together until well combined. Add in flour and mix. It is perfectly alright to still have tiny lumps in the batter. Fold the lemon zest into the batter. Over mixing can cause the pancake to be chewy. Let it rest for 5 mins.
Rub some butter onto a non-stick pan and heat the pan. Switch it to low heat before cooking the pancake. Using a small ladle, scoop the batter and pour into the pan. The trick to perfect round pancakes is to carefully pour all the batter in the same spot and let it roll out to a complete circle. Cook the pancake until small bubbles start to appear. Flip it carefully to the other side and cook for another minute.
To serve, spoon the caramelized apples onto warm pancakes and drizzle maple syrup over them. Feel free to add a few slices of bacon or your favorite fruits.