There’s really no need to buy packaged pancake mix (unless it’s the stuff from Highwood Crossing in Aldersyde, see Page 34). When cooking pancakes, you have to time the “flip.” If you wait for all the bubbles to break through the surface, you won’t get any lift on the other side. Once the batter looks dry around the edges, you can go ahead and flip them with a thin spatula.
My Homemade Pancake Mix
Ingredients
Dry mix:
• 2 cups flours and grains (try quinoa, oat, buckwheat, spelt and other interesting flours, or use some quick-cooking oats)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar (optional)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
To make the batter:
• 2 cups milk or
buttermilk
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 large eggs
Procedure
1. To make your mix, whisk together your flours of choice, brown sugar, baking powder and salt; store in an airtight container or zip-lock bag for up to 3 months.
2. To make pancakes, whisk together 2 cups of the mix with the milk, oil and eggs. Heat a heavy (I like cast-iron) skillet over medium heat, add a drizzle of canola oil and rub it all over the surface with a paper towel. (This will simulate the first pancake—you know, the one that never quite turns out like the rest.)
3. Ladle your pancake batter into the hot pan and cook until bubbles begin to break through the surface and the edges appear dry.
4. Flip using a thin spatula, and cook until golden on the other side.
5. If you need to keep them warm, put them on a wire rack set on top of a baking sheet (to keep them from getting soggy) in a 250˚F oven while you cook the rest. Makes 8-10 pancakes, depending on their size.
Courtesy of Julie Van Rosendaal, dinnerwithjulie.com
Originally published in Swerve magazine on July.08.11.
