Update to buttermilk pancakes

Pancakes occasionally make it into our home brunch rotation. I used to shy away from them when I didn't quite have the technique down, but now that I've improved we make them on a more regular basis. We've tried several different recipes but our go-to is the Cook's Country buttermilk pancakes recipe, featured here.

One morning recently I came into the kitchen to find that Whitney had already made the pancake batter, and that it was a bit browner than usual. I feared that she might have prepared this unleavened disaster of a pancake recipe, but thankfully it turned out she had just substituted half the flour in our regular recipe with whole wheat. This was still a bit of a risky move given that whole wheat flour can alter the texture and moisture content, but in this case it ended up working perfectly and I couldn't tell a difference from the original recipe.

I'll also add some thoughts on making pancakes based on my experience thus far. The keys to cooking them right are determining the proper heat level for the stove (somewhere around "medium" so that it's hot enough to brown the outside, but not so hot that it burns before fully cooking through), and then waiting long enough for the pan to properly pre-heat before adding the batter (it takes forever!). I'm still working on my flipping technique. I don't know how you cleanly flip a disc that's half liquid, but at least part of it is leaving enough room around the pancake to slide the spatula in, and sliding it in fast. Anyone have tips for the actual flip?

Anyway, here's the recipe with Whitney's whole wheat flour substitution.


Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes Inspiration from Cook's Country
Serves 2

Ingredients
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 egg
3 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
vegetable oil

Directions
   Whisk the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to combine. In a separate bowl whisk the egg and melted butter into the milk until combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; pour in the milk mixture and whisk very gently until just combined with only a few lumps remaining - do not over mix.
   Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot (about 3-5 minutes). Add 1 tsp oil to coat the bottom of the skillet. Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake and cook until large bubbles begin to appear (1 1/2 to 2 minutes). Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown (will need slightly less time than the first side). Serve immediately.

1 comment:

  1. No tips on flipping as I hardly ever do it!

    ReplyDelete