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Short-Order Kitchen

Pancakes

By Wes Ellis1 min read
Recipe card
Servings
1
Prep
15 minutes
Cook
10 minutes
Method
Griddle
Heat
350 to 375°F (griddle)
Difficulty
Medium
Jump to ingredients & directions ↓

Part 2 of the thread The breakfast fundamentals

THE SHORT VERSION3 points
  • Griddle at 350 to 375°F, with a thin layer of oil or butter.
  • Let the batter sit 10 minutes before it touches the griddle. This is the whole trick.
  • Flip at about 90 seconds, when the edges start to bubble, then give it one more minute.
THE RECIPE · PANCAKES

Ingredients

You'll need

  • Griddle
  • Ladle

Directions

  1. Heat the griddle to 350 to 375°F.
  2. Mix the dry pancake mix with water according to the box, then let it sit 10 minutes. Don't skip this.
  3. Spread a thin layer of oil or butter on the griddle.
  4. Ladle the batter onto the griddle. Flip after about 90 seconds, or when the edges start to bubble.
  5. Cook another minute, then plate.
Notes Serve with syrup, fruit, or a mimosa. Whatever you like.

wesellis.com/blog/pancakes/

Yes, this starts with a box. No, I'm not sorry. A good box mix on a properly hot griddle beats a from-scratch batter cooked in a lukewarm pan every single time, and it's what you actually want to be making at 7 a.m.

Let it sit

The one thing that makes the biggest difference: mix the batter, then walk away for 10 minutes. The flour hydrates, the leavening wakes up, and the batter thickens a little. You get taller, fluffier pancakes instead of flat, rubbery ones. Use the time to heat the griddle and pour the coffee.

Heat and timing

Get the griddle to 350 to 375°F before anything goes down, and keep the fat to a thin layer. Too much oil and the edges fry instead of brown.

Watch the edges, not the clock. When bubbles show up around the sides (usually around the 90-second mark), flip once. One more minute on the second side and they're done.

Once you've got the basic pancake down, the fun version is Bananas Foster Pancakes, which are these same pancakes with a buttery brown sugar and rum sauce on top. And if you're building out a whole plate, How to Make Eggs covers the other half.

LINKED FROM2 notes

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