Tips & tricks
Pancake do’s and don’ts
Did you know that research by Deliveroo shows that Dutch people prefer eating thin rather than thick pancakes? Preferably warm and topped with something sweet rather than savoury? We get it. Because nothing is as delicious as an old-fashioned pancake. Do you also bake every week? Then you can definitely use these tips for extra-delicious pancakes!
door Lauretta Baarends
Whether it’s in custard, as a cake or with bacon and cheese: the quintessential Dutch pancake is delicious in all shapes and sizes. And you can even make them with 3, 2 or even 1 ingredient. For everyone who prefers to make pancakes according to the traditional recipe (egg, flour, sugar and milk), we’ve listed a few handy pancake do’s and don’ts.
Do’s
- Use fresh ingredients. Don’t start with old eggs or flour, as this can really negatively affect the flavour of your pancake.
- Let the batter rest; 10 to 15 minutes already works wonders. Letting the batter rest for a while reduces the gluten and allows the starch in the flour to properly absorb the milk. This makes your pancake beautifully smooth and gives it a better texture (without lumps).
- Use a pan with a thick base so that the heat can distribute evenly across the pancake. There are even special cast-iron pancake pans. Buy one if you often make pancakes!
- Use oil and butter to fry the pancake. The oil ensures that the butter in the pan doesn’t burn quickly. Once you’ve added the batter and the top starts to become slightly dry, add a small knob of butter here too. This way, the other side of the pancake will also turn beautifully brown.
Don’ts
- Don’t mix your batter for too long. The longer you beat the batter, the chewier your pancake will become. This is because beating creates more and more gluten in the batter, making the pancake firm rather than light and tender.
- Cook the pancakes at the right temperature. This can sometimes take a bit of trial and error. A pan that’s too hot means a crispy outside but an uncooked inside. Medium heat is best. And wait a few minutes before cooking the first pancake. That way, it will be at the right temperature.
- Don’t flip the pancake too quickly. I once got the tip from a pancake maker that you can turn the pancake over when the edges come away from the pan and the bubbles in the middle have burst.
- Don’t leave the butter and oil pooled in the pan. Do spread them around, as this also ensures that the pancake turns evenly brown. Happy baking!
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