Pancake batter question

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cyan

Assistant Cook
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Messages
10
When you make pancake batter and you find it's too much to use all at once, can you save the batter for another time soon?

Caryl
 
Too many pancakes? Hmm, you are a more disciplined sould than me! LOL I can honestly say I have never had that problem! English/frech pancakes cooked also save well though! Don't know about the lovely little risen US ones, again, never had that problem!
 
i'm so glad! Anything (if it's not bad for you) to save time!

Caryl
 
lulu said:
Too many pancakes? Hmm, you are a more disciplined sould than me! LOL I can honestly say I have never had that problem! English/frech pancakes cooked also save well though! Don't know about the lovely little risen US ones, again, never had that problem!

I have frozen & then drosted made pancakes but they never seemed to taste right.

Caryl
 
Pancake batter should ideally be used within 30-minutes of mixing the wet and dry ingredients together ... up to an hour is pushing the envelope but can still produce acceptable results. The longer the batter sits, the less "poof" you will have in your pancakes.

While "defrosted" pancakes will never taste the same as "hot off the griddle" - they may be a better alternative than using a batter that has lost it's leavening ability - which will result in a much denser pancake.
 
Interesting Michael. The opposite is taughtin English lore, for panckaes, obviously ours don't have "poof" but we are told to get the best crepes to make the batter and let it sit for at least thirty minutes if we can :) To be honest, I rarely do, and if I want US style panckaes, I want them "now" so I would never leave the batter!
 
Crepe batter and pancake batter are different--pancakes have a good bit of leavening. Crepes need to rest to get the bubbles out.
I agree with Michael. Our kids make pancakes and freeze them to have for quick breakfast for their chilluns. Not as good as fresh, but better than the freezer section's.
 
Michael is definetely correct. When making leavened pancakes, a chemical reaction takes place that releases Co2 bubbles. It's these little bubbles that make the pancake rise. The chemical reaction only takes place until chemicals are "used up" so to speak.

That being said, a longer shelf life is obtained by using a double-acting baking powder. It has two sets of ingredients, one set that activates when liquid is added, and a wnd that doesn't begin its action until heat is applied. Even then, the best leavening takes place within minutes after the batter is made. Also, for the most tender pancakes, mix as little as possible, only until everything is wet. Small lumps in the batter dissapear as the panckes cook. Over mixing result in rubber pancakes.

For still lighter pancakes, replace 1/3 of the wheat flour with oat flour. It makes an incredibly light pancake. Unfortunately, it take some skill to flip these pancakes as they are very fragile and will break easily. You almost have to have two pans so as to flip from one to the other. But the regular home made recipe I use creates very tender, moist, and light pancakes without the addition of oat flour. I just find it fun to experiment with things. (see Goodweed's World Famous Pancakes).

And, even though pancakes are good after being frozen, they are best when hot off the griddle, and I mean right off the griddle. If they even sit for a few minutes, much of the moisture steams away, or if they are stacked, then those underneath can become soggy and squished down.

Anybody can make good pancakes. But great pancakes are and art.:chef:

Seeeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
Agree with the great advice. To me the only difference between crepes and flapjacks is the leavening - baking powder.

Yes there is always the question of sugar, which I add for breakfast or dessert crepes but not for ones meant for savory dishes.

If you wanted to prepare the batter the night before as a time saving step suppose you could just add the baking powder in the morning just before tossing them into the fry pan or griddle.

Batter left over? Would try adding some additional baking powder in the AM, just before cooking. How much? Dunno. Would try a teaspoonful or so for every cup of batter. Think it might work.

Or could just cook the batter up the next day, and call them fat crepes.

Maybe some of the leavening that is released upon cooking the double action baking powder will remain overnight, puffing up the crepes a bit.

Fry up with some slices of cooked breakfast sausage, served with some lovely jam or syrup, sounds good to me.

Kinda like toad in the hole made without the leavening.

Since this is pancake batter, and therefore may well have sugar in it, could always use the remainder for a dessert.

Make some teeny pancake/crepes, top with something tasty (jam, chocolate?) add some ice cream, what is not to like? And no one would care if the pancakes were flatter than, well, pancakes.

Have no idea if the batter would work for making popovers or Yorkshire pudding, but you could always try.

Just a few random toughts.

Time to draw my toad back into the hole and go to sleep.

Another work week ahead.

Drat.
 
Well, I just learned something more, flapjacks are different in UK and America too from Aunt Dot's description. In UK flapjacks are oaty bars..
 

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