Pancakes Question, SOS.

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CharlieD

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Started making pancakes and in the middle just realized I only have bread flour. Not sure what to do now. Is it going to be a problem? Ruined pancakes?
 
Bread flour has just a bit more gluten in it and unlike cake flour it has no baking powder in it. Add in a little baking powder and expect them to be a little more chewy, less light. Don't over stir it as the gluten gets more active as you stir. Otherwise, go for it. Make some for me too! ha ha
 
Bread flour should be OK. You MAY have to add a little more liquid to get the batter the right texture as bread flour absorbs more liquid.
 
Thank you. It sure worked. It was s little bit thick indeed. But in the end they came out ok. I even think they were a little bit better tasting
 
Yay! So sometime when you get a chance, taste some gluten, it is in bagels and pizza dough, sometimes in pretzels (added gluten), see if that is the flavor you like. I'm a fan of it.


Will I see some in the mail then? ;) (joke)
 
Yay! So sometime when you get a chance, taste some gluten, it is in bagels and pizza dough, sometimes in pretzels (added gluten), see if that is the flavor you like. I'm a fan of it.


Will I see some in the mail then? ;) (joke)


:LOL:
 
CharleD, if all you had to work with was sour kraut, I think you could still find a way to make great pancakes. That being said...;)

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
Not a lot you can do wrong with pancakes as long as you have flour, baking powder, milk, oil (or a shot of bacon grease), and an egg, and this is important... Don't over mix the batter!!!! The batter will be lumpy... the lumps seem to cook out just fine, and the more you work the batter the more you develop the gluten. Good in bread - not so good in pancakes.

There are other modifications, but basic pancakes are pretty easy. With a little experience, even quantities can be estimated.
 
Not a lot you can do wrong with pancakes...and this is important... Don't over mix the batter!!!! The batter will be lumpy...
I've always mixed the batter, then cooked with it right away even though I've read that letting it sit a while improves the end result. This last time I made them, I finally remembered to let them rest. If you wait just a little while (maybe about a half hour), the lumpy parts absorb liquid. No powdery residue trapped inside any pancake and, better yet, the very last pancakes were almost as fluffy as the first. Normally, the last pan of cakes from the batter are pretty flat ones.
 
I bet it is, Andy, but we're happy with mine. I've looked his recipe over in the past (and again just now); mine is quicker and easier, and we like it. No sense in upsetting the apple cart...unless I'm peeling a slicing an apple to add to my pancake batter.
 
I've always mixed the batter, then cooked with it right away even though I've read that letting it sit a while improves the end result. This last time I made them, I finally remembered to let them rest. If you wait just a little while (maybe about a half hour), the lumpy parts absorb liquid. No powdery residue trapped inside any pancake and, better yet, the very last pancakes were almost as fluffy as the first. Normally, the last pan of cakes from the batter are pretty flat ones.

Yes, letting it sit and mellow for 15-30 minutes is often recommended in recipes.

I generally just use a wooden spoon to mix with, and I don't add all of the milk from the start. A few quick beats while the batter is still quite thick seems to break up those larger chunks without overmixing. Then I'll add in more liquid until the consistency looks right.

I know that I helped Mom make pancakes even while I was in grade school (my brother and I always had to have some sort of animal or object pancakes, and Mom obliged as best she could, considering that pancake batter is an unwieldy medium to work with).

I've been making them for so long that it's implanted in my head. I rarely measure the flour or liquid - one egg, a couple tablespoons of oil, baking powder, and then milk until it looks and feels right to me.
 
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