Help with Buckwheat crepes

[4food]

There are 2 types crepes, the desert crepe, "sugar crepes", made with flour, sugar, eggs and milk, and their is the "Entree" crepes made with buckwheat flour and water (not really a flour, but gluten-free).
My taste reference comes from a time when I ate lots of those "galettes" or "crepes Ble Noir" when living in Brittany.
I have been trying to replicate the taste of the French's Buckwheat crepe, with somewhat of a success in the taste area, but not like the original.
My question is..... should I settle with my result and enjoy my crepes as their is no way we can duplicate french crepes with the type of flour we have in the US (like the baguettes), or you think or you know, that it is possible to get very close to the real thing?
Thanks in advance for your participation

 

[4food]

I forgot to add my actual recipe:

I either use Hodson Mill Whole grain Buckwheat flour
or Bob's Red Mill Buckweat flour

330 gr of flour
10 gr of salt
75 cl of water

mix and let rest for 2 hours

 

[Whiskadoodle]

I wonder what they would taste like if you subbed milk instead of water.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

crepes have eggs in them, would add some body to yours.

 

[dcSaute]

they can be made with or without eggs - and names/terms are very interchangeably used, so confusion is standard.....

missing the 'twang'?
as kids we'd have buckwheat pancake eating contests when visiting my grandmother. I've managed to 'recreate' them - I inherited the pitcher she used to keep her starter in the fridge . . . and the secret is twofold:
- use about a cup of the 'starter' (it ferments, acts to leaven the batter)
- mix then leave the mixed batter in the fridge overnight

obviously, for crepes the batter needs to be thinner than pancakes - but it's just buckwheat+water+salt.

 

[Janet H]

There is a really good article about this topic here: How to Make France's Other Crepes: Savory Buckwheat Galettes Bretonnes | Serious Eats

I've made a version of these that are slightly fermented, mixing buckwheat with water and a little yogurt and letting this soak for a day or two to develop some flavor, then adding milk, egg and a little salt to get the desired consistency just prior to cooking.

Good luck

 

[CharlieD]

What kind of consistency did you get on the batter? Seems way too heavy on flour. Also a lot of salt. I use that much for a whole loaf of bread.

 

[4food]

I wonder what they would taste like if you subbed milk instead of water.

Good try Whiskadoodle, but milk is a big nono for those salted crepes

 

[4food]

crepes have eggs in them, would add some body to yours.

Lets not confuse sweet crepes, that definitely need eggs, with salted crepes, like those buckwheat crepes, that should not need eggs, but I have seen one French recipe that asked for one egg. So perhaps .... it might be worth investigate

 

[4food]

obviously, for crepes the batter needs to be thinner than pancakes - but it's just buckwheat+water+salt.

And that is my start up recipe, but the original taste is not there.

 

[4food]

There is a really good article about this topic here: How to Make France's Other Crepes: Savory Buckwheat Galettes Bretonnes | Serious Eats

I've made a version of these that are slightly fermented, mixing buckwheat with water and a little yogurt and letting this soak for a day or two to develop some flavor, then adding milk, egg and a little salt to get the desired consistency just prior to cooking.

Good luck

I don't know if I want to ferment the dough mix yet, but thanks a bunch for the link. It gave me more information and another variation of the recipe to work with. That's mixing 50% of wheat flour or close to it with the buckwheat flour. I will certainly post my findings, if you care to hear about it

 

[4food]

What kind of consistency did you get on the batter? Seems way too heavy on flour. Also a lot of salt. I use that much for a whole loaf of bread.

I would say it was more liquid than heavy, if this means anything to anyone , but the salt proportions are correct, about 3 gr of salt per 100 gr of flour.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Lets not confuse sweet crepes, that definitely need eggs, with salted crepes, like those buckwheat crepes, that should not need eggs, but I have seen one French recipe that asked for one egg. So perhaps .... it might be worth investigate

Not confusing anything, my buckwheat crepes have egg, they are delicious and hold up well to fillings.

 

[4food]

Not confusing anything, my buckwheat crepes have egg, they are delicious and hold up well to fillings.

OK, lets say that recipe takes eggs, so what would be your recipe with what brand of buckwheat? Thanks

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I use King Arthur Buckwheat Flour and their recipe for Buckwheat Crepes.

 

[4food]

I use King Arthur Buckwheat Flour and their recipe for Buckwheat Crepes.

I never seen that recipe with that many eggs and milk either, but that won't stop me for trying it. Thanks again Princess.
I did double check the original recipe with a friend of mine that runs a Creperie in France, La Passe Sud, and his recipe is just flour, salt and water. But again, the flour in the US is different than in France. I very much hope King Arthur perfected that flour, as they often do with others.