Mile-High Pancakes

Made it. Very nice. A nice option was adding also some thin slices of apple, toghether with the cheese. It caramelizes and goes very well with the chesse. Thanks.

I halved the recipe and served them with carmelized apples to both my girls. I was regretful I hadn't made the full recipe because I would have had seconds they were just that good. I'd say without a doubt these are the best pancakes I've ever made in my house....of course don't tell Aunt Jemima that.

I use an the same amount of melted butter instead of the oil, and it works incredibly well, giving the pancakes a sweet, nutty richness.

Oh, and I would say that buttermilk is essential here.

I am always a fan of substituting butter with oil, wherever I can. And just to be clear for those reading this, you mean the oil in the pancakes, not the oil used to cook them...right!
Good idea! thanks dawn

I tried the cheese thing and it was just delicious! I loved them. Really good. My family loved them too, and they're not big fans of pancakes.

We used to cater to film sets and film crews and actors alike, loved these. Sound a bit strange but they are amazing.

Loved it! I served them with chocolate syrup and it was a total hit!

I've tried lots of other recipes but these are definitely the best pancakes I have ever made! Thanks for the tips!

I have been making pancakes for almost 50 years and these are definitly the best I have come across. I loved them and so did my grandchildren! Try adding a bit of vanilla -my secret ingredient for any pancake.

Thank you for another hit!
Best pancakes I have ever made!

I use a very similar recipe for a silver dollar version (which is what my hungry bunch asks for).

1-1/2 c. All Purpose Flour
2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 Stick Unsalted Butter (cubed and melted)
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp Salt
1-1/4 c. Buttermilk

Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and slowly add butter. Next, add eggs and stir in buttermilk a bit at a time. On the griddle they go with a bit of butter and cook until bubbly and turn.

The mix is just thick enough that you can control the size of the pancake, but thin enough that they stay individually thin as a silver dollar pancake should.

I use a measuring cup (1/4 c.) to ladle out each portion while cooking.

The recipe below originally called for 3 tsp of baking powder to get an awesome fluffiness, but the baking powder made it extremely sour and uneatable. My next attempt I used only close to a tsp of B.P. and they were yummy but, no that fluffy. Can anyone help. Is it the kind of baking powder I use? its Foodclub Baking soda. it says for cleaning and baking. Thanks,

Yass.

My home recipe is

dry:
1.5c flour
1.tsp B.powder
1.tbsp sugar
1.tsp salt

Wet:
1 1/2c milk
1 egg
3 tbsp melted butter

Have you tried the Rouxbe recipe (this recipe) for pancakes, they are very good and they rise very nicely. We use this recipe all the time (preferably with the buttermilk).

Try this recipe and see what you think, I would provide a link to the recipe, but this IS the recipe!

I was really afraid to try this recipe at first because of the huge amount of baking powder ,I actually thought it's a typo at first ;D.

The batter is really scary it looked like soap foam ( or at least mine looked like one) but this is by far the best pancake ever.....

Is it possible to substitute some of the flour with pecan or almond flour ?? or will this affect the texture of the pancake?

So glad you liked the pancakes Khaled. The batter does look quite foamy and fluffy, but they sure cook up nicely and they also happen to taste really great. This is certainly a "go-to" pancake recipe.

As for substituting some of the flour for pecan or almond flour, I actually don't know how it would affect things, it may make them a bit more dense. Maybe try substituting 1/3 of the all-purpose flour for another type to start. I suggest trying it and then sharing your feedback with us. Cheers!

Tried out these little babies today with some maple syrup I got from vermont for xmas. I've now replaced my old recipe with this one.
Sometimes simple is better :)

Mike

Two important things to always remember:

1. Don't over mix (do the second exercise in the wheat/gluten exercise to find out why.

2. Let the batter sit for about ten minutes for the baking powder to start to react and then gently ladle onto griddle (don't mix at all after the first very quick mixing of ingredients). You want all this air in your pancakes.

Cheers, Joe.

Helo Joe,

Thanks for the info, I watched the wheat / gluten exercise before but will double watch it again for a refresh.

I'm gonna try out your Sesame-Panko Chicken and Spinach Salad tonight.

//Mike

This might be a stupid question, but is there any reason why I couldn't sift the dry ingredients and put them in an airtight bag for use later? Will it turn out the same?

You can certainly do this but only do it in batches - batches the size that you would make.

If you double, triple, etc the batch and then sift, what can happen is that when you scoop out say a 1/3 of the dry mix, it may not contain the right proportions of salt, sugar, baking powder, etc.

So make a batch, sift, bag. Then make the next batch, sift, bag, etc. so that you end up with consistent results when you add the wet stuff.

Brilliant... I'm going to make up a couple batches now so they're ready for the weekend. :) Thanks, Joe! :)

Oh, one more thing... for measuring out the flour, are you using the dip and sweep method, or spoon method?

Honestly we just scoop and sweep but the spoon method would also work. You will see that these pancakes are very easy to make (and measure) the only trick is to not over mix them when you are making the batter. See the lesson on Wheat and Gluten for more info on this.

Good luck, I am sure you will love them! Oh, one more thing, the recipe calls for buttermilk or milk...use the buttermilk, it makes for the best pancakes.

Can this batter be storaged in the fridge? There`s plenty left and I didn`t want to trow it out....

Thanks!!

If I were to make these by weight, is there a conversion chart that I should use. Also in the baking recipes that you will be coming out with are they going to but in weight or volume. . . . or both?

We do not have a conversion chart available on Rouxbe yet. One cup of all-purpose flour is the equivalent to 140 grams. For baking recipes that use strict formulas, we will post the measurements in weight as well. Weighing ingredients does provide the most consistent results when baking/making pastries, etc.

In the meantime, here is a good link for some common ingredient conversions. Happy Cooking!

I'm looking forward to trying this pancake recipe, however, I have a quick question before trying it out. My husband's diabetic, so I'm always trying to switch out whole wheat flour for white flour in recipes (I also like to keep as much white flour out of my kids diet as possible). Do you think whole wheat flour will prevent the pancakes from being light and fluffy?

Thanks so much!

Kelly
Vancouver, BC

If you regularly substitute whole wheat for white flour, I am sure you are already aware that things are more dense and even chewy when you use all whole wheat flour. Same things for these pancakes, without the white flour these pancakes will lack that airiness, that makes them "mile-high pancakes".

Here is another thread that talks about this as well. It's actually part of the discussion from the Wheat & Gluten Lesson. Cheers!

I make these every chance I get when I cook breakfast for the family. Its a big change from the runny pancake batter that come in boxes at the supermarket. They literally are pan "cakes"!! sometimes I have trouble getting that perfect golden brown colour though?

PS adding cheese is a must try!!

I thought I'd write back about my experience in substituting whole wheat flour in this recipe. I did 2 different versions: 1 with 1/2 white 1/2 ww flour, and the other with straight ww flour. I actually didn't notice too much of a difference between the 2 versions and they both turned out great and still turned out "mile high". It must be all the baking powder that keeps them nice and fluffy. They weren't too dense or chewy. I gave my kids the 100% ww version and they gobbeled them up. I'm thinking about grinding up some other grains. such as oats and incorporating them into the recipe. As a side note, I also made the laminated pasta with whole wheat flour and it turned it great. I think I just had to boil the noodles for a minute or 2 longer.

I'm in Mexico, I haven't find that sort of product here or probably I'm not getting the best translation to find it. any advice?

Hi Carlos,

Not sure what the experts at Rouxbe would say, but when I don't have buttermilk on hand, I make my own "sour milk" by adding about 1 tsp of vinegar to every 1 cup of regular milk. You have to let it sit for about 10 minutes before you add it to the recipe. You'll know it's ready when the constistency changes. Sounds unappetizing, but the milk will be a bit "chunky". Hope that helps.

I usually need to add more vinegar or fresh lemon juice to get the mixture to thicken enough: 1 tablespoon vinegar or fresh lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let it sit until it thickens.

I'm sure the substitution would work well for this recipe. I haven't had a lot of success though when using the substitution in the Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Pancakes. It just never seemed to get thick enough so I stick to the real thing for that particular recipe. Hope this helps!

Woow amazing! I have just done the recipe, those were delicious. Although I thing more thinken was required from buttermilk substitution to get a better batter, so sorry but I will have to try again... and again.. thank you both!

Carlos, do you have yogurt where you are? I used 1 cup yogurt mixed with 1 cup milk, this time to replace the 2 cups buttermilk.

I always used sour milk (milk plus vinegar or lemon juice) in the past to replace buttermilk in recipes. Sour milk is thinner than buttermilk, so use a bit less.

Both buttermilk and yogurt are cultured milk products, but sour milk is not, so sour milk will not provide as much rise. Cultured milk works a bit like a sourdough starter.

This is the first time I felt like I could afford to "waste" yogurt in pancakes. In the past I only cooked frugally and nutritionally, and never for the pure enjoyment or to learn. I'm glad I did these "right" as they do taste yeastier than sour milk or regular milk pancakes.

Richard did you add baking soda or baking powder. Baking soda is more potent than baking powder and has to be neutralized by the correct amount of acid. Baking powder is complete in itself, and more of it is used, and it is usually double acting, meaning it rises a second time when heated, not just when liquid is added. 1 tablespoon of baking soda is a huge amount. 1 tablespoon baking powder is just right.

I haven't baked anything in over 6 months and have kept my flour in the refrigerator where it has dried out, so my batter came out too thick. I stirred a little more milk into the batter to try and thin it, but it wasn't enough and I didn't want to try stirring in more, because I was afraid of overworking the batter.

I've never had such a tender pancake when the batter was so thick. I think it's because of the extra rise from the yogurt.

When flour is dry, do I use less flour, do I increase the liquid, or do both?

I'm just comparing this recipe to one I have for buttermilk pancakes. Mine calls for separating out the egg whites, beating them, then folding them in at the end before frying. Is this achieving the same effect as your large amount of baking powder? If so I might prefer your simpler method.

I also tend to use Rice-bran oil instead of vegetable oils. Would that be ok here? I think I'll try this recipe tomorrow for breakfast!

Whipped egg whites can be used to leaven, so, yes, it is relatively the same thing. If you were to substitute the whipped egg whites in your recipe with baking powder, I don't know how they will turn out - you'll just have to try it out for yourself (if this is indeed what you're asking). I am not familiar with rice-bran oil, but if you use it for cooking and it is neutral in flavor, it should be fine for pancakes. Cheers!

pro tip, do NOT put rice-bran oil in these! :-) I made a few different batches, all single serving size, and I think butter works best. Also I found that there's is no need to butter the pan, if its non-stick and cleaned properly the pancakes come out nice and golden. I noticed that my pan was hovering around 325f ish but your mileage may vary.

I tried these topped with a spiced ricotta as follows:
400g ricotta
60ml Canadian maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
blend in a processor until smooth
then dollop on top of the pancakes.

As a nice side to all this I had maple syrup pears, as follows:
250ml Canadian maple syrup
orange and lemon rind, and the juice from said orange and lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 ripe williams pears, peeled & quartered
combine in a pan and simmer for 12min until tender and glazed

This took a bit of effort (certainly not the lazy Sunday morning kind of pancake) but was simple AMAZING. If you need to impress a special someone with breakfast, this will do it. mmmmm....

Hi,
I made these pancakes exactly as the recipe describes, but the batter was extremely thick. When I went to 'ladle' it on to the griddle, it was more like having to scrape it off of the spoon and flatten it out!
They were DELICIOUS, but I'm thinking that maybe my buttermilk was thicker than usual? I used Island Farms buttermilk. Maybe I should just sour some milk instead? Or should I just add more than the 2 cups of buttermilk?
Suggestions would be appreciated!

Sounds like you may have just needed to add a touch more buttermilk. Next time make them as usual and if they are too thick add a tablespoon or so more buttermilk until you reach the desired consistency. The batter is supposed to be thick but not so thick that you have to scrape it off of ladle and flatten them. Cheer!

Mine came out too thick too. I had stored my flour in the fridge and it had dried out. If you think your flour has been stored in really dry conditions, you can add some water as well as more milk.

When my pancakes are coming out thick, I like to cover the pan to make sure the middles cook.

hey Kimberley S,

thanks for posting link. very nice link

There are two questions from two different people posted that i too wondered about, but i don't see the answers. One was the question about storing extra batter in the refrg, and the other was about getting the golden brown color when cooking the pancakes. Any suggestions??

Thanks!

Ideally, once a batter has been mixed, it should be used. The batter begins to activate baking powder or baking soda, so letting it sit for long periods of time will decrease its leavening power. You can always try cooking the pancakes the next day to compare the results. If you know you won't eat the entire recipe, cut it in half and don't mix until you are ready to cook.

Sometimes, the first couple of pancakes tend to be lighter in color. Make sure your griddle has been preheated and well-oiled. Make a small tester pancake to test the temperature and you'll be good to go. Cheers.

An old trick I found out about, when you don't have buttermilk on hand is to use an equal amount of yogurt. Yogurt I tend to have on hand more often than buttermilk. Yogurt looks really thick, but it must thin out in the cooking, because I have never had any problem using this substitution. If it looks too thick for you, you can always add a touch of milk.

My oldest daughter told me yesterday that these pancakes are our family tradition since I make them every Sunday for my girls. I hadn't thought about it that way but if that's how she feels then that's how a tradition is born I guess. All three girls want to help make them which can make it challenging at times.

I think we've pretty much mastered the recipe and we alter it weekly depending what's in season. Right now we are making lots of blueberry pancakes and I never have buttermilk so I just add a shot of lemon juice. I use a non stick electric dutch oven and I never oil it. We always half the recipe and we've never had a bad batch. I'm not sure if it's a tradition just yet but these are the best pancakes I've ever had.

In the comments back on August 13, 2008 the discussion was about replacing the oil in the batter with butter for added flavor. I tried this by melting the butter in the microwave and then stirring it into the other liquid. However it the butter seemed to solidify and form lumps since the liquid is below the melting temperature of the butter. Is there a way to avoid this?

The other ingredients would have to be a similar temperature to avoid this. The important thing is that the pancakes turned out.

I have personally made these pancakes hundred of times and I have never used butter to make the batter...but that doesn't mean I do not lather them with butter after they are cooked :-) Hope this helps. Cheers!

I had several pancakes left over so I thought I would freeze them for future breakfasts. Now that I have them frozen, I'm wondering if you have a suggestion on a good way to reheat them?

I might suggest that you either pop them in the toaster (from frozen) or in the oven. Not sure how they will turn out though as pancakes are typically best made and eaten fresh. Cheers!

I know these are called Mile high pancakes but my questions basically applies to all recipes with flour, baking powder or soda. I do live in the Mile High City (Denver, CO). Do any of your recipes make notes if there is a change for high altitude?

I know most pre-made batters usually require some extra flour living here. I want to try these but want to make sure I get it right.

To quote Chef Tony from this thread:

"High Altitude Cooking - Complex question, for us to answer at this time, just like modifying recipes for diabetes is complex yet quite real and valid. However, my suggestion is seeking out cookbooks that deal with altitude cooking - I'm sure there are some good ones out there. From the top of my head, even Joy of Cooking talks about some general rules, but only general ones. I'm sure there is clearer information out there from sources that have tackled this issue for regional/practical reasons. But I like the fact you offer our forum a suggestion already. Go one step further, try YOUR modifications (note plural, for that's what cooking is all about - going to the drawing board more than once) and post the results. Rouxbe users can be teachers as well as users. As a teacher I often encourage my professional students to TEACH ME something I don't know. Let me know your results."

You may want to check out this thread as Ian P gives some good suggestions. Cheers!

Thanks for the link. I checked out some of the threads. I'll continue to post anything I learn about tweaking the recipes for high altitude. I went ahead and made the pancakes and added about 1 TBLS of extra flour. They came out great! Very tasty, light and fluffy! I went with Ricardo S' suggestion about the apple slices but left off the cheese. Just a few thin slices of apple on each came out delicious!!! Even my husband liked it. I can't wait to try the oatmeal raisin recipes. That looks really good!

Regarding baking at high altitudes, I just came across this bit of information from Bob's Red Mill that you might find somewhat helpful:

Here are some basic steps for high-altitude adjustments:
Baking Powder: Reduce each teaspoon by 1/8 to
Sugar: Decrease each cup by 1-2 Tbsp
Baking Soda: Reduce just like Baking Powder
Fats: No adjustments needed
Oven Temperature: Increase 25 degrees F
Cooking Time: Increase Slightly
Mixing: Be careful not to over mix. Do not over beat eggs.
Cookies: Usually no adjustments needed.
Yeasted Breads: Decrease the yeast by 1/4 tsp. Use less flour per cup of liquid. Yeast breads rise more quickly at higher altitude, so watch carefully. Bake at higher temperature, for less time.

For more in depth information, you might also want to pick yourself up a good cookbook that is specifically focused on high altitude baking. Hope this helps. Cheers!

i hesitated before making these pancakes. i was concerned about about the amount of baking powder there was in the recipe. after i made these pancakes i wondered what all the fuss was about. these pancakes were absolutely delicious.

they were fluffy and light, they were also quite filling. as a result there were a lot left over. i decided to freeze them as an experiment. i want to know how they will turn out after they have been reheated.

just one problem though, inspite of the pancakes being fluffy i don't think they rise the way they should have after all i had no buttermilk.
i think i will be using this recipe from now on.

i reheated those pancakes i places in the freezer in a toaster oven and it was delicious

I have made this recipe several times and it always comes out great. I store extra batter in the fridge wrapped tightly around the bowl. It lasts a few days.

I made them this morning and used a smashed up banana and mixed it in with the wet ingredients before incorporating it into the dry. Came out super delicious!!!! I love banana in pancakes. Probably my favorite variation!!!

The pancakes are very good and tasty. We don't eat them very often but when we do we pig out. I love to use different flavored syrup. Even some of the home made ones are nice. try them with butter and jalapano jelly, (Home made) between the cakes. Verry good.

We usually make pancakes from a discount boxed mix with ok results. (I know, I know... but at $2.50/box it was tough to resist!). Decided to try out this recipe side by side with the boxed mix and see what the difference was. Didn't have buttermilk so used regular whole milk. Cooked them side by side and then did the tasting. Well my hubby who didn't know which one was which couldn't tell them apart. I had a tough time as well but found the boxed mixed had a slight flour-y taste. Other than that, they were pretty close to identical in looks and taste. Basically - nothing special. Then bought some buttermilk and made this recipe again and the results were unbelievably different. With buttermilk, these pancakes are the BOMB!! Double or maybe even triple the height, delicious flavor, a tad crispy on the outside and soft and tender inside. Just beautiful results and no way we can go back to the boxed mix after this. Then today, made them again and added a small amount of vanilla extract just to see what that was like. Results with the vanilla - meh,,, I personally didn't like the alteration. To me it completely neutralized the tang imparted by the buttermilk to the point of being a bit boring compared to the taste with no vanilla. Still amazing pancakes though and will always make these from now on. Thanks for the great recipe!

Excellent that you ran your own taste test and we are happy that you enjoyed the pancakes. If you go a step further and calculate the cost, I'm sure you'll find that these pancakes are even cheaper than $2.50 a box. It's easy to rely on convenience foods, but so freeing when you can make them on your own. It doesn't take much time at all and you know exactly what goes into them. Great job! Cheers!

Has anyone tried this recipe to make waffles in a belgian waffle maker or would there be a variation of this recipe so do so?

I would not recommend this for Belgian waffles. Belgian waffles are a bit different and typically have whipped egg whites folded into the batter. There should be lots of authentic Belgian waffle recipes out there on the web. Cheers, Joe.