PANCAKE EASY AND QUICK RECIPE
How nice when at the weekend you have a little more time to enjoy breakfast in peace and indulge in some treats. During the week at my house we are always rushing and none of us gets up at the same time, so having a calm breakfast together is pure utopia; therefore on Saturdays and Sundays finding everyone at the table still in their pajamas is a celebration.
To properly celebrate this somewhat “sacred” moment, every now and then I even go to the stove right after getting up to prepare one of our favorite breakfasts: PANCAKES!
If you’ve never tasted them you have surely heard of them: they are the typical American breakfast, somewhere between fritters and crepes but compared to crepes they are a bit smaller and thicker. What characterizes PANCAKES is that they are incredibly soft and tender, slightly spongy, delicious warm but also good cold, either sweet or savory.
Once ready there are endless ways to serve pancakes: from maple syrup to honey, from fresh fruit to dried fruit, and then spreads like hazelnut, pistachio or peanut butter, not to mention the savory version to enjoy with scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, cold cuts, spreadable cheeses and much more.
The pancake recipe is child-proof, easy and above all quick — all qualities that make it perfect to make in the morning when your eyes are still half-closed. They also have the advantage of being made in advance and stored in the fridge or freezer to be ready to enjoy during the week when time is scarce between chores, work and school. If you want a lighter breakfast without sacrificing taste try my YOGURT PANCAKES without BUTTER and without OIL and with little sugar. If you are looking for other recipes suitable for BREAKFAST also check:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 10 pancakes
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 199.95 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 27.42 (g) of which sugars 8.14 (g)
- Proteins 6.77 (g)
- Fat 7.78 (g) of which saturated 2.18 (g)of which unsaturated 5.27 (g)
- Fibers 0.61 (g)
- Sodium 143.00 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 50 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (type 00)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (about 2 tablespoons)
- 3 tbsp + 1/2 tsp sugar (about 40 g)
- 2 tsp baking powder (about 8 g (about 1/2 packet))
- 1 pinch salt
- as needed vegetable oil (for greasing the pan)
- maple syrup (or honey)
- fresh fruit (or dried fruit)
- jam (or spreadable cream)
Tools
- Bowl
- Pan
METHOD
The original American recipe calls for buttermilk, a milk derivative with a slightly tangy taste that gives the batter incredible softness and the typical pancake flavor. This ingredient is however almost impossible to find here, but if you want to recreate it at home I leave the method at the end in the notes on HOW TO MAKE BUTTERMILK AT HOME.
Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl: sifted flour with the baking powder, sugar, a pinch of salt and mix with a whisk to combine. In another bowl pour the wet ingredients: milk, 2 egg yolks, vegetable oil (or the same amount of melted butter) and whisk by hand. At this point pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and, still using the whisk, mix until you obtain a homogeneous batter. In a stand mixer (or in a bowl) whip the egg whites to stiff peaks with an electric mixer and fold them into the batter with a spatula to combine everything.
Place a small nonstick pan (or the special 4-hole pancake pan) on the stove and heat it over medium-low heat. Then lightly grease the bottom with a paper towel dipped in oil. Pour a small ladle of pancake batter into the pan and cook until small bubbles form on the surface. At this point flip the pancake with the help of a spoon or spatula and cook the other side for a couple of minutes. Continue in the same way until the batter is finished.
Now you are ready to decorate the pancakes!
STORAGE
If you decide to prepare pancakes in large quantities consider that they keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days when stored in an airtight container. Alternatively you can freeze them and they will last up to one month.
NOTES AND TIPS
BATTER: Although it may seem strange, do not overmix the batter for a good result. In this preparation the mixture may still have some lumps and not be perfectly homogeneous and that’s fine — your pancakes will still be tender and fluffy.
BAKING POWDER: If you want pancakes that are even fluffier and more risen you can add the same amount of baking powder plus the tip of a spoon of baking soda.
VEGETABLE OIL: The oil in the pancake batter can be replaced with an equal amount of melted butter.
MILK: The original American recipe calls for buttermilk, a milk derivative with a slightly tangy taste that gives the batter incredible softness and the typical pancake flavor. This ingredient is however almost impossible to find here, but if you want to recreate it at home I leave below the method on HOW TO MAKE BUTTERMILK AT HOME. Simply mix together 250 g of milk, 250 g of yogurt and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and let the mixture rest for 10 minutes before using. The buttermilk will replace the amount of milk in the recipe.
