This easy pancake recipe is absolutely timeless and one to reach for any time of the year– you can serve it with lemon and sugar for the perfect Pancake Day treat, though we think it works any day of the year for breakfast (or even dessert!). For those with a slightly sweeter tooth, consider extra accoutrements like banana, fresh berries, cream or syrup.
What is the secret to pancakes?
The secret to making good pancakes – think those lacy thin crêpes – is to make the thinnest batter you can and have a very hot pan at the ready. If the batter feels too thick, add more milk until you have a better consistency – it should flow quite easily when you tip your mixing bowl. When the batter is poured into the pan, it will spread easily to form a delicate film, and you can aid this by turning the pan from side to side to help move the batter evenly around the surface. It’s also helpful to let the batter rest for at least half an hour if you can; if you want you could make it the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight. Just give it a good stir before using, adding a little water if it has thickened slightly.
This recipe will give you a European-style thinner crêpe-like pancake.
INGREDIENTS
120g plain flour
Pinch fine sea salt
200ml milk
100ml water
2 eggs
20g unsalted butter, plus extra for frying
Lemon wedges, to serve
Caster sugar, to serve
METHOD
Step 1
Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Put the milk, water and eggs into a jug and whisk well.
Step 2
Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the milk mixture, a little at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon to gradually bring the flour in from the sides until you have a smooth batter. Pour the batter back into the jug and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Step 3
Melt the butter in the frying pan you are going to use to cook the crêpes, then pour it into the batter. Give the batter a good stir, it should have the consistency of single cream. If not, add a little more water. The pan will now have a good film of butter in it for you to cook your first crêpe.
Step 4
Make sure the pan is really hot and pour a small amount of batter from the jug into the pan, tilting it all around as you go so that the batter spreads in a very thin layer over the bottom. Any extra batter you can pour back into the jug.
Step 5
Cook for a minute or so until small bubbles appear on the surface and then use a spatula to gently ease the sides of the crêpe away from the pan. Carefully turn and cook for another minute on the other side.
Step 6
Use a piece of kitchen paper to rub a tiny bit more butter into the pan before cooking each crêpe.
Step 7
Pancakes can be made in advance and reheated easily. Just stack the cooked crepes on top of each other and cover with baking parchment or cling film and store in the fridge until needed. To reheat, put them in a low oven or heat individually in a frying pan with some butter.
Recipe written by Blanche Vaughan
This article originally appeared in House and Garden UK
