Pancakes and Batters
Cooking Skills: Eggs 2
Chapter 1 · Pancakes and Batters
Skill goal
Make a smooth batter and cook it into a pancake, a drop scone or a Yorkshire pudding that rises properly.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
In Cooking Skills: Eggs 1 the egg was the dish. Here it is a team member. In a batter the egg gives structure (the proteins set and hold the shape), richness from the yolk and a little lift. A batter is just flour, egg and liquid, and the ratio of the three decides whether you get a paper-thin crêpe, a fluffy pancake or a tall Yorkshire pudding.
| Batter | Thickness | Raising | Cooked in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crêpe (thin pancake) | Pours like single cream | None: egg and steam only | A hot, lightly oiled pan |
| American-style pancake | Thick, drops off a spoon | Baking powder | A medium pan, small rounds |
| Drop scone (Scotch pancake) | Thick, drops off a spoon | Self-raising flour | A medium pan or girdle |
| Yorkshire pudding | Like double cream | Steam from very hot fat | A very hot tin in a very hot oven |
Five rules for any batter
- Weigh the flour and measure the liquid. A few grams out makes a very different batter.
- Make a well in the flour, crack the egg(s) into it, add a little of the liquid and whisk from the centre outwards, gradually pulling in the flour. This stops lumps. Add the rest of the liquid gradually.
- Rest it. Crêpe and Yorkshire batters improve after 30 minutes (or overnight in the fridge): the flour absorbs the liquid and the gluten relaxes. Pancake and drop-scone batters are best used quickly, because the raising agent starts working.
- Don't overmix thick batters. A few small lumps are fine. Overmixing makes pancakes tough.
- The first one is a test. Use it to check the pan heat, then adjust. Nobody gets the first pancake right, and the cook gets to eat it.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Thin pancakes (crêpes)
The classic pancake-day batter. Learn to pour, swirl and flip.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 100 g plain flour
- 2 medium eggs
- 300 ml semi-skimmed milk
- 1 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil, plus a little for the pan
- Pinch of salt
- Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and make a well. Crack in the eggs, pour in about 50 ml of the milk and whisk from the middle, drawing in the flour, until you have a thick, smooth paste.
- Gradually whisk in the rest of the milk and the oil until the batter is the thickness of single cream. Rest it for 30 minutes.
- Heat a 20 cm non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and brush with a little oil. Pour in a small ladle (about 45 ml) of batter, tilting the pan so it spreads thinly and evenly.
- Cook for about 1 minute, until the edges lift and the underside is golden. Flip with a spatula (or toss it, if you're feeling brave) and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Slide onto a plate and cover with a clean tea towel to stay warm. Repeat, oiling the pan lightly every two or three pancakes.
Serve with
Lemon and a little sugar, banana and a spoon of Greek yoghurt, or berries. For a savoury version, fill with ham and cheese or spinach and egg.
Storing
Stack cooled pancakes with a piece of baking paper between each. They keep in the fridge for 2 days and freeze for 2 months.
Level 2 · Fluffy
American-style pancakes
A thicker batter raised with baking powder. Learn to judge when to flip by the bubbles.
Ingredients (3 portions)
- 150 g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 180 ml semi-skimmed milk
- 1 tbsp melted butter or oil, plus a little for the pan
- Pinch of salt
- Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl.
- In a jug, beat the egg with the milk and the melted butter. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon or whisk only until just combined. A few lumps are good. The batter should drop thickly from a spoon: add a splash more milk if it is stiff.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and brush lightly with oil. Spoon in the batter in rounds about 8 cm across (a heaped tablespoon each, leaving space).
- Cook for 2 minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface and the edges look set. Flip and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until golden and risen.
- Keep warm in a low oven (100°C) while you finish the batch.
Lighter toppings
Berries, sliced banana and Greek yoghurt keep it healthy. Maple syrup and butter make it a treat.
Level 2 · Scottish
Drop scones (Scotch pancakes)
Smaller, thicker and quicker than American pancakes, and traditionally cooked on a girdle (a flat pan). A Scottish teatime classic. Good with butter and jam, or with berries.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 120 g self-raising flour
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 150 ml semi-skimmed milk
- Pinch of salt
- A little oil or butter, for the pan
- Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and make a well. Add the egg and half the milk and whisk to a smooth paste, then whisk in the rest of the milk. The batter should be thick but drop easily from a spoon.
- Heat a heavy frying pan over medium-low heat and rub it with a little oil on kitchen paper. It should be hot, not smoking.
- Drop in large spoonfuls of batter (about 1 tbsp each), leaving gaps.
- Cook for about 2 minutes, until bubbles form and burst on top. Flip and cook for another minute, until golden.
- Cool on a wire rack under a tea towel so they stay soft.
Level 3 · Confidence
Yorkshire puddings
A batter with no raising agent that rises dramatically in very hot fat. It's the one batter here where heat matters more than anything else.
Ingredients (3 portions)
- 70 g plain flour
- 2 medium eggs
- 100 ml semi-skimmed milk
- 6 tsp sunflower or rapeseed oil (about 1 tsp per hole)
- Pinch of salt
- Whisk the flour, salt and eggs together, then whisk in the milk to make a smooth batter the thickness of double cream. Rest it for 30 minutes (or overnight in the fridge).
- Heat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional, gas 7). Put 1 tsp oil into each hole of a 6-hole bun tin. Put the tin in the oven for 10 minutes, until the oil is smoking hot.
- Quickly pour the batter into a jug, take the tin out and pour it evenly into the holes (it should sizzle). Close the oven straight away.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes without opening the door, until well risen, golden and crisp. Serve at once.
Hot fat
The tin and oil are extremely hot. Use thick oven gloves, pour carefully and keep your face back from the oven.
Level 3 · Hearty
Toad in the hole
Sausages baked in Yorkshire pudding batter. Cheap, filling and impressive. Choose good-quality sausages with a high meat content.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 4 pork sausages
- 1 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 70 g plain flour
- 2 medium eggs
- 100 ml semi-skimmed milk
- Pinch of salt
- 1 onion, sliced, for onion gravy (optional)
- 200 g peas or green beans, to serve
- Make the batter as for the Yorkshire puddings and rest it for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional, gas 7). Put the sausages in a metal baking dish about 20 cm square with the oil. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until lightly browned.
- Take the dish out of the oven and, working quickly, pour the batter round the sausages. It should sizzle.
- Return to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the batter is risen, golden and crisp. Don't open the door before 25 minutes.
- Serve with the vegetables and gravy.
Cook sausages through
Pork sausages must be cooked until there is no pink inside and the juices run clear (at least 70°C in the middle). If in doubt, cut one open.
Experiments
Experiment
Rested vs unrested
Does resting the batter make a difference?
- Make a crêpe batter and use half straight away.
- Rest the other half for 30 minutes (or overnight in the fridge) and cook it the same way.
- Compare the colour, the tenderness and how easily each tears.
Look for: Rested batter should give a smoother, more tender pancake that tears less.
Experiment
One egg or two
How much does the egg matter?
- Make the crêpe batter with 1 egg instead of 2 (keep the other quantities the same) and cook a few.
- Cook a few with the 2-egg batter and compare.
Look for: More egg gives a richer, more flexible, slightly more 'eggy' pancake. Less is more delicate and tears more easily.
Experiment
Milk vs milk and water
Pancake-makers argue about this.
- Make the crêpe batter with all milk, then with half milk and half water.
- Compare the lightness and the crispness at the edges.
Look for: Water gives a lighter, crisper pancake; milk is softer and richer. Which is your house crêpe?
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Batter or method | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thin pancakes | ||||
| American-style pancakes | ||||
| Drop scones | ||||
| Yorkshire puddings | ||||
| Toad in the hole | ||||
| Rested vs unrested | ||||
| 1 vs 2 eggs | ||||
| Milk vs milk and water |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Lumpy batter | Liquid added too fast | Whisk the flour with a little liquid into a paste first, or sieve the batter |
| Pancakes tear or stick | Pan too cool or not oiled | Heat the pan properly, and brush lightly with oil |
| First pancake is a mess | Pan not at the right heat yet | Treat it as a test and carry on |
| Thick, rubbery crêpes | Too much batter in the pan, or batter too thick | Use a smaller ladle, swirl quickly, and thin the batter with a splash of milk |
| Flat American pancakes | Old baking powder, or overmixed | Use fresh baking powder and stir only until just combined |
| Yorkshire puddings don't rise | Fat not hot enough, or the door opened | Heat the oil until it's smoking and don't open the oven for at least 20 minutes |
| Soggy middle in toad in the hole | Dish too cool, or underbaked | Use a metal dish, heat it well and bake until deep golden |
Food safety: batters
Wash your hands after handling raw egg and wash bowls and whisks in hot soapy water. Don't taste raw batter. Cooked pancakes can be chilled and eaten within 2 days; reheat until steaming hot. Keep batter in the fridge and use within 24 hours.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can make a smooth batter without lumps.
- I know why crêpe and Yorkshire batters are rested.
- I can tell when to flip a pancake by its surface.
- I can get Yorkshire puddings to rise by heating the fat first.
- I have a house batter I like best, written in my notes.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Eggs 2, chapter 2 is Stirred Custard: thickening milk with egg yolks without scrambling them.