Fluffy homemade pancakes from scratch
The luxury of weekend is when I can cook “real” breakfast for the family. A fluffy pancake, uncured turkey bacon and eggs make everyone satisfied and happy. This goes especially for my daughter who feels her day is complete having pancakes for breakfast.
I am sharing this Basic Pancakes Recipe from The New York Times Cook Book (Copyright 1961 by Craig Claiborne) which I’ve been using now for more than a decade. We’ve not been relying on pancake mix on a box for a long time now.
The ingredients I’m sure are in your pantry. Try this recipe and you will not be disappointed. I promise it will be fluffy and good.
Basic Pancakes
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/4 cups milk, approximately
3 tablespoons shortening, melted and slightly cooled or vegetable oil
Directions:
1. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Mix egg, milk, and shortening or oil. Three-quarters cup milk will make thick pancakes; one and one-quarter cups of milk will make them thin enough for rolling.
3. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir only enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Do not beat or the pancakes will be tough. (For thinner pancakes, add more milk and mix lightly).
4. Bake on a hot griddle, lightly greased if necessary. Turn pancakes only once.
Blogging Mama’s tip:
1. You may use a non stick pan or a well seasoned cast iron pan. I made sure to lightly butter (vegetable oil) the pan or griddle. Wipe off with a paper towel until no butter or oil is visible. Repeat this step every time you pour the pancake batter.
2. Use a 1/4 cup to measure the pancake batter and gently pour in the hot pan or griddle.
3. Do not over mix pancake batter. No need to worry about lumps since it will just dissolve during cooking. Too much mixing results in a tough pancake.
4. Flip the pancakes if bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake.
5. Fruits like blueberry, banana and even chocolate chips may be added to the pancake batter for variation.
Here’s a bonus rap video for you. I said, for you. Not for your kids…
12 Comments
For healthier pancakes, I use a 50-50 mix of whole wheat and unbleached flour. I use less baking powder (half a teaspoon), and use baking soda in place of salt. And for oil, try either a tablespoon of olive oil, or use two table spoons of unsweetened applesauce. I promise, they don’t taste “healthy”, they taste good! And to complete the taste, I use low-fat buttermilk rather than just milk.
Sourdough pancakes can be made using a yeast based starter and NO baking powder. Many recipes should be available on the web and in cookbooks. They’re not quite as fluffy, but the flavor is more interesting, and they are much healthier.
Definition of bacon: “Cured pig belly.” So, there is no such thing as “uncured” turkey bacon. There is no such thing as uncured bacon, period. If it’s not cured, it’s not bacon. Why do people have an aversion to something being cured? You obviously like it. The manager at a Whole Foods store explained that what they meant was “no sulfites/sulfates.” Okay, why not say that? Get it: Bacon is cured.
No such thing as uncured bacon. If it’s not cured, it’s not bacon. Further, the dictionary also restricts bacon to being a pig product. Can go with using turkey instead of hog, but I just don’t get calling bacon uncured. What is the big deal with this anyway? You obviously like bacon – what is the hangup with it being cured? It IS cured. It is what it is.
Thanks GneB and EFrancis for the comments. I love bacon. Cure or uncured. Turkey or pork. Whatever. You obviously both went to the dictionary which is good BUT the packaging of the bacon that I used states “uncured” so I went along with it. We enjoyed it and that’s what matters.
Glade, thank you for the suggestion. I will get the ingredients and will definitely try this.
If the definition of bacon is “cured pig belly” then you would be correct in saying that PORK bacon cannot be uncured. However, turkey bacon (although arguably not bacon) can be uncured. What’s with the hostility over cured v. uncured anyway? Who really cares?
Anyway, thanks for the recipe! I have been trying to make pancakes for a while now and I have yet to find a recipe that I actually like. I will give this one a try.
This is the recipe I whip up and just recently discovered that if I put a quarter cup sour cream instead of oil in the wet ingredients I get a buttermilk like pancake, almost a melt in your mouth kind of thing. I know it isn’t the “healthy” thing to do but I make pancakes so rarely that it is a nice touch. Also using half whole wheat gives them a very hearty flavor. Bon Appetite!
I just made these. I used all the same ing. but I used coconut oil instead of shortening. They were delicious! Will use this to make pancakes again!
1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1-1/4 – 1-1/2 cup milk
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 extra large egg
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Tina: My son-in-law makes special breakfasts with pancakes and bacon as well. His recipe is very similar to yours but he adds a little vanilla. Not sure what the vanilla actually does, but there is a difference in the taste and they are delicious.
Thanks Katherine. I will definitely try this one.