Pancakes are a delicacy that’s enjoyed by individuals of all ages. What makes them so great is that they can be eaten any time of the day and can be prepared in a variety of healthy ways. Although they are quite delicious they can be a hassle to make. Some people find it impossible to make the perfect pancake but below I show you how.
- Prepare your Batter. The first step is to get your batter. The consistency of the batter is important. Thick batter will make thick pancakes and a thin-medium textured batter will make thinner pancakes. You may prefer your pancakes to be heavier and thicker in texture but I find that the thin-medium textured pancakes cook the best and retain heat much better. If you are preparing pancakes using ready made mix such as Aunt Jemima or Bisquick remember that using more water will make the batter thinner and using less water will make it thicker. Be sure to stir the batter well to remove any lumps.
- Lightly oil the pan. Next take a skillet (frying pan) and oil it so that every inch of the pan is covered with oil. A tablespoon of oil should be enough to coat the whole pan. How you oil the pan is important. If you use too much oil your pancakes will come out soggy and if you use too little oil your pancakes will come out really dry or really burnt. Try using just a tablespoon to coat the pan leaving no area dry.
- Use medium heat. Now turn the stove on medium heat. If you have an electric stove, you can turn your stove on high heat for about a minute or two. Then place the skillet on the burner and turn it down to medium heat. The temperature at which you cook your pancakes is just as important as how well you oil the pan. A temperature that is too high will result in your pancakes burning quickly without being thoroughly cooked. A temperature that is too low will result in your pancakes settling in the oil. A medium temperature is the perfect temperature to cook pancakes.
- Slowly scoop in the batter. As the pan is on medium heat slowly scoop in the batter. Use a tablespoon to scoop the batter into the pan. Two to three scoops should be sufficient for a nice sized pancake. Try cooking just one pancake first and as you began to feel more confident in your pancake cooking skill increase to 2-3 pancakes at a time. Notice I said scoop and not pour in the batter. Pouring the batter into the skillet can cause you to pour in too much batter which will then cause your pancakes to be very large and uneven.
- Look for the bubbles. As the pancakes cook you will begin to notice that bubbles of various sizes begin to pop up on the surface. These bubbles are your indicators that one side of the pancake is done. When you see many bubbles on the surface of the pancake take your spatula and gently scoop it underneath the pancake and flip it over. The key into looking for bubbles is to make sure that you see more than 1-2 bubbles before flipping the pancake over. If you flip the pancake over with only one to two bubbles you will end up in a messy situation where one portion of the pancake flips over but the other remains wet and uncooked. Remember to look for multiple bubbles.
- Add another tablespoon of oil. Since you used such a small amount of oil for one side of the pancake you may find that the oil dries out quickly. After you flip the pancake over to the other side add one tablespoon more of oil to the pan making sure to spread it all over the pan. Repeat the same process as above.
If you follow these steps you should find that you have perfect, circular, crispy, golden brown pancakes that will melt in your mouth. It may take a bit of trial and error to prepare the perfect pancakes but with practice you will be a pro in no time.
