Pancakes have been an essential part of the classic, all-American family breakfast for the last 50 years. They are a delightful way to start the weekend off right - with a few simple ingredients you can whip up soft, fluffy pancakes and smother them in your favorite maple syrup.
In order to cook the soft-textured, golden, perfect pancakes you need to ensure that you are using the right cooking tools, batter recipe, and cooking temperature.
So roll out of bed, put on a pot of coffee, and use this guide to make the perfect pancakes for your family (or yourself) this weekend.
Why do my pancakes stick to the griddle?
If your pancakes are sticking to the griddle it could be caused by a few different things.
- First, The temperature of your pan may be way too hot. This causes your oil/butter to burn along with the pancake, and causes sticking.
- You may have tried to flip the pancake before the first side was fully cooked. Ensure you see small bubbled formed, and browned edges before you flip.
- You may not have added enough butter/oil to the pan or not spread it out evenly across the griddle.
- If a lot of things have been sticking to your griddle, it may not be properly seasoned. Ensuring a proper seasoning will go a long way towards preventing food from sticking.
Dos and Don'ts of Making Pancakes
Now that you have some skills and a basic pancake recipe down, here are a few things to keep in mind while you are cooking:
- Don't over-mix your pancake batter. You will end up with tough pancakes. Mix until just combined; it is okay if some lumps of flour remain.
- Do leave the pancake batter to set for 15 minutes once it is mixed. This allows the starch to be absorbed into the liquid ingredients, which gives a fluffier result!
- Don't add fruit to the batter in the bowl. They will sink to the bottom and not get distributed evenly. If you want to put blueberries, chocolate chips, or any other add-ins, add them directly to the batter once you've dropped it on the pan.
- Don't flip the pancake more than once, or press down on the pancakes to help cook faster. This removes all of the fluffy texture and they will be too firm.
- Don't let the griddle overheat. You will burn the pancakes on the outside, and undercook them on the inside. If the griddle is under heated, the pancakes will cook too much on the inside before they are done.
- Do make sure you mix the dry ingredients together, and the wet together separately before you combine. This also helps to avoid over mixing the batter and ensures that the ingredients (baking soda especially) are evenly distributed.
- Do separate the egg yolk from the white. Mix the yolk into the batter, and beat the whites until stiff peaks form. Add right before cooking. This extra step will make your pancakes super fluffy!
Using a Griddle for Pancakes
First, you want to make sure you have the proper tools to make pancakes. You will want to have a stainless steel mixing bowl, whisk, spatula (metal or otherwise), and a cast iron griddle.
Cast iron griddles are the perfect pancake pan - let us explain why.
They're flat. The flat-top makes them ideal for giving pancakes ample space to spread evenly. And there are no pan sides to contend with when it is time to flip. They're also quite large, which means you can batch cook a lot of pancakes at once for big family breakfasts.
They heat evenly. Cast iron is the optimal choice for cooking at an even heat. Once they're preheated, griddles will hold even heat for a long period of time. This means you'll get an evenly browned pancake, every time.
They're non-stick. Pancakes require a well-oiled, non-stick pan so that the delicate batter doesn't fall apart when you try to flip them. A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet will allow you to flip a pancake with ease.
Temperature for Cooking Pancakes on a Griddle
When it comes to cooking on a griddle, the perfect griddle temp for pancakes is 375°F, or a medium setting on the stovetop. You will want to preheat the griddle on the stovetop for 10 - 15 minutes to ensure it is evenly heated before you begin placing pancake batter on it.
You can test the griddle to make sure it's reached the right temperature in a few different ways.
- You can drop a bit of water on the preheated griddle. If it sizzles without dissolving right away, it is the right temperature for pancakes. If it dissolves immediately, turn the temperature down.
- You can also use a drop of pancake batter to test the temperature. It should burn in 20 seconds. If it burns sooner than that, you need to turn your temperature down. If it takes longer than 20 seconds to burn, the pan isn't hot enough yet.
Greasing the Griddle
Cast iron griddles are seasoned and don't necessarily require any extra grease to be non-stick. However, adding a little butter to your pan helps to avoid sticky situations - literally, especially if your cast iron is newer and has less natural seasoning built up from use.
Butter (or oil) also imparts some flavor to the pancakes. Coconut oil is a favorite of ours, as it's full of heart-healthy fats and the slight coconut flavor blends well with sweet pancakes.
For best results, add 2 tablespoons of butter or oil to your griddle and spread along the surface, right before you add your batter.
How do you make fluffy pancakes on a griddle?
Pancakes really are at their best when they're soft and fluffy. There are a few ways to make sure this happens, so take a look at these tips:
- Prepare the batter just before you cook it. As soon as the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together, the leavening effects start to happen, so get that batter onto the cooking surface immediately. Otherwise, your pancakes will end up flat.
- Griddle temperature is everything. As mentioned earlier, make sure your cooking surface is at 375°F, or a medium setting on the stovetop. It's the perfect griddle temperature for fluffy pancakes.
- Once the pancakes are cooked, you can keep them warm in the oven at 200 degrees, but not for too long, otherwise they will dry out and get flat.
Pancakes on griddle takeaways
If you follow the simple tips and tricks we have pointed out in this post, you are sure to turn out perfect pancakes every time! You can always to a test pancake to make sure you've got the hang of it before you cook your whole batch. One of the most delicious and indulgent breakfast foods around, you really want to be able to enjoy them. So, follow these tips for the best way to cook pancakes.
After trying out pancakes on a griddle, you may be wondering what else you can fry up on a griddle. Check out this blog post to find out more about what can be perfected on a griddle: What Can You Cook on a Griddle?
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