Make ahead!

  • Pancake batter will keep in the refrigerator for 48 hours.
  • To store the cooked pancakes, stack cooled pancakes in a resealable plastic bag in the fridge for five days or in the freezer for up to two months.
  • To cook frozen pancakes, leave them to thaw first before peeling apart and reheating in a pan.

 

To rest or not to rest?

Ever notice how some pancake recipes recommend leaving the batter to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes? This resting step ensures a thin and uniform structure to the finished pancake, and because the gluten has this time to relax, the texture is nice and delicate instead of chewy. If you’re in a rush, you can shorten or skip the resting step, although the texture won’t be quite the same. Just to note, this only applies to thin, crêpe-like pancakes; fluffy pancake batter should be cooked immediately.

 

Take it easy

Always mix the batter lightly to avoid over-working the gluten in the flour; this would result in tough, chewy pancakes.

 

Which style do you flip for?

Thin, crêpe-like pancakes require a smooth batter and even cooking to make perfectly delicate pancakes. Thick, American-style pancakes rely on a leavening agent, such as baking powder or bicarbonate of soda, to create tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide in a lumpy batter, giving the pancakes their fluffy texture