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You know what I realized recently? As someone who prefers to eat eggs with toast and pancakes on most days of the year, I talk about my "famous" pancakes a lot. I usually mention them on Instagram on the weekend, when I'm trying to treat my family to a
special breakfast. Or I'll post a picture of them on snow days, when I'm bribing my kids so they'll leave me alone long enough for me a take a shower.
Growing up, my mother made pancakes all the time. She'd reach for that yellow box of Bisquick and make batches of pancakes that were... well, just okay. While they tasted fine, they were awfully thin. You'd have to eat a stack of four or five of them to feel like you had two fluffy pancakes on the plate in front of you.
Could this be the reason why I choose the savory options at breakfast rather than the sweet?
It took quite some time for me to discover the pancake recipe to replace the stuff in the yellow box. And it took even longer for me to perfect my technique. Now I'm finally ready to share
my best tips for making perfectly fluffy pancakes at home.
Be warned, though. Once your family tastes these pancakes, they're going to ask for them all the time!
Best Tips for Making Fluffy Pancakes
- Don't over-mix the batter. When adding dry ingredients to wet ingredients in pancakes, it's best to stir until just incorporated. Stirring helps develop the gluten found in flour, and over-mixing will result in pancakes that are tough or rubbery rather than fluffy and light.
- Allow the batter to rest. Before scooping your pancake batter onto your hot griddle or into your hot pan, allow the batter to rest for a minute. See those bubbles in the batter in the photo above? Those bubbles mean those pancakes will be light and airy. Just what you're going for when you're making fluffy pancakes.
- Make sure your skillet is hot. You want to make sure your pan is hot enough before you add your batter. If you use butter, then it should be foaming. If you use vegetable oil (like I do), then it should be shimmering a bit. This means your pancakes will start to cook as soon as the batter hits the pan, thus creating those deliciously crispy edges. If your pan isn't hot enough, then the batter will spread too much and won't be as thick or fluffy.
- Have patience. It took a long time for me to realize I was turning my pancakes over too quickly. Because I was so worried about burning them, I opted to flip my pancakes before they were ready. You want to look for air bubbles. When you see several bubbles forming in the center of your pancakes, then go ahead and flip 'em.
- Give them a little tap. My mother has taught me a lot of things, but how to make fluffy pancakes was not one of them. She used to cut into the center of her pancakes to see if they were finished cooking. For a while, that's how I used to do it, too. Now, I just give the pancakes a little tap with the tip of my finger. If the pancake springs back, then it's ready to serve. If my fingertip leaves a little divot in the pancakes, then it needs a bit more time.
Use these tips and the following recipe to make your fluffiest pancakes yet!
What's your favorite way to serve pancakes? Butter and syrup? Whipped cream and strawberries? Let me know in the comments!
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