A stack of light, fluffy pancakes generously buttered and swimming in maple syrup is what
breakfast dreams are made of.
An easy-to-make meal that uses just a few basic pantry ingredients, truly dreamy pancakes
represent immediately attainable happiness.
And this perfectly sweet and savory food is indeed a cinch to make if you can avoid the
common mistakes.
Take note of these pitfalls and you'll always have the recipe for zen in your back pocket.
Subpar ingredients
Since baking soda helps pancakes achieve their full fluffy potential, it's crucial to use
a box that's no more than six months old.
Old baking soda leads to flat flapjacks you'd be embarrassed to put on Instagram.
Pantry check: Are you really using bleached flour?
Opt instead for the unbleached kind, which retains most of its nutrients and vitamins
and makes for a better pancake.
What about butter?
High-quality butter, whether it's in the batter or used as a topping, simply tastes better.
Butter is graded from AA [DOUBLE A] to B, with AA being the best for a pleasing taste,
creamy texture, and light flavor.
So use it!
Overmixing
It's easy to overmix your pancake batter in a well-intentioned effort to smooth out all
the lumps, but don't do it!
The more you stir, the more you work the gluten in the flour, resulting in tough and chewy
pancakes.
Simply mix your ingredients together until no streaks of flour are visible, but pros
like Bobby Flay say it's totally cool to leave some lumps.
There's a few lumps in it, but that's actually okay."
You also need to choose the right whisk for the job.
While narrower, more conventional French whisks are perfect for hard, vigorous stir jobs,
you should channel your inner Gordon Ramsay and opt for a balloon whisk when preparing
your light and fluffy pancake batter.
Measuring fails
Cake batters of all kinds are finicky, so you should carefully measure everything.
Too much baking soda, and your pancakes won't rise enough.
Too little, and they'll rise too much and taste slightly bitter.
In order to avoid wonky pancakes, pull out your trusty measuring cups and spoons.
Dilly-dallying
Leaveners like baking soda or powder are activated as soon as they come into contact with wet
ingredients.
As such, you don't want to make the batter too early.
The leavener you're using will not work as well if the batter's been sitting around.
Pancake batter takes about five minutes to make, so try to start prepping only when you're
ready to cook and eat.
Too many fillings
You want to exercise restraint when it comes to choosing what you fold into your pancake
batter.
While a small handful of yummy berries or chocolate chips lends sweetness and flair,
resist the urge to overdo it.
It'll make your batter heavy and uneven, and the toppings also might sink through the batter
and burn in the pan.
The wrong grease
Using butter in your pan or on a griddle to cook your American-style pancakes isn't the
best option.
The milk solids in butter means it has a relatively low smoking point, so it burns easily.
A better option would be to use clarified butter, since the milk solids have already
been separated from the fat.
Otherwise, opt for a neutral oil such as grapeseed or canola.
Inconsistent pours
Avoid pouring the batter directly from your mixing bowl onto the pan or griddle, unless
you're a pro like Rachael Ray here.
It may seem like a way to save dishes, but it ends up producing misshapen pancakes that
are different sizes, not to mention messy.
In order to have more control over the stream you're pouring, try using a ladle or small
measuring cup to make perfectly uniform pancakes.
Flipping out
While you might get overly excited about the prospect of eating pancakes, exercise the
utmost patience during cooking.
You should cook the pancakes until you can see bubbles begin to form on the surface,
signaling the big flip.
Flip your pancakes exactly once.
"I got you now."
If the bottoms of the pancakes are too dark and bubbles haven't formed, this indicates
that the heat is too high.
If the bottoms are not yet golden and the bubbles have already formed, you'll know that
the heat is too low.
Adjust accordingly.
The wrong syrup
If you want the best flapjack experience your hard-earned money can buy, commercial pancake
syrups should be a last resort.
These syrups are made with processed sugars and contain artificial flavors and colorings.
Your best bet is to stick with pure maple syrup.
Your pancakes deserve the best.
And if real maple syrup isn't in the cards, try skipping the syrup completely.
Instead, use fresh fruit, whipped cream, or anything else that flips your flapjack.
Bon appetit!