Diner-Style Spelt Pancake Recipe
<I adore pancakes. Not just any pancakes, but perfect, fluffy, crisp on the edges and like cake in the middle. Unfortunately, it's easy to get flat, rubbery things that aren't good for anything, especially not eating. The trick to good pancakes is heat and fat. You definitely have to use more fat than you would expect. Skimping here isn't worth it. And the griddle needs to be hotter than you would expect. As hot as possible without causing your oil to smoke is my basic guideline. It's a fine line that takes some practice, but it's so worth it.
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups spelt flour or 2 cups unbleached wheat flour 5 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 2 TB sugar 2 cups milk or 1 cup water + 1 cup almond milk 2 eggs 1/4 cup melted butter Remaining stick of butter, unmelted and still partially wrapped
Method
1. Preheat a non-stick griddle to medium heat. 2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix with a fork. 3. Add milk, eggs and butter and wisk with fork until completely mixed. There should be few to no lumps left. 4. Check the griddle temperature. Water flicked from the end of your fingers should dance across the griddle, but it should not smoke. Try a test cake to be extra sure. 5. Using the exposed end of a partially wrapped stick of butter, smear butter on the hot griddle, being careful not to burn fingers!! 6. Measure out 1/4 cup of batter and pour onto the griddle. Repeat until all the space on the griddle is full. 7. Let the pancakes cook until the edges are no longer shiny and the surface is covered with bubbles. There should be no new bubbles forming. 8. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and serve. Pancakes don't keep well, even in a warmed oven, so be prepared to serve before cooking and serve immediately. And then keep 'em comin for the hungry crew! We use almond milk and spelt flour to support Gootz's diet, and I find that the spelt adds a nice, nutty flavor that we all love. We also discovered by accident that the George Forman Grill delivers the perfect temperature for perfect pancakes.