Pancakes

I've been making these pancakes for years. Developing this recipe took time, and it's so worth it.

When I was 8 or 9 years old, my mom taught me how to make pancakes. It was one of the first things I learned how to cook. The first few came out a little rough, but I soon got the hang of it. I learned to tell that the griddle was ready when a few drops of water danced and sizzled around the pan. I learned the perfect moment to flip them, when the edges were set and little bubbles made their way through and popped in the middle.

So, I've been making pancakes for roughly 15 years. With that many years of pancake-making experience, why did it take me over a year to make a really good gluten free pancake?

Because. Gluten free pancakes are fickle. If you use too much starch, they come out sticky and gummy. If you use too little starch, they come out dense and grainy. If the batter is too thick, they won't cook in the middle. Too thin and you won't be able to flip them without them folding onto themselves. They need the right combination of structure and softness. After many tries, I finally came up with this recipe, and it's solid. They come out right every time.


This recipe yields a fluffy pancake cake with a good depth of flavor. If that sounds strange, just remember I've made a lot of bland gluten free pancake rejects. These kinda remind me of the ones I used to get at IHOP or Denny's, but not so heavy.

Pancakes

1/3 c. brown rice flour
1/3 c. sorghum flour
1/3 c. potato starch
1/8 t. xanthan gum
1 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt
1 T. oil (I use extra light olive oil)
1 T. honey
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 c. milk

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix well with a whisk. You can mix the heck out of these; no worries about tough pancakes because there is no gluten! (Looking on the bright side here)

Preheat a griddle/ pan until water droplets dance around a few seconds before disappearing. (I use a nonstick pan on medium-low)

Ladle in about 1/3 cup of the batter and let it cook until you start seeing bubbles in the middle and the sides are set. Flip, and cook for a few minutes until the center is done.

Yields ~6 pancakes.

Happy pancaking!

P.S. Once you've made them plain, try them with strawberries.