No matter what I do, my pancakes always come out flat! I have used mixes, extra baking powder, baking soda, and flour. Does anyone know what I can do to make pancakes look the way they do on the boxes? Thanks.
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Since you mention using various mixes and still having the problem, I suspect overmixing to be the problem.
Batter should be slightly lumpy...
Save money, make homemade pancakes.
Beat 1 egg in bowl.
Add two Tablespoons of Oil
Add 1 Cup Buttermilk (you can rinse your cup with just a little water)Add 2 Tablespoons of sugar
Add 1 cup self-rising flour with 1/4 tsp of soda.
Mix with a hand whisk and let set a few minutes (will thicken) Makes 8 small pancakes. (Delicious)
The batter sounds like it may be too thin. The last mix I bought they had you add way too much liquid and the batter was too thin. So the next time I made it I held back about 1/3 to 1/4th until I made a test pancake.
Other things that might make thin flat pancakes:
- overmixing. The batter should still have some lumps.
- too much flipping or pressing down on pancakes with spatula to hasten cooking. Only flip them once.
- make sure b soda (or mix if you are using one) is not old & past the exp date.
- make sure your pan or griddle is hot enough.
- use the batter within an hour.
- they are best eaten right from the griddle but if you do put them in the oven to stay warm while you are still cooking the others don't stack them on the cookie sheet. Do a single layer.
You might want to try a different recipe...maybe one with beaten egg whites or perhaps one that uses club soda or 7-up. My mom always used 7-up in her extra fluffy waffles.
And the last tip I got off the Martha Stewart website:
Flip the pancakes just as the surface bubbles begin to burst. Flipping them after all the bubbles are gone produces a flatter pancake.
Just add less liquid. The thicker they are, the more likely they will stay the shape that you pour them as. They may take a little longer to cook, so make sure your pan isn't too hot.
Your griddle should be very hot when you put the batter on it too. Preheat the griddle to about 350 and only flip them once also. Flipping them too much and before they have cooked enough on one side will make them flat too. Good luck!
Susan in Omaha
Try using buttermilk AND abt 1 tsp of sugar per batch of pancake mix.
Make sure your baking soda is not too old. It loses its punch after a while. Try pouring a little on a saucer and put a little water on it.
Thanks, All, these are some great tips. It could be any of several of these reasons.But I am intrigue, Kaelle, by your comment about flipping BEFORE the bubbles all burst! However, what if the pan cakes aren't quite brown at this time? Have a hotter skillet, maybe? Hope you check back with me! Nolasandy
I found that if you replace the milk or water [use the same amount called for on the pkg. or recipe] with 7up or sprite you will get a very light and thicker pancake and the taste does not change mmm good.
Your baking powder may be too old, try testing it. Put it in warm water first, if the baking powder foams then it is good, if not it is too old, also do not beat the flour too long just mix until it is all blended together. No longer then a few seconds! May I suggest this recipe? I use: 2 cup self rising flour, add a tablespoon of sugar, 2 eggs, about a 1/2 cup of buttermilk, 2 tablespoon of cooking oil, and add enough water to get the mix thick or thin however you like it. Get the grill very hot and drop pancake mix on grill, when it starts to bubble flip once, and once only and about 30 seconds to 1 minute take off grill, this will depend on how thick, thin, dark or light you like the pancakes.
I want to reaffirm the message about only flipping ONCE, and not patting down the pancake. You flatten them down when you pat them.
And it is important that your griddle be hot. The bubbles should start coming to the surface of the pancake fairly quickly.
I use low sodium club soda in place of the liquid in any of my "batter" projects; pancakes, waffles, bisquits dumplings, etc. It makes the batter fluffy!
But I am intrigue, Kaelle, by your comment about flipping BEFORE the bubbles all burst! However, what if the pan cakes aren't quite brown at this time? Have a hotter skillet, maybe? Hope you check back with me! Nolasandy
Sorry...I didn't see this earlier.
I would think the skillet would need to be a bit hotter. Also... some recipes add a bit of sugar to help them brown. Hope your adventure in pancakes works out.
:-)
Thanks to everyone who responded to me. I think I might have a handle on it now. You are all so great!
Nolasandy
Sorry I missed this one from three years ago, but I've been making pancakes every Saturday for years and have to add my two cents:
- the batter should be fluffy, not runny. I find that if I'm using 2 cups of flour, then 1 and 3/4 cups of milk is just about right.
- if the batter sits too long, it will liquify and give you flat pancakes
- beating the whites helps, but isn't necessary
- the pan should NOT be hot-hot - it takes some experimenting but your stove should be set at a temperature where the pancakes do not burn before they bubble - the ideal is a golden brown.
- although it takes longer to cook them, I've found that the lower the temperature the more they rise and the better they taste.
Try Krusteaz (Just Add Water) Buttermilk Pancake Mix. I use it all the time and it's very good & reliable. I've made pumpkin, blueberry, raspberry, banana pecan and regular pancakes with it - it's never failed me. Your pan should be hot - just short of smoking! Put a small amount of oil in the pan and wipe it with a paper towel - you want a very thin layer of oil. To see if the pan is hot enough, throw a little drop of water on it - it should scoot across the pan, sizzling and disappear very quickly.
And yes, DO NOT wait for all the bubbles to burst before flipping! If you do, your pancakes will be overdone on one side and won't brown very well on the other. Try the Krusteaz and then venture into the homemade pancake recipes. "Technique" is what most people cannot master when it comes to pancakes! :) Have fun!
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