Cast Iron

HENRY THIELE'S PANCAKE

by:
January 17, 2010
4
3 Ratings
HENRY THIELE'S PANCAKE
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Makes 1 pancake
Author Notes

. The restaurant called Henry Thiele's is no longer standing. It was a wonderful restaurant at the top of Burnside Street in Portland, Oregon. I spent a lot of mornings there with my friends plotting our days (and nights). I think that James Beard, who was from Portland even wrote about the pancake and had his own version of it. (included in his 1972 "American Cookery") My version is from the restaurant owner (a fierce little man) and I hope that this version makes you a memorable pancake. I used to make it for my husband to be. I even (still) have a special pan to make it in. —dymnyno

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3/4 cup cream or milk
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/2 lemon
  • powdered sugar
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Start with room temperature ingredients. Heat the pan , either the "official" pan or a cast iron skillet.
  2. Mix the salt, sugar and flour and cream.
  3. Beat the eggs, one at a time into the flour mixture.
  4. Melt the butter in the pan (there is a special pan for making the pancakes, sort of a small, short wok-like pan)
  5. Pour the batter into the hot sizzling butter.
  6. Put the pan in the hot oven.
  7. The pancake will take about 15 to 20 minutes to cook...it will puff up a lot.
  8. Remove the pancake from the oven. Traditionally it was served with a squeeze of lemon juice and then sprinkled with powdered sugar.
  9. I love it with sauteed apple slices, or tart berry jam or even fresh strawberries.
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8 Reviews

Mollie P.
Mollie P. December 24, 2019
Im afraid this isnt the recipe for a Henry Thieles pancake. Henrys pancake doesnt raise up like a 'dutch baby' It is rolled & looks more like an omellet. I worked at Henry Thieles in Lincoln City Oregon in the 70's when his sons Tom (manager) & Fred ( chef) were there. I loved going there with my daughters when they were little. And ALWAYS ordered the german pancake. It has lots of eggs & quite a different process to put together that makes it so it doesn't come out looking like a dutch baby ( Which I also make in my cafe) When it is served it is with about 1/2 lemon slices with rctra lemon juice drizzled &lots of real butter & hot maple syrup. Powdered sugar all over it! Its very different
& the difference I noticed could be the amount of eggs. Maybe a couple more?
 
John P.
John P. March 14, 2013
I live in Yorkshire, England, and my wife has just cleared out a drawer and found a folder of matches with the name of Henry Thiele's, Portland's most popular restaurant. They must be from the 1930s when my father came to visit the USA to see a branch of the family who emigrated in the 1880s and ended up in Denver, CO. John at hillfoot.
 
clcatto
clcatto November 19, 2011
Yum! Thanks for the walk down memory lane. I spent many days as a kid in the 70s in the uptown shopping center!
 
LobsterBrieAvocadoBreath
LobsterBrieAvocadoBreath January 11, 2011
I am going to make this for bfast tomorrow....am I missing when to add the 3 T of melted butter? I will add it to the batter with the milk mixture I suppose. What a great way to start the day!
 
dymnyno
dymnyno January 12, 2011
The butter goes in the pan and melted. Then the batter is poured into the pan. Remember that this recipe is for 3 pancakes.
 
James S.
James S. March 16, 2018
What do you mean the recipe is for 3 pancakes? At the top of the ingredient list it says for 1 pancake, I’m confused!
 
dymnyno
dymnyno March 16, 2018
I don't remember why I said 3 pancakes; it was over 6 years ago! One very large pancake is what it should be.
 
coffeefoodwrite
coffeefoodwrite December 7, 2010
Oh....this looks wonderful!