How to get that picture perfect even browning on pancakes?
Had a few people over for brunch, and made pancakes as one of the items. They were great (I've been using the Clinton Street Baking Co recipe for years), but pancakes never brown evenly - yknow, the uniform golden brown from edge to edge. Mine always look a darker brown on the circumference, and then a range of light to dark brown specks in the center. Obviously, the appearance doesn't matter since they still taste awesome, but was curious as to how people get their pancakes to have picturesque even golden brown. Or is it something reserved solely for the cookbooks and diners?
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8 Comments
I usually get golden (no brown at all) pancakes with this method. It works on silver dollar to 14" pan size cakes.
If flavor is added to batter, whether solid or syrupy, I set the heat lower so as not to burn the tasties.
I definitely have messed up on the fat in the pan front, I just let the butter hang out in there, so there's always a decent amount pooling around. I'll try the paper towel technique next time. And same with the heat - I tend to go hotter (mostly because I'm usually hangry and impatient when making pancakes), so I'll try it at a 2 to 3 out of 10 heat level if my results are the same after trying the paper towel / even, thin layer of fat in pan technique.
2. I found the first batch of pancake on the pan where I just put a new 1 tsp of butter always has speckled surface, but not the rest until I add the butter again. It seems like 'almost no fat' on pan reduce most of speckles. This would need some sort of non-stick surface though (I only use non stick and never use cast iron so don't know about cast iron result). Maybe you want to do Japanese way of oiling pan, damp small paper towel with oil, hold with chopstick and brush the pan with it, then use a clean paper towel to clean of the excess (held with chopstick again)