Rested Batter Pancakes

This diner I used to go to had the most fluffy, melt in your mouth pancakes I’ve ever had. I tried a lot of methods to recreated them. Like whipping the eggs whites, adding more baking powder, making the batter thin, making it thick, smoothing the lumps, leaving the lumps, high-temperature cooking, low-temperature cooking, nonstick pan, castiron pan, butter, oil, shortening, but nothing even came close.

As it turns out, all that fiddling was not in vain! I found that if I whisked the batter smooth and then let it rest for an hour or so, I finally got the texture I was after. My guess is that the diner used just an ordinary pancake mix but they made a huge batch and it sat out during normal breakfast hours. I would go to the dinner at the tail end of breakfast, so the batter was probably many hours old.

Through all my trials and experimenting, I found that using butter and a cast iron pan over medium to medium-low heat was optimal. I also found that just one hour of rest time at room temperature produced about the same level of “melt in your mouthness” that sitting overnight in the fridge did. 

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup + 2 to 3 TBSP (385g) milk 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (115g) white granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp (3g) fine sea salt
• 2 1/2 tsp (12g) baking powder
• Butter or oil for frying
• Butter and syrup to serve (mandatorily optional)

Instructions

1. In a 4-cup measuring jug or medium mixing bowl, whisk all the ingredients until smooth. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and rest for 1 to 2 hours or refrigerate for up to 10 hours.
2. When ready to cook, give the batter a very gentle stir before using it.
3. Heat a castiron griddle or large skillet over medium heat. . Add oil or melted butter to lightly coat the cooking surface.
4. Drop batter in 1/3 cup portions onto the greased cooking surface and spread out with the back of a spoon to make 4-inch circles.
5. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until small bubbles start to pop on and the sides look dry.
6. Flip quickly but gently and cook for 1 more minute. Move cooked pancakes to a warm plate and cover with a towel to keep warm. Repeat until all the batter is used. You could also keep them warm in an oven on very low heat.
7. Serve immediately with butter and syrup.

Cool leftovers and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or toaster. You could also reheat them in a frying pan over med-high heat.

Makes 16 x 4-inch Pancakes