Yes, everybody makes basic cooking mistakes. Like, say, something as simple as overcooking mushrooms or toasting grains and spices. Below, reader Adrianne Edwards confesses to making her pancakes more cakey than pan-like to associate food editor Rick Martinez. Here’s Martinez's advice for making sure it never happens again. Welcome to Effed it Up.
Dear Rick, master of the pancake, I tried making pancakes for one and they puffed up into these tall, round, cakey balls. Did I use too much baking powder? Too much flour? Not enough liquid? Please help!Thanks,
Adrianne
Dear Adrianne,
Puffy, cakey pancake disaster! We are going to get to the bottom of this. Pancakes, like most baking, are a giant science experiment, a chemical reaction made up of starch, protein, water, fats, binders, chemical leaveners, and heat. All of these things come together to create something really delicious—or something really horrible. Don’t feel bad, we’ve all had our share of baking catastrophes. But, as with any science experiment, we observe, learn, and try again until we get it right.
Without having seen the recipe and tasted the finish pancakes, it's hard for me to say exactly what happened and where you went wrong. But here are a few tips to help solve the cakey mystery (and any other pancake missteps you've experienced).
No-Brainer Pancakes. Photo: Matt Duckor
Anatomy of a Pancake
Flour and liquid create the structure in any dough. Mixing the two together develops gluten, the protein that gives elasticity to dough. When making bread, gluten is a good thing; it allows the bread to hold its structure and supports the formation of the gas bubbles created by the yeast. Without gluten, bread would not be able to rise.
However, gluten in quick breads, pie crusts, cakes, and pancakes is not good. You want these baked items to be soft and tender with a delicate crumb, and that means as little gluten as possible. Over-mixing pancake batter develops the gluten that will make the pancakes rubbery and tough. For light, fluffy pancakes, you want to mix just until the batter comes together—it's okay if there are still some lumps of flour.
Fat (melted butter) makes the pancakes rich and moist. Adding too much fat will make them seem more like pound cake; they'll have smaller bubbles and won't rise as much. On the other hand, too little fat will make them dry and crispy—almost cracker-like.
With little gluten, pancakes rely on eggs to provide the additional structure necessary to hold the bubbles and allow the pancake to rise. The fat in the yolk also provides richness and flavor. Too much egg, however, will make the pancake dense and custard-like; not enough will make it drier and more biscuit-like.
