Alton Brown Pancakes Recipes

DUTCH BABY PANCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Put 1 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and heat the skillet in the oven for 10 minutes. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and set aside to cool slightly.
• Pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and melted butter, and blend the batter until smooth and frothy, 30 to 45 seconds.
• Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and immediately pour the batter into the center. Bake for 20 minutes; do not open the oven while baking. The Dutch baby will puff up in the center and the edges will be dark and crispy.
• Serve warm with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and lemon wedges for squeezing.

NITROUS PANCAKES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, buttermilk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt together. Use a funnel to pour the mixture into the cream whipper, but do not fill above the maximum fill line. Lid the cream whipper, charge with 1 N2O charger, and shake vertically 15 to 20 times. Set aside for 1 minute.
• Heat the butter in a nonstick pan. Invert and carefully dispense as many rounds of batter as will fit in pan with a few inches between them. Cook until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Repeat with remaining batter.

ALTON BROWN'S FLUFFY WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES

Steps:

• Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients. (I just melted the butter slightly before adding it in with the eggs and buttermilk.).
• Add the wet stuff to the dry stuff and mix just until batter comes together. Do NOT mix smooth. Set aside batter to rest for 5 minutes.
• * Heat an electric griddle to 350 degrees or place a nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat.
• *Test the griddle by flicking water on it. If the water dances across the surface, you're good to go.
• * Rub down the griddle with a little butter or spray with nonstick spray.
• Ladle 1 scoop of batter onto the griddle. (Batter will be thick! Just spread it out with the bottom of your ladle or the back of a spoon.) Cook until bubbles form in the batter and bottom is golden, approximately three minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden, another a minute or so. Adjust the heat as necessary as you go along. Serve while hot!

SCALLION PANCAKES

Steps:

• Thinly slice the scallions, separating the tender greens from the whites and light greens. Measure out 1 packed cup (about 60 grams) of the tender greens and set aside for the pancakes. Add the remaining tender greens, along with the whites and light greens, to a small saucepan with the oil and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the oil begins to rapidly bubble, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to fry, stirring more frequently now, until the bubbling begins to subside and the scallions turn golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. They'll burn quickly at this point, so watch carefully.
• Strain scallions through a fine-mesh sieve set over a pint-size heatproof glass measuring cup or jar, then cool to room temperature, reserving the fried scallions to use as a garnish on fried rice, omelets, etc. When cool, measure out 1/2 cup of the scallion oil, then save the remainder for another use. (I like to stir fry with it, but swirling it into mashed potatoes isn't a bad idea either.) The scallion oil will keep for about 1 month refrigerated in an airtight container.
• For the dough, mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water all at once and stir with a spatula or chopsticks until just cool enough to handle, then knead by hand, in the bowl, until the dough comes together. Transfer to a clean counter and keep kneading until the dough is soft and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Lube the bowl with nonstick spray. Add the dough, then toss to lightly coat, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
• Divide the dough into four 100- to 110-gram pieces (about 3 3/4-ounces), roll into smooth balls, and cover with a kitchen towel. Working with one at a time, roll each ball into an 8- to 9-inch circle measuring less than 1/8-inch thick. Brush with 1 teaspoon of the cooled scallion oil and then sprinkle with 1/4 cup (about 15 grams) of the scallion greens. Roll into a tight snake, being sure to avoid creating any air bubbles inside. Wrap the snake into a tight pinwheel with the seam facing inward. Tuck the end under and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining balls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest again for 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. (If chilling, bring to room temperature before proceeding with the next step.)
• Lightly brush your work surface with a small amount of the scallion oil. Then, one at a time, roll the spirals into 7- to 8-inch pancakes. Return to the baking sheet, top with a piece of parchment, and repeat with the remaining dough spirals, oiling the counter as needed. Place a piece of parchment between each pancake.
• Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. (If you're measuring, the pan should be between 380 and 400 degrees F.) Line a baking sheet with paper towels and top with an upside-down wire rack. (See Cook's Note.) Stash it by the cooktop.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the scallion oil to the hot skillet, followed by one of the pancakes. Fry, flipping every 30 to 45 seconds, until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to the prepared rack. Repeat with the remaining pancakes, adding an additional tablespoon of oil to the pan in between each batch. Slice the pancakes into wedges and serve hot.

INSTANT PANCAKE MIX (AND INSTANT PANCAKES) BY ALTON BROWN

Steps:

• For the Mix:.
• Combine all of the ingredients for the MIX in a container with a tight fitting lid.
• Shake to mix.
• For the Pancakes:.
• Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl.
• In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.
• Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined.
• Pour the liquid ingredients on top of 2 cups of the pancake mix.
• Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together.
• Don't try to work all the lumps out.
• Check to see that the griddle is hot by placing a few drops of water onto the griddle.
• The griddle is ready if the water dances across the surface.
• Lightly butter the griddle.
• Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel.
• (No butter should be visible.) Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and sprinkle on fruit if desired.
• When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake, and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes.
• Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.
• Serve immediately or remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel.
• Hold in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes.

THE BEST BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and melted butter in a medium bowl until incorporated. Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined (it's OK if there are a few lumps).
• Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat; lightly brush with butter. Pour 1/2 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake and cook until bubbles form on top and the bottom is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. (If the pancakes are browning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium-low.) Flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side, about 1 more minute. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, brushing the pan with more butter as necessary. Serve with butter and syrup.

EASY PANCAKES

Steps:

• Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat while you make the batter.
• Mix together the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs into 1½ cups of the milk, then stir in the 2 tablespoons cooled melted butter if you're using it. Gently stir this mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing only enough to moisten the flour; don't worry about a few lumps. If the batter seems thick, add a little more milk.
• Use a little butter or oil each time you add batter, unless your skillet is truly nonstick. When the butter foam subsides or the oil shimmers, ladle batter onto the griddle or skillet, making any size pancakes you like. Adjust the heat as necessary; usually, the first batch will require higher heat than subsequent batches. The idea is to brown the bottom in 2 to 4 minutes, without burning it. Flip when bubbles appear in the center of the pan-cakes and the bottoms are cooked; they won't hold together well until they're ready.
• Cook until the second side is lightly browned, a couple more minutes, and serve or hold on an oven-proof plate in a 200°F oven for up to 15 minutes.

DUTCH BABY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place 2 tablespoons of the melted butter into a 10-inch cast iron skillet and place in the oven. Set the remaining tablespoon of melted butter aside to cool slightly. Wait 10 minutes before assembling the other ingredients.
• Place the flour, vanilla sugar, salt, milk, eggs and remaining tablespoon of melted butter into the bowl of a food processor or blender and process for 30 seconds. Carefully pour the batter into the preheated skillet. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges are puffed and brown. Sprinkle with additional vanilla sugar and serve with lemon wedges.