Rye pancakes, odd results, and cheap pan

LeifUK

My cooking is usually based on experimenting, and when something works, do it again later. I tried something yesterday and today and don't understand what happened. I made rye pancakes using 4oz rye flour, 1/2 pint soya milk and two eggs whisked up. Pretty much a standard pancake mix. The first evening they were okay, but not as good as traditional ones. I left half the mix in the kitchen overnight, and the next evening the mix was very thick, and I added some soya milk to thin it. On making the pancakes I had to use a spatula to spread the mix, and when cooked they were spongey, almost like pikelets (crumpets). They were much better, and would go well with greek yogurt and fruit. The rye flour added a nice wholemeal taste. It seems that something lightened the batter, presumably a gas such as CO2.

So, what happened? Was it fermentation or a chemical reaction?

And as an aside, Waitrose do a basic pancake pan for £5. It seems good to me, especially since this is the sort of thing you use once in a blue moon.

hogweed

I just use my non stick frying pan for pancakes. Not thought of having a special one!

Fairygirl

Hi Leif - I'd guess the combination of the type of flour you used and the soya milk has created that effect. Think you've hit the nail on the head with the fermentation thing. Again - the rye flour might be a factor.  I think Dove would know the answer though as she's a real foodie 

As long as they tasted good though.... 

LeifUK

Yes, they were good. I am wondering if there is an enzyme somewhere that activated some other ingredient, maybe starch. In food land there is little new under the sun, so this must be a recipe in some far off corner of the world, such as East Cheam. I would have thought fermentation would need more time, how knows!

 

Regarding pans, I only have a small non stick pan, for omelettes. Normally I cannot stand non stick pans, since they become stick pans within months as the oil polymerises on the surface.

BobTheGardener

http://www.thekitchn.com/food-science-why-some-batters-76098

 

Nanny Beach

Have been trying for 4 years, without success to find a small (one egg size) frying pan that works on induction. LeifUK, what are you doing to these non-stick pans - mine dont loose their ability not to stikc!!!

LeifUK

Thanks Bob, I knew normal batter needed to rest an hour or so but assumed it was the gluten. So starch absorbs moisture and swells, makes sense. 

Nanny, many people have the same problem. For omelettes and pancakes non stick is fine. I sweat down veg at the start of most dishes, that frying creates a layer of stuff on the pan which cannot be removed. Stainless steel is much much better, and largely self cleaning. I generally would not touch non stick, it's rubbish. 

Except these new triply stainless steel pans warp on my cooker. Le Creuset replaced my first for free, and I will return the second as it has warped too when popping mustard seed. The old style pans are more durable. 

 

Dovefromabove

It was a natural fermentation.  Rye flour is often used as an ingredient in sour-dough starters as it has more natural soluble sugars than wheat flour which aid fermentation.

It sounds as if you ended up with a type of Blini.

Many of the keen cooks I know swear by these pans - http://www.greenpan.co.uk/uk/mission-7947.htm

 

LeifUK

Thanks Dove

Oddly enough collegues said the same, they make sour dough bread, and one chap used rye flour for the reasons you state. I think this will be on the menu again as it is good. But I might mix in the egg on day two, just to avoid possible problems with salmonella. And sour dough bread may be on the menu too.

Welshonion

If you buy another non-stick pan ensure you only use it on the lowest heat, they don't take kindly to high heat and they should last for years. If you want to use high heat buy a cast iron pan.

LeifUK

I never use high heat, but the lowest heat is useless. You can't do anything normal such as pop mustard seed or sweat down onions in a non stick pan without a gradual build up of polymerised oil. Anyway stainless steel is far better in my view.