If you ask a foreigner what popular dishes of Russian cuisine he knows, he will certainly remember pancakes. This traditional Slavic pastry is famous all over the world, and its history goes back to ancient times. Then, as now, pancakes played a special and even mystical role. They were wealth and family well-being. They were prepared on the eve of summer, with the hope of a rich harvest, and they also saw off the summer. Nowhere in the world do they celebrate Maslenitsa like we do, with all the breadth of the Russian soul.
Initially, pancakes were cooked on a yeast dough, and then they were baked. Today, it is almost impossible to repeat this process, if only because there are no ovens in our apartments. The old recipes were replaced by new ones, modernized, but no less successful. What is the most Surely the one that enjoys unquestioned success in your family. Usually such a dough is prepared in milk, with the addition of eggs and flour - this recipe can be called traditional today. But in fact, the variety of this treat is very large. Pancakes are baked with yeast and kefir, brewed with boiling water and a variety of flours are used. Today we will tell you how to bake pancakes correctly so that they are thin, tender and certainly tasty.
A little about pancakes
If the hostess has lacy and thin pancakes, this is a sign that she is an excellent cook. But not everyone manages to master baking a fastidious dish the first time. The first pancake is lumpy for everyone, but it’s much more offensive if the second and third, and the subsequent ones turn out exactly the same. To prevent this from happening, you need to know a few tricks on how to bake pancakes, and we are happy to share these secrets with you.
To begin with, we will focus on the technique of baking pancakes, it is the same for all recipes, and then we will move on to various options for making dough. By following our simple guidelines, you can easily bring to life the most delicious pancake recipe for your family, even without such experience at all.
Briefly about the main
The main components of pancake success are a frying pan and dough. They often argue about frying pans, some argue that they must certainly be made of thin metal, because this is what the real one looks like. Others insist on using cast iron with a thick bottom. Which of them to believe? Both are right, making pancakes depends more on how hot the pan itself is and how it was used before.
Give preference to the one whose bottom is perfectly flat and does not contain scratches. Rinse it well and dry it, and then pour in a little oil or other fat and heat it well on fire. Let it cool like this. Drain the oil and feel free to take on the preparation of pancakes.
Traditionally, the pan is greased with unsalted piece of lard strung on a fork. They wipe the hot surface, and then pour the dough. This is worth repeating if you notice that the pancakes have begun to stick a little. You can also use ordinary vegetable oil, dropping a little into the pan, but it should be quite a bit, otherwise the pancakes will turn out greasy.
Test preparation
What is the best pancake recipe? It is not so important what proportions of products you will use, it is important to prepare everything properly. Regardless of the ingredients that will be used, the dough should be homogeneous and liquid. This is a guarantee that the pastries will turn out very thin and tender. In terms of density, it should resemble ryazhenka and spread quickly over the surface.
Scoop up some of the batter, lift the ladle over the bowl, and pour it back slowly. The jet must be smooth, uniform and uninterrupted. If the dough is thick, add a little water, if liquid - flour.
It is best to mix the ingredients with a mixer, it is easier to avoid lumps, but you can use a whisk or a regular fork, whichever is more convenient for you. All ingredients must be introduced slowly, vigorously whipping the mass.
Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the dough, then the pancakes will not stick to the pan, and it will not need to be constantly lubricated. A pinch of soda added to the dough will give the most important pancake attribute - holes.
Pancakes are often wrapped with a variety of fillings, if you plan to cook sweet pancakes, add a little more sugar.
pancake baking
Heat the frying pan and grease with bacon. Raise its canopy and pour a little dough into the center, about half a ladle or a little more will take about one pancake. Tilt the pan away from you and begin to turn in a circle, making sure that the dough completely covers the surface. You need to do this quickly so that it does not "grab". Put the pan on the fire. As soon as the edges of the pancake acquire a golden color, it's time to turn it over. Slightly lift the edge, insert a spatula under it completely and turn the pancake over. Movements must be careful, this is a very delicate product, and it can be easily torn. Ready pancakes are stacked, lightly smeared with melted butter.
If your frying pan is well fried, then you can simply throw the pancake into the air and turn it over. To do this, shake the pan sharply from side to side, if the pancake slides on the surface, feel free to toss it up. It just looks complicated, but in fact everything is very easy, and this way you can bake your favorite pancakes faster.
Simple tips end here, it's time to proceed to no less important - recipes for making dough.
Classic milk pancakes
This is perhaps the most delicious pancake recipe, well, or one of the best. Pancakes are very tender, they will appeal not only to adults, but also to children. Before preparing the dough, you need to cool the milk and eggs a little. So the protein and flour will better contact, and the dough will be smooth, without lumps.
Break 4 eggs into a deep bowl, add a teaspoon of salt, 1.5 tablespoons of sugar and pour in a liter of milk. Work with the mixer a little. Continuing to beat, gradually add flour (400 g). Leave for 15 minutes to "rest". Before baking, pour in a tablespoon of vegetable oil and mix well. The dough is ready.
Custard pancakes
It happens that the milk bought the day before suddenly turns sour, or kefir remains, which no one drinks anymore. Where can you use all this miracle? Cook pancakes in boiling water. We will add a little soda - and our treat will turn out to be attractively openwork.
Take 2 cups of sour milk (kefir), beat 3 eggs into it. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and a teaspoon of salt. Beat a little, then slowly add 2 cups of flour and mix. You will need a glass of boiling water, add a teaspoon of soda to it, mix and immediately pour the water into the dough. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Work a little with a mixer, and you can start baking.
Lace pancakes (by yeast)
This recipe is just amazing. Surely your grandmother or mother cooked just such pancakes - “lace”. This recipe involves the use of only warm products. For him we will prepare
In slightly warmed milk (2 cups), add 2 tablespoons of sugar, a teaspoon of salt and a bag of dry yeast. Put in heat and wait until the yeast rises from the top of the foam. Beat eggs (4 pieces) a little in a separate spacious bowl. Add yeast mixture to them and mix well. Gradually add 400 g of flour, leave for 20-30 minutes in a warm place. Boil 2 cups of water and, stirring, pour boiling water into the mass, beat well. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the dough. Now you can safely bake lace pancakes. This recipe is simple, it will take no more than 30 minutes to prepare the dough.
From rye flour
Have you ever tried such a treat? No? Then you just need to cook pancakes according to this recipe. Flour today you can buy absolutely any, and even rye and even more so. So why not add a little variety. Such a dough for pancakes in milk is prepared very quickly.
Break 2 eggs into a bowl, add 2 salt spoons of sugar, a teaspoon of salt, beat the mass a little and pour in half a liter of milk. Stirring constantly, gradually introduce a glass of sifted wheat flour and a glass of rye flour, add a whisper of soda and mix thoroughly. Then add a spoonful of vegetable oil and you can start baking. Pancakes will not be gray, despite the color of rye flour, but on the contrary, they will acquire a golden blush when fried. They will be thin and very soft. You should definitely try it.
Sweet chocolate pancakes
Sweet pancakes will delight both children and adults. This is a great breakfast and a great platform for making dessert. They can be wrapped in sweet cottage cheese with raisins and vanilla, or simply served with jam, honey or fruit. So let's get started.
Mix 2 tablespoons of cocoa with 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, beat in 2 eggs and salt a little. Pour in a glass of milk, and then gradually add a glass of flour. Mix thoroughly, gradually add water to the dough - 1 cup, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. You can start frying.
If you get a little creative, you can make original two-color pancakes. To do this, prepare white and dark dough. Pour the dark dough into a hot frying pan with arbitrary curls in a thin stream, and fill the gaps with plain white. You will certainly like the result. There will be something to surprise guests and pamper yourself.
banana pancakes
The recipe is a little unusual for our cuisine, and this is a great reason to try it. You will get a complete dessert that does not need any additives. Interestingly, it does not require either yeast or eggs. So let's get started.
You should grind 100 g of sugar with 100 g of sour cream, then add a pinch of salt and soda. Pour 2 cups of milk into the mass, mix. Enter a little 350 g of flour and mix well, we do not need lumps. In a separate plate, mash one peeled banana into a homogeneous gruel with a fork, it must be added to the dough. Pour in a spoonful of vegetable oil and mix again. The original dough is ready.
Instead of an epilogue
As you can see, the recipes for such a capricious dish as pancakes are quite simple, and for sure there are products for them in everyone's house. They will help to realize dozens of your most daring culinary ideas, because they are often cooked with all sorts of fillings. You can prepare a wonderful treat for any holiday and please the household with delicious desserts. Not everyone can resist such diversity. Mastering the technique of baking pancakes is not at all difficult. If you stick to the elementary rules, you will certainly succeed. Good luck in your culinary endeavors.
